A gorgeous lilac colored rose with sweet smelling apple fragrance - Le Petit Prince...that is. This is the rose I bought on the whim - but so glad I did. Earlier in 2021, I continued to add different colors of roses to my garden here in Houston, Texas. I was looking into lilac/lavender/purple rose and Le Petit Prince popped up among all other options. Honestly, I wasn't that interested due to its low petal counts. Also there was not many reviews about it. I think I only came across 2 reviews on Houzz.
Le Petit Prince - Spring bloooms April 2022
One day, I saw this rose at Kroger grocery store and it was the only one among red roses. There was no flower on it yet but many buds on such a small plant. I thought - wow, it seemed quite prolific. At $14.99, there was nothing to lose, this beauty came home with me in spring 2021.
Delbard is a breeder of Le Petit Prince. According to Heirloom, they describe its color as "Mauve with hints of pink and lavender". It certainly isn't pink and you'll be able to see more lilac/lavender as this rose ages. Let's take a look at how this rose perform in these areas, shall we?
Growth Habit: Le Petit Prince grows wide in my garden. Right now, it's about 3ft tall and about 4 ft wide. I have this one in a big 22" pot.
Disease/Pest Resistance: its main disease that I have seen is blackspot (in my no-spray) garden from spring to fall. I'd rate it "pretty good" for a blackspot proned area like mine and no use of fungicide. Thrips do love it as I spot thrip damages on buds and some foliages but it keeps growing/blooming so far in July 2022.
Heat Tolerance: Le Petit Prince blooms from spring to fall. It continues to bloom well during summer too with strong frarance. However, its flowers were fried in high/direct sun duirng TX summer. It is a prolific rose that repeats quickly. Some afternoon shade will help. Flower size is smaller during high heat but overall still very decent.
Flowers & Thorns: medium to low thorns (phewww). It's very fragrance. I'd personally describe it as sweet apple scent. It smells SOOOOOO good, I absolutely love it. When flowers fully open, it looks almost like a poppy flower. Its size is around 3.5 - 4 inches in diameter.
Overall, Le Petit Prince does well in our heat, humidity, and Texas sun. If you want to enjoy its flowers a bit longer, cutting and bringing them inside to enjoy during summer is highly recommended.
See videos of bloom size and form during spring and summer 2022 on the Rose In Houston Youtube channel
If you're in Houston or nearby areas and interested in growing roses, we have a lovely FB community called Growing Roses In Houston Texas where you can connect with Houston area rose loving friends.
