CARINA® – pink hybrid tea rose – Meilland
Planted near a seating area or along a favourite path, CARINA® wraps your garden in romance with large, perfectly shaped, mid‑pink blooms and a full, classic fragrance that feels made for afternoon tea moments. This ADR‑certified hybrid tea is reassuringly reliable, combining strong disease resistance with easy care, even where high humidity can encourage fungal problems and coastal winds test less sturdy roses. Its upright, moderately compact habit is naturally elegant, ideal for cottage borders or a single, showpiece bush in a family garden. As an own‑root plant it is quietly enduring, able to regenerate from the base and maintain stable shape over many years. You can enjoy its abundance of large blooms in the garden or as cut flowers, without complicated pruning or spraying routines. In the first seasons it concentrates on root strength and framework, then develops fuller character and flowering presence, giving steadily increasing ornamental value with very little effort from you.
Usage options
| Target area | Reasoning |
|---|
| Main view from terrace or patio |
The clear mid‑pink, high‑centred blooms read beautifully from a distance, giving a romantic focal point from your seating area while the strong perfume drifts towards windows and doors; a low‑maintenance way to create an “afternoon tea” atmosphere for the busy homeowner |
| Feature rose in cottage-style border |
Its upright, moderately compact habit slots easily into mixed cottage borders, rising among perennials without overwhelming them, while the classic hybrid tea flower form adds structure and storybook charm with minimal shaping, suiting the cottage‑garden lover |
| Cutting corner near kitchen or back door |
The long‑stemmed, high‑centred flowers are ideal for cutting, holding their colour and shape well in the vase, so a single well‑placed bush can supply indoor arrangements all season, appealing to the home‑decor enthusiast |
| Low hedge or row along path |
Planted at the recommended spacing, CARINA® forms a gently upright, uniform line of pink blooms and dark foliage that frames paths or separates garden rooms without heavy pruning, which suits the informal‑garden planner |
| Small family garden focal bed |
The rose’s moderate height and spread make it easy to position in modest front or back gardens, where a single, high‑impact plant is needed rather than a large collection, making it attractive for the space‑conscious owner |
| Roses in heavier or challenging soils |
Its strong disease resistance and dependable vigour offer reassurance in gardens where wind exposure and seasonal dampness can test less robust varieties, providing colour and scent without complex care for the practical gardener |
| Own-root, long-term planting schemes |
The own‑root form builds a stable, well‑branched framework over time, so if winter damage or accidental hard pruning occurs, it regrows true to type from below ground, giving long service in borders for the long‑view planner |
| Large container on terrace or balcony |
In a 40–50 litre pot with good drainage, its upright habit and repeat use as a cutting rose create a movable highlight of colour and scent close to seating areas, suiting the urban balcony‑gardener |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-arc – Line a short path with CARINA® and soft white obedient plant to frame an arbour seat, using the rose’s fragrance and form as a romantic gateway – ideal for cottage-style dreamers
- Kitchen-jug – Grow two or three bushes near the back door for easy armfuls of mid‑pink stems to fill jugs indoors, relying on their strong scent – perfect for home entertainers
- Front-border – Mix with airy calamint and silver foliage plants so the upright roses provide structure while the companions soften the base – suited to low‑maintenance front gardens
- Colour-duet – Pair CARINA® with pale lavender or mauve perennials so the saturated pink blooms stand out as refined focal points – appealing to lovers of harmonious schemes
- Patio-pot – Plant a single own‑root CARINA® in a large terracotta container to enjoy close‑up perfume and easy access for cutting flowers – designed for compact terrace spaces
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter | Data |
|---|
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, florists rose; registered as MEIchim, marketed as CARINA® – pink hybrid tea rose – Meilland; ARS exhibition name Carina; own‑root, 2‑litre garden container form. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Alain Meilland, Meilland International, France, from ‘White Knight’ × (‘Happiness’ × ‘Independence’); introduced 1963, with subsequent patenting and wide international distribution. |
| Awards and recognition |
Holds ADR certification from the German General Rose Committee (1966) for garden performance, along with first prize at Genoa (1966), confirming ornamental quality and reliability. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright, moderately compact bush reaching around 80–110 cm in height and 50–70 cm spread; dark green, moderately dense foliage and moderate prickliness; partially self‑cleaning spent blooms. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, very double, high‑centred, pointed blooms on mainly solitary stems; over forty petals per flower, classic exhibition hybrid tea form, once‑blooming flush rather than continuous repeat. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Clear, saturated mid‑pink (RHS 55B–55C), vivid on opening and in full bloom with excellent colour retention, lightening towards powder‑pink as flowers age, especially in stronger sunlight. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, classic rose fragrance noticeable at a distance, giving a traditional scent profile suited to seating areas and cutting; full, rounded character rather than spicy or citrus notes. |
| Hip characteristics |
Due to very double flowers, hip set is generally low; where formed, hips are small, spherical, around 10–14 mm in diameter, developing an attractive orange‑red autumnal tone. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Rated to approximately −21 to −18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b, Swedish zone 3); good resistance to black spot, powdery mildew and rust, with moderate heat tolerance if adequately watered. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suited to beds, borders and small parks; plant 50–90 cm apart depending on use; prefers fertile, well‑drained soil, regular watering in dry spells and light seasonal pruning for shape. |
CARINA® – pink hybrid tea rose – Meilland offers fragrant, exhibition-style blooms, reliable garden performance and long-term stability from its own-root form; a thoughtful choice if you enjoy classic roses without demanding care.
