The history of the Rosa gallica dates back to the 13th century, when crusaders brought the rose class from the Orient to France. Among other things, the Rosa gallica Officinalis became known under the name "Apothecary Rose", because it was bred in France after its introduction to produce rose oil for medicinal purposes. Gallicaroses are known for their purple to crimson flowers. They are very healthy and are still very popular today because of this property. Especially on Rosa gallica, the spines are mostly missing - the stems are only covered with a slight "hairiness".
So if you don't like prickly roses in your garden, this is the place to go. The roses grow up to 150 cm high and sometimes reach a width of 150 cm. The flowers are simple to highly double and have a pleasant scent, which can vary from light to very strong. One should also mention the Rosa gallica Versicolor, which has a really interesting play of colours with white / pink / carmine red striped flowers and can be counted among the "world roses" since 2009.
