ABBAYE DE BEAULIEU – raspberry-pink hybrid tea rose - Rateau
Imagine late-summer afternoon light catching velvety raspberry-pink blooms, their fragrance rich and lingering as you sit with tea among cottage-style borders. Abbaye de Beaulieu offers classic hybrid-tea elegance on a compact, upright bush that fits beautifully into typical UK family gardens, even where soil is heavy and needs careful drainage to keep roots comfortable. Large, high-centred blooms appear from early summer in generous flushes for cutting and display, while dense, glossy foliage provides a dark green backdrop that remains attractive between flowerings. As an own-root plant it establishes steadily, building a deep, resilient root system that supports a long garden life and dependable regrowth after pruning, with the ornamental picture maturing over the first three seasons.
Usage options
| Target area | Reasoning |
|---|
| Feature rose near a seating area or terrace |
Plant Abbaye de Beaulieu where you regularly sit outdoors to enjoy its strong, full-bodied scent and high-centred exhibition-style blooms at close range. The compact, upright habit stays neat beside paths and patios, while own-root resilience supports long-term structure with relatively simple seasonal care for homeowners. |
| Cutting patch or kitchen-garden border |
This hybrid tea excels as a cutting rose: large, pointed buds open on sturdy stems ideal for vases, providing a steady supply of raspberry-pink flowers through summer. Plant in a dedicated cutting row or weave into a kitchen garden border, where reliable remontant flowering repays regular deadheading and thoughtful watering for hobby-gardeners. |
| Romantic cottage-style mixed border |
Use as a vertical accent among perennials like Liatris, verbena and airy gypsophila to create a soft, “storybook” cottage effect. Its bushy, upright structure and glossy foliage knit well into mixed planting, giving a traditional rose presence without demanding complex pruning from beginners. |
| Container on a sunny patio (large pot) |
In a well-drained container of at least 40–50 litres, Abbaye de Beaulieu forms an elegant, upright shrub that brings strong colour and fragrance to courtyards or small urban spaces. Regular watering, feeding and deadheading are straightforward tasks, while the own-root system steadily builds a durable, re-sprouting framework for busy-urban-gardeners. |
| Specimen rose in a small front garden |
Planted as a single specimen, this variety gives a refined, formal look: high-centred blooms, dark foliage and a tidy outline suit traditional front gardens and cottage-style entrances. Its clear raspberry-pink colour reads well from the pavement, and the long-lived own-root base supports a stable display for family-buyers. |
| Partially shaded side border |
Abbaye de Beaulieu tolerates partial shade, so it can brighten side paths or east-facing fences that receive only part-day sun. While flowering is best with good light, its dark, glossy leaves remain ornamental, and thoughtful placement improves air movement in damper spots, helpful where fungal pressure is high for UK-gardeners. |
| Sheltered bed in exposed or breezy gardens |
In coastal or wind-prone locations, the compact, bushy structure helps the plant stay upright, while well-prepared, free-draining soil keeps roots secure during winter wet and gusty weather, offering good anchoring in challenging conditions. Combine with low hedging or shrubs as windbreaks for coastal-gardeners. |
| Long-term rose border with structured pruning |
As an own-root rose, Abbaye de Beaulieu regenerates well from the base if pruned harder in later years, supporting a long planting life in dedicated rose beds. Annual removal of older wood and regular deadheading promote strong regrowth and repeat flowering, rewarding simple but consistent routines for rose-enthusiasts. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-Classic – Underplant with Gypsophila repens and soft pinks for a frothy, romantic edge along a garden path – ideal for lovers of traditional cottage gardens.
- Kitchen-Border – Combine with herbs, deep green kale and cut-flower annuals to create a working border where you can cut both blooms and produce – suited to practical, kitchen-garden owners.
- Terrace-Focus – Grow in a large container beside outdoor seating, paired with lavender or dwarf nepeta to echo the scent and frame the blooms – perfect for tea-drinkers who enjoy evening fragrance.
- Front-Garden – Plant as a focal point among low box or privet, letting its raspberry-pink flowers rise above a tidy green base – attractive for families wanting a smart, traditional frontage.
- Arbour-Companion – Position near a simple wooden arbour or bench, flanked by airy white perennials to enhance the velvety flower colour – appealing to those seeking a romantic “storybook” corner.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter | Data |
|---|
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose Abbaye de Beaulieu (registered as EVEalexedit), exhibition-type hybrid tea suitable for cutting; named for the Cistercian Beaulieu Abbey in Ginals, ARS exhibition name identical. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred in France by Jérôme Rateau in 2011, introduced by Roses Anciennes André Eve in 2019; parentage currently unknown, developed within the hybrid tea group for ornamental garden and cut use. |
| Awards and recognition |
Holder of several fragrance and garden awards, including Bagatelle Perfumer trainees’ prize 2019, Nyon Gold Medal hybrid tea 2020, and SNHF Grand Prix de la Rose 2024. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Forms an upright, bushy shrub 80–120 cm high and 50–75 cm wide, with dense, dark green, glossy foliage and moderate prickliness; spent blooms persist and usually require manual removal. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, semi-double, high-centred, pointed-budded flowers on mainly solitary stems, with around 13–25 petals; repeats generously through the season with a notably abundant second flush when well maintained. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Medium-deep raspberry pink with cyclamen undertone (ARS DR, RHS 187A–187B); buds dark and velvety, colour long-lasting but may lighten in strong sun, fading towards softer raspberry-pink with a light lilac bloom. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, long-lasting, full-bodied scent characteristic of perfumed hybrid teas, making it particularly valuable for planting near seating areas or paths and for use as a fragrant cut flower indoors. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set is generally low; where formed, spherical red hips (RHS 46A) about 10–15 mm appear sparsely, and ornamental value focuses primarily on the flowers rather than fruiting display. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately −21 to −18 °C (RHS H7, Swedish zone 3, USDA 6b); heat and short dry spells tolerated once established, but disease susceptibility requires regular, proactive protection programmes. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suited to beds, specimens, hedging modules or large containers; needs full sun or light shade, good drainage, feeding and consistent plant protection, with spacing of 45–90 cm depending on planting scheme. |
Abbaye de Beaulieu offers award-winning fragrance, compact upright form and refined blooms on a durable own-root plant that rewards regular care with long-term beauty, making it a thoughtful choice for classically styled family gardens.
