Few roses have a color as striking as Rosa ‘Cardinal de Richelieu’. Its richly filled flowers display shades ranging from wine red to deep purple and subtly turn grayer as they fade. Its velvety appearance gives this historic Gallica rose an almost regal character.

It is named after Cardinal Richelieu (1585–1642), the influential statesman under the French king Louis XIII. The rose itself did not appear until the nineteenth century and is attributed to the Belgian breeder Louis Parmentier. Sources differ on the date: Lens gives 1840, while David Austin gives 1847. Its name therefore connects two different chapters of history.

The flowers appear during one abundant summer bloom. Their rounded shape, dark green foliage, and virtually thornless branches make it a beautiful shrub for a romantic border or informal rose hedge. It also thrives in partial shade. Combine this purple garden rose, for example, with soft pink or white flowers to make its distinctive color stand out even more