Rosa 'Witchcraft'® - Trandafir teahibrid, puternic parfumat

Rosa 'Witchcraft' is a modern tea-hybrid rose, renowned for its large flowers of intense red-purple and its strong fragrance. This cultivar is valued for its dramatic appearance and classic elegance, making it a popular choice in ornamental gardens, borders, or as a cut flower. Its name evokes a mystical aura, perfectly matching its deep and attractive shade.

Appearance of leaves, flowers, and fruits

• Leaves: The leaves are oval, with serrated edges, dark glossy green, arranged alternately on the stems. The foliage is dense, healthy, and disease-resistant, providing a contrasting background for the flowers. In spring, new leaves may have reddish hues.
• Flowers: The flowers are large, double, with a diameter of 10-12 cm, made up of 25-30 velvety petals of deep red-purple, sometimes with dark violet tones. They have the classic tea-hybrid rose shape, with petals tightly spiraled. The scent is intense, fruity, with sweet notes, attracting pollinators. Blooming starts in June and continues intermittently until autumn (September-October), with solitary flowers on long stems, ideal for floral arrangements.
• Fruits: It produces small, round, red-orange rose hips in autumn if the faded flowers are not removed. These have minor ornamental value and are rarely used – it is recommended to remove them to encourage new blooming.

Growth characteristics

• Height and width: Reaches 80-130 cm in height and 60-80 cm in width, forming an upright, well-branched shrub.
• Vigor: Moderate growth, with sturdy, thorny stems that support the large flowers well. It is a vigorous rose but requires regular care to perform optimally.
• Type: Deciduous perennial shrub, with leaves falling in winter.

Growing conditions

• Exposure: Prefers full sun (6+ hours/day) for abundant flowering. Tolerates partial shade, but flowers will be fewer and less vibrant.
• Soil: Grows in fertile, well-drained soils, with slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.0-7.0). Add compost or well-rotted manure at planting to improve fertility. Does not tolerate heavy or waterlogged soils.
• Watering: Water regularly, keeping the soil moist but not wet. Water deeply at the root, avoiding wetting the leaves, especially during dry periods or the first year.
• Temperature: Hardy in zones 5-9 (down to -23°C), suitable for temperate climates, including Romania. In severe winters, protect the plant base with mulch.

Care and resistance

• Resistance: Moderately disease-resistant but can be susceptible to black spot, powdery mildew, or aphids. Inspect regularly and treat with organic fungicides if needed. Tolerates wind and rain well but appreciates protection in exposed areas.
• Fertilizing: Apply a rose fertilizer (e.g., 10-10-10) in spring at bud break and monthly until August. Avoid fertilizing in autumn to prevent growth sensitive to frost.
• Pruning: Prune in autumn, removing dry, weak, or crowded branches, and reduce healthy stems to 3-5 buds to stimulate regeneration and spring flowering, maintaining the bush’s shape. Remove faded flowers to encourage new waves of blooms.
• Propagation: Propagated by hardwood cuttings in autumn or by grafting, the preferred method for tea-hybrid roses. Seeds are not viable.

Rosa 'Witchcraft' is ideal for ornamental gardens, mixed borders, containers, or as a cut flower. Its red-purple flowers add a dramatic focal point, combining well with plants such as lavender, sage, or white phlox. It suits romantic gardens, modern landscapes, or sophisticated floral arrangements. It attracts bees and butterflies, contributing to biodiversity.

Rosa 'Witchcraft' is a modern tea-hybrid, developed for its unusual color and intense fragrance.

Planting distance between bushes: minimum 50-60 cm
Mature size: approx. 130 cm

Fragrant flowers: Yes, strong fragrance 5/5.
Delivery specifications: in a pot with a diameter of 21 cm. Height varies depending on the season. Developed plants with a strong root system, in the flowering period.