An alba, raised by Vibert in 1823. Plant low-growing for an alba, with stems to 1.5m. Flowers semi-double, around 7.5cm across, of quite a rich pink, opening flat with a mixture of small petals and stamens in the centre. Leaves bluish-green, with very broad leaflets; sepals distinctly pinnate or bipinnate. Twigs with numerous small, red thorns.

‘Amélia’ has many of the characteristics of a damask, and is sometimes considered to be a synonym of ‘Celsiana’, which has less pinnate sepals, and more cupped flowers with more regular petals. David Austin’s catalogue records that ‘Amélia’ has a tea scent. Zone 4, perhaps.



Photographed in the garden of David Austin’s Nussery Albrighton, Wolverhampton, UK.