Deep, velvety currant‑red shade. - hybrid tea rose - very strong, garden-filling scented rose - rose-oil, classic rose character
– Deep, velvety currant-red hybrid tea blooms
– Very strong, classic rose fragrance
– Elegant, upright habit for beds and specimens
– XL, high-centred flowers ideal for cutting
– Moderate disease resistance and heat tolerance
– Special feature: Prix du Parfum winner, The Hague 1985
Sustainable garden design – Expert background
darinaROSE® ORIGINAL 2-litre own-root potted rose
19,00 £
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3.5(5454)
VICTOR HUGO® – red hybrid tea rose – Meilland
With its deep, velvety crimson blooms and powerful rose-oil perfume, VICTOR HUGO® brings a sense of romance and storybook charm to the smallest family garden. Bred by Meilland as a classic hybrid tea, it offers long, elegant stems for indoor vases as well as a compact, upright habit that fits beautifully into cottage-style borders and narrow beds. This own-root, 2-litre plant is straightforward to establish, settling reliably even where gardens face brisk winds and frequent showers. Once planted, its steady repeat-flowering produces large, exhibition-style blooms over a long season, with minimal tasks beyond simple deadheading and an easy winter prune. As an own-root rose it matures into a durable garden feature, capable of regenerating from its base and holding its ornamental value for many years. In a medium-sized family plot it can anchor a “girly” English countryside corner, pairing well with low hedging, herbs and a small kitchen garden. VICTOR HUGO® is equally at home in a generous patio container, where you can enjoy the scent at nose level during afternoon tea. Given a well-prepared planting hole and sensible watering in its first season, it will reward you with a reassuringly low-effort display, moving naturally from rooting to building shoots and finally to a full, three-year presence that feels established and enduring. Its rich red tones slip effortlessly into soft, pastel cottage palettes, adding depth, drama and a touch of literary glamour.
Victor Hugo® hybrid tea rose, supplied in a 2-litre pot.
Usage options
Target area
Reasoning
Feature rose near seating or terrace
Large, high-centred hybrid tea blooms on upright stems create a strong focal point close to where you sit, while the compact footprint suits modest UK family gardens without overwhelming the space – perfect for the romantic homeowner.
Cutting patch in a kitchen or cottage garden
Exhibition-type flowers on long, straight stems lend themselves ideally to home-cut bouquets, allowing you to bring its rich crimson colour and classic form indoors throughout the season – ideal for the home florist.
Perfumed path or entrance planting
A very strong, garden-filling fragrance means even a single bush can perfume gateways or paths, turning everyday comings and goings into a scented ritual with minimal extra care – appealing to the scent lover.
Small hedge or repeated border rhythm
Moderate height, upright habit and dense, mid-green foliage allow neat, evenly spaced lines at the recommended planting distances, giving cottage-style structure that is easy to trim and maintain – suited to the tidy gardener.
Low-effort family flower bed
Steady repeat-flowering with a plentiful second flush, combined with medium maintenance needs, offers dependable colour for busy households who can manage only basic pruning and watering – reassuring for the time-poor family.
Own-root investment planting for long-term structure
As an own-root rose it regenerates from its base, avoiding graft-related issues and supporting a long lifespan; over a few seasons it transitions from establishing roots to building shoots and then a settled ornamental presence – attractive to the long-term planner.
Large patio container or courtyard pot
Its upright, compact growth and dense foliage work well in generous containers of at least 40–50 litres, where regular watering and feeding are easy to manage and the blooms can be enjoyed up close – ideal for the patio gardener.
Exposed, mixed cottage border
Robust growth and moderate disease resistance suit mixed borders in typical British conditions, where it copes with breezier sites and regular rain without complex spraying routines, provided drainage is reasonable – practical for the beginner gardener.
Styling ideas
Literary arbour – Train VICTOR HUGO® as a central feature near an arbour or bench, underplanted with lavender and catmint for scent layers – for readers who dream of afternoon tea surrounded by stories.
Crimson cottage row – Plant a short row along a path with foxgloves and lady’s mantle, creating a romantic, “girly” cottage look – for homeowners wanting traditional charm with simple upkeep.
Kitchen posy corner – Combine with herbs, cosmos and sweet peas in a kitchen garden bed to provide armfuls of cut flowers – for hobby gardeners who love filling jugs and vases.
Patio showpiece – Grow one plant in a 50‑litre terracotta pot with trailing thyme and dwarf grasses, placing it by the back door – for busy urban families who want impact in limited space.
Twilight fragrance – Position near an evening seating area with white campanulas and soft pink roses to let its strong perfume and dark red blooms glow at dusk – for couples seeking a romantic retreat.
Technical cultivar profile
Parameter
Data
Name and registration
VICTOR HUGO® hybrid tea rose, registered as MEIvestal, also known in exhibitions as Senator Burda®; part of the Hybrid Tea group and marketed for garden and cut-flower use.
Origin and breeding
Bred by Marie-Louise Meilland of Meilland International SA in France before 1985, from complex parentage including Karl Herbst, Royal Velvet, Suspense and Erotika; introduced commercially in 1985.
