Masses of cupped shaped light crimson or deep pink flowers are produced in clusters of three to eight. A patch of white adorns the center and forms streaks into the petals. Dense shrubby plants carry dark green glossy foliage. Plants have utstanding resistance to black spot and the flowers are good for cutting. Comte Frontenac was a governor of New France in the late 17th century.‘Frantenac’ is one of the Explorer Series roses developed at the agriculture research station in Ottawa, Ontario and l’Assumption, Quebec to withstand the cold Canadian winters. Using Rosa rugosa, R. kordesii, Hybrid Teas, and Floribundas breeders produced roses that had the hardiness and disease resistance of old roses with the beauty and repeat blooming of modern roses. The resulting series consists of about twenty two cultivars named to honor Canadian explorers
Type: Shrub
Origin: Olgilvie, Canada, 1992
Parentage: [Queen Elizabeth (hybrid Tea Lammerts, 1954 x Arthur Bell (Floribunda, McGredy, 1959] x [Double Red Simonet x Von Scharnhorst] x Felix Leclerc
Flower Size: 3-3.5”
Petal Count: 20-25
Scent: Light
Flowering: Occasional repeat
Plant Size: 3-4’ H x 3” W
Hardiness: Zones 3-8
ARS Rating: 8.5
Karen Meyers