Scarlet Drift® Rose

The enduring appeal of roses is easy to understand – no other plant gives such beauty for so long, or makes such an impact on our emotions. Somehow a garden without roses just isn’t complete. The problem is, for a long time breeders produced bushes that needed lots of care, and didn’t pay attention to resistance to diseases. So there was a time when rose growers were out every weekend with nasty sprays, and all for a few solitary blooms on untidy bushes. Now roses have been transformed, and nothing says that more than the Drift® Roses, a fabulous range of low, spreading varieties from the skilled breeding of the world-famous Meilland family. Now available for American gardeners, the latest addition to the range is the  Scarlet Drift® Rose, a stunning new variety with bold red blooms from early May to hard frost. With great disease resistance too, you just treat this plant like any other hardy shrub, and settle back for lush, glossy, green leaves and big clusters of vibrant red blooms – what a treat for any gardener who hankers after roses, but isn’t going to go to the lengths granddad did. Growing the Scarlet Drift® Rose Size and Appearance The Scarlet Drift® Rose is a compact deciduous shrub that grows around 15 inches tall, but spreads a generous 2 feet across, making a dense mound of lush foliage. Branches thrust outwards, not up, like a broad cushion. The branches have only a few, scattered prickles, making them easy to work with, and the lush, glossy leaves are produced in abundance, hiding the soil completely. Each leaf is divided into 5 leaflets (some may have more, up to 9), each between 2 and 3 inches long, oval and tapering to a point. The edges are finely