Commercially available

• Empress Joséphine
• Impératrice Joséphine (turbinata, Descemet before 1815)
• Impératrice Joséphine (gallica, Descemet, 1815)
• Souvenir de l'Imperatrice Josephine

89 favorite votes.  
Average rating: GOOD+.  

Medium pink.

Bred by Jacques-Louis Descemet (France, before 1815).

Gallica / Provins, Turbinata.  

Pink, pink edges.  Cherry-pink.  Strong fragrance.  Large, semi-double to double, globular bloom form.  Once-blooming spring or summer.  

Arching, bushy, few or no prickles/thorns.  Light green, dense foliage.  

Height: 4' to 5½' (120 to 165cm).  Width: 4' to 5' (120 to 150cm).

USDA zone 4b through 8b.  Remove old canes and dead or diseased wood..  Prune after flowering is finished.  

If you know the parentage of this rose, or other details, please contact us.

R. francofurtana is a class of species crossings, of which there have been a number of cultivars. 'Empress Joséphine' or 'Impératrice Joséphine' (see) is one such, which is often confused with the botanical R. francofurtana. 'Impératrice Joséphine' is strongly fragrant and semi-double to double, while 'R. francofurtana' is slightly fragrant and single to semi-double.

DNA analysis has shown 'Impératrice Josàphine' to be closely related to 'Versicolor'. - see References.

The Swedish Rose Society recommends Empress Josephine for northern Sweden.