Rose César

‘César’ is a climbing large-flowered rose cultivar which combines old-fashioned bloom form with modern vigor and disease resistance.This rose has lush, pink-apricot-cream blooms with light fragrance. It is moderate in size, with healthy foliage and an intermittent rebloom habit. Its unique coloration and strong disease resistance distinguish it among climbing roses, especially for gardeners seeking an old-rose bloom form without the high maintenance.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

FLOWERING

The blooms of ‘César’ are a standout feature, they are large, full, and of an old-fashioned quartered rosette formation. The petals are many, usually more than 41 petals, forming a dense rosette shape, sometimes with a button-eye in the center. Individual bloom diameter is approximately 10 – 12 cm (4–5 inches) in diameter when fully open. The petals are somewhat ruffled or imbricated, contributing to a ruffled, cabbage-rose appearance. Notably, the bloom form earned comparison to flamboyant historical roses. The blooms usually appear singly or in small clusters of about 2 to 5 blooms together.

The color of the rose variety ‘César’ is often categorized as a yellow and pink blend or apricot blend. There is some variability and nuance in how different sources describe it, indicating the blooms have a blend of hues that change with development. The official Meilland description calls the color “rose intense, reflets orangés” - an intense rosy pink with orange highlights. These descriptors actually align when considering the bloom’s bicolor nature: the outer petals are creamy yellow to soft apricot, while the inner petal fronts have a deeper pink or salmon-rose tone.

Newly opened buds may show a richer apricot or peach or even coral shades which later softens; when fully open, blooms often appear a blend of ivory, peach and pink blush. This dynamic coloration gives ‘César’ a romantic, watercolor-like palette, often with the center of the bloom warmer (pink to apricot) and the outer petals pale cream. Photos from collections show a range from very light apricot-pink in cool weather to stronger salmon-pink tones in heat. The petal’s reverses often retain a yellowish cream cast, contributing to a bicolor effect especially when blooms are viewed partially open. Sometimes the outermost petals can have a greenish tint, which is a common trait in very full, light-colored roses as chlorophyll persists in thick petal bases.

This rose has a repeating flowering habit, it blooms with flushes from summer until first frosts. The first flowering is very abundant, the plant is covered with flowers from top to bottom. Later, there are fewer flowers, but they appear constantly.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of rose variety ‘César’ is generally described as light or negligible, with very few gardeners mentioning a subtle sweet rose hint at best. Overall, ‘César’ should be considered nearly scentless in garden terms, which is somewhat unusual for a ‘Romantica’ collection of roses as many in the series are highly fragrant.

PLANT

The rose variety ‘César’ is classified as a Large-Flowered Climber or as Climbing Hybrid Tea rose. Unlike very vigorous climbers, it is a moderate sized climber or even low-growing climber, ideal for small gardens with a maximum height of about 200 - 400 cm (6’ 5” - 13’) depending on growing conditions and on climate. More typically, under favorable conditions ‘César’ reaches 300 - 400 cm (9’ 8” - 13’) in height and about 120 - 200 cm (4’ - 6’ 5”) in spread.

Foliage and canes:

The leaves of rose ‘César’ are glossy, medium-sized, with 5 to 7 leaflets of a somewhat leathery texture. Foliage is described as medium to dark green by the breeder. Healthy plants carry abundant foliage, which contributes to vigor and also serves as a backdrop to the blooms. The foliage is medium to dark green and glossy. Leaves are compound and pinnate with ovate leaflets, no unusual foliar traits have been reported.
New shoots and young leaves may have a bronze or reddish tint, which is not uncommon in modern roses, but mature leaves are deep green. The plentiful foliage and its glossy finish likely contribute to ‘César’’s apparent tolerance of fungal diseases as thicker, glossy leaves often withstand black spot infections better.

Its growth habit is climbing and spreading, with long, flexible canes that can be trained on supports. The plant can also be maintained as a large free-standing shrub if pruned heavily - without support by pruning to the required height. Canes are rather prickled, as is typical of hybrid tea derivatives. Overall the plant has a somewhat open, spreading form, especially if not heavily pruned, producing new flowering laterals from trained main canes. It is considered less massive than some older climbers, which makes it suitable for training on fences, arches, or small trellises without overwhelming the structure. The canes are flexible when young and can be trained horizontally or arched, which helps induce more lateral flowering shoots. Over time, basal canes can become woody. The cultivar is not exceedingly vigorous in cane production and is excellently suited for smaller gardens.

Prickles:

The stems have the usual quantity of prickles for a climbing hybrid tea, they are quite sharp and have recurved shape.

Small prickles:

Under normal growing conditions the small prickles are not observed on the main canes and on the laterals from the main canes of this rose variety.

Disease resistance:

In terms of abiotic stress, ‘César’ has shown good heat tolerance. In warm-summer climates its blooms hold their form reasonably well, though very high heat may mute the color. It also has solid cold-hardiness for a Climbing Hybrid Tea rose - generally hardy to USDA Zone 6b by default and reportedly tolerating –20 °C (−4 °F) with some winter protection. This corresponds to about Zone 5b, meaning with mulching and cane protection, ‘César’ can survive in many temperate regions. Drought tolerance is moderate; like most large-flowered roses, it prefers consistent moisture but can withstand short dry spells once established, shedding some leaves if severely drought-stressed.