Awards and recognition
Received the prestigious Fragrance Award (Prix du Parfum) at The Hague, Netherlands, in 1985, confirming its status as a top-class scented rose for both gardens and exhibitions.
Growth and structural characteristics
Upright hybrid tea with dense, slightly glossy mid-green foliage, moderate prickles, 80–120 cm height and 40–60 cm spread, forming a compact, vertical bush shape suited to beds or containers.
Flower morphology
Large XL, fully double, high-centred blooms with 26–39 petals on mainly solitary stems; classic exhibition hybrid tea form with pointed buds and a strong, repeat-flowering habit featuring a rich second flush.
Colour data and phenology
Deep, velvety currant-red flowers (RHS 53A outer, 53B inner); opens vivid crimson, deepening to rich dark red, then softening to ruby with a burgundy tinge shortly before petals fall.
Fragrance and aroma
Very strong, garden-filling perfume with a classic rose-oil character; primarily ornamental, with fully double flowers that are less accessible to pollinators but excellent for scented display and cutting.
Hip characteristics
Produces moderate quantities of spherical, red hips measuring around 12–18 mm in diameter, adding discrete late-season interest without dominating the overall appearance of the plant.
Resistance and winter hardiness
Hardy to approximately –15 to –12 °C (RHS H6), with moderate resistance to black spot, powdery mildew and rust; tolerates heat reasonably well but appreciates irrigation during prolonged dry spells.
Horticultural recommendations
Suitable for beds, specimen planting, hedging, cutting and containers; plant 35–70 cm apart depending on use, in sun or light shade, with medium maintenance including occasional pest and disease control.
VICTOR HUGO® offers richly scented, velvety red blooms on a compact, repeat-flowering shrub whose own-root form promises long-term garden value with straightforward care, making it a thoughtful choice for a romantic family garden.
Detailed product attributes
Product Identification Data
Product Name:
VICTOR HUGO® – red hybrid tea rose - Meilland
Product Type:
darinaROSE® ORIGINAL - 2-litre own-root potted rose
Meaning of Cultivar Name:
The name honours the 19th-century French poet, novelist and dramatist Victor Hugo, and the cultivar was created for the 100th anniversary of his death.
Cultivar Synonym:
Dreams Come True; Senator Burda®; Spirit of Youth
Full Bloom:
Rich dark red with a deep-toned, velvety texture.
Before Fading:
Slightly fading ruby red with a subtle burgundy tinge.
Colour Fading Description:
As it opens the deep crimson–currant red shade only moderately fades; at full bloom it is a rich dark red, and before the bloom fades it becomes slightly ruby with a burgundy tinge.
Pollinator Attraction:
Its fully double flowers attract pollinators only to a limited extent, as the dense, fully double petal form obscures the stamens and reduces access to nectar and pollen compared with simple or semi‑double blooms.
Pollinator-Friendly Rating:
Its double flowers attract pollinators only moderately, so it is at most partially pollinator-friendly and primarily an ornamental variety
Our product is a rose grown with pharmaROSA®’s unique cultivation technology!
2-litre, own-root, potted rose.
With a shoot system appropriate to the season.
With a root system that thoroughly permeates the growing medium.
Quality compliant with the requirements of the E.N.A. (European Nurserystock Association).
Supplied in unique packaging that prevents damage.
Can be planted during frost-free periods.
True-to-variety rose bush with a unique identifier.
The pharmaROSA® own-root potted rose is a well-rooted plant that supports reliable establishment when planted and cared for properly, so it can be planted whenever the soil is not frozen.
Crop overview: several varieties and growth stages in a short crop section.Shoot system: intensive growth of fresh basal shoots on a young plant.Root system: demonstration of a vigorous root system permeating the growing medium, by removing the pot.Balance: mature plant with root system and shoots in harmony with each other.
Information about the videos
The video series is not a “seasonal showcase”; it illustrates the essence of pharmaROSA® own-root cultivation in a tangible way: how the plant is built up, what the root system is like and how the shoot system regenerates. The recordings were therefore made at different times and with plants at various stages of development, so mixed foliage levels and differing stages of growth may appear in the videos. They are not a ‘sample’ of the batch dispatched, but a visual explanation of how the technology works. The current condition of the rose available to order — typical for the given period and similar to what you can expect to receive in the parcel — is shown in the upper part of the product page.
Pages for private customers Garden roses for the family garden, with minimal care → ORIGINAL® Premium garden roses – instant impact, a truly showpiece garden → EXTRA® Pages for professionals and private customers Roses for public spaces – large areas, sustainable maintenance → NATURAL® Roses for projects – hedge and row planting, fast implementation → RAPID® For professional partners only Production – propagation material for garden roses, wholesale → NEONATAL®
Company details
PharmaRosa Ltd. Company registration number: 01-09-717479 VAT number: 13075314-2-43 Plant health registration no.: HU130721 Bank account (IBAN): HU85117631891388688400000000 BIC (SWIFT): OTPVHUHB Bank name: OTP Bank Nyrt.
