Rosa 'Michele Meilland'

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Rosa 'Michele Meilland' is a light pink Floribunda rose bred by Francis Meilland in 1945 and introduced in France in 1948 by Meilland International. It was named after his daughter Michele, born in 1943, and was voted France’s most beautiful rose in 1945. The shrub is medium-sized and upright, about 3–5 ft tall and 2–3 ft wide. It produces double blooms (17–25 petals) about 4 inches across. Flowers begin as yellow-orange buds that open to pale pink with hints of orange toward the center and lighter pink at the edges. The blooms are slender and elegant, especially in autumn, and the plant prefers cooler climates. Leaves are medium green. The Meilland family are famed French rose breeders; their business evolved into Meilland International. Francis's son and daughter, Alain and Michele, continue the family breeding tradition. Michele Meilland has given rise to several offspring cultivars, and a climbing form, Grampant Michele Meilland, was released in 1951.