Where ‘César’ truly shines is its disease tolerance. The cultivar was explicitly bred for health ann in practice, it is far less susceptible to black spot (Diplocarpon rosae) than many Hybrid Tea climbers of its era. While no rose is completely immune in all locales, ‘César’ often maintains clean foliage through the season where more disease-prone varieties defoliate. Its performance can vary by region, but overall it is considered a good choice for low-spray or organic rose gardens. Powdery mildew (Podosphaera) and rust (Phragmidium) are only occasionally observed on ‘César’; its Romantica peers like ‘Colette’ share a similar robustness against these fungi. The thick petals are somewhat resistant to Botrytis blight in damp weather, meaning blooms may “ball” (fail to open) less than very double English roses in the rain. Overall, ‘César’’s phenotype is that of a disease-resistant, reliable garden climber, fulfilling the promise of blending the beauty of old roses with the resistance of modern roses.

The cultivar’s trade name in French is César (after the famous name “Caesar”), while in some markets it was introduced as “Romantic Occasion” to highlight its sentimental, romantic appeal. The Royal Horticultural Society lists both ‘Meisardan’ PBR and ‘Romantic Occasion’ as official synonyms.

The cultivar’s name ‘César’ presumably alludes to Julius Caesar or the notion of a “Caesar” in general - a symbol of power and grandness. Meilland has not publicly documented a specific dedication for this rose (unlike some roses named after individuals or events). However, rose enthusiasts have speculated on the meaning.

The synonyms ‘Romantic Occasion’ and ‘Cesar’ (without accent) are recognized in various countries. The Royal Horticultural Society’s database entry for this rose lists Rosa ‘Meisardan’ PBR and Rosa ‘Romantic Occasion’ as synonyms to ‘César’.

Romantica

It has not been reported as an award winner in major rose trials (e.g. no ADR or AARS awards on record).

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

‘MEIsardan’ / ‘César’ is a Climbing hybrid tea rose (Climber, Large-Flowered Climber) bred by Meilland International in France and introduced in 1993. It belongs to Meilland’s ‘Romantica’ series, which was developed to emulate the old-fashioned charm of heritage roses while improving disease resistance and garden performance.

The exact parentage of ‘MEIsardan’ / ‘César’ has not been publicly disclosed by the breeder. Meilland, like many commercial rose breeders, sometimes keeps detailed lineage proprietary for competitive reasons. What is documented is that ‘César’ was bred and selected by Meilland International in France, at their research fields in the Riviera and Provence regions. The cultivar was officially bred in 1993 and introduced to commerce in 1994. Breeder Alain Meilland was actively naming and releasing Romantica roses in that period, so it is likely an Alain Meilland selection. However, Meilland International credits the breeding of ‘César’ to their team (likely Alain Meilland or Jacques Mouchotte, Meilland’s head breeder at that time.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

For the Romantica collection the breeder tried to obtain new English style roses with old fashioned flower form with improved disease resistance, hardiness, and compact growth habit. ‘César’ epitomizes this breeding goal, bearing very full, nostalgic blooms on a manageable climbing plant.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

‘MEIsardan’ / ‘César’ has been observed to maintain clean foliage with minimal spraying, an advantage for sustainable rose gardening. However, despite these strengths, ‘César’ did not achieve widespread popularity or iconic status in rose commerce and remains somewhat under-appreciated in the market, overshadowed perhaps by more famous Meilland climbers (‘Pierre de Ronsard’ or ‘Polka’). Nonetheless, ‘MEIsardan’ / ‘César’ retains a niche following among collectors and is still commercially available.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

‘MEIsardan’ / ‘César’ can be distinguished from other apricot and pink climbing roses by its bicolor petal coloring and moderate plant size. For example, Meilland’s earlier climber ’MEItozier’ / ‘Polka’ (Meilland 1991) also has large apricot blooms but the colour of the later is more uniformly apricot and its fragrance is strong, whereas ‘MEIsardan’ / ‘César’ shows a two-tone cream and pink effect and has almost no scent. ’MEItozier’ / ‘Polka’ is also a more vigorous climber, reaching up to 400 500 cm with a more remontant growth habit.

Another contemporary is ‘MEIzeli’ / ‘Colette’ (Meilland 1994), a Romantica climber with shell-pink quartered blooms and more continuously blooming and very fragrant, compared to ‘MEIsardan’ / ‘César’ with its intermittent bloom and mild scent.

Gardeners sometimes also compare ‘MEIsardan’ / ‘César’ to the famous ‘Pierre de Ronsard’ (Eden Rose, Meilland 1987), since both have old-fashioned cream to pink blooms. However, the flowers of ‘Pierre de Ronsard’ are larger, more globular, and a blend of cream with pink edges and have no yellow tones, and also it is a taller, stiffer climber. ‘MEIsardan’ / ‘César’, with its softer apricot flush and reliably repeat bloom late in the season, which ‘Pierre de Ronsard’ lacks.

USDA 6