Chrysler Imperial Hybrid Tea Rose

In the half century since its introduction, Chrysler Imperial has simply gotten dearer and dearer to rose growers' hearts. The huge, velvety crimson-red blooms, perfumed with the old-fashioned scent of damask, are a joy in the midseason garden, and this rose repays all the compliments it receives by treating you to an encore bloom at season's end.

These fully double, perfectly formed blooms are between 4 and 5 inches wide, with the high center and long, tightly-closed bud that distinguishes hybrid teas. They open very profusely in midseason (perfect for cutting) on plants covered with dark green foliage. Then, at season's end, a second smaller flush of blooms arises, just to see out the year with a flourish.

This hybrid tea has won so many awards, it's difficult to know where to begin. The year before it was formally introduced, it had already nabbed the coveted Portland Gold Medal (1951). An All-America Rose Selection followed in 1953. The special ARS John Cook Medal arrived in 1964, and the James Alexander Gamble Rose Fragrance Award in 1965. Truly, this is a rose that has only to enter a competition to win it.

Chrysler Imperial is a cross of Charlotte Armstrong and Mirandy but excels both its parents in color intensity, sweet fragrance, and flower production. It's a very heavy bloomer, and the damask scent will remind you of flower gardens past, when wild and species roses climbed at will over walls and outbuildings. Yet this is a restrained, compact, elegant shrub, perfect for the formal rose garden.

Chrysler Imperial does best in warm, dry climates. In areas with excessive rainfall, it can become susceptible to mildew. Give it plenty of sunshine, space to breathe, and it will reward you heavily for many years to come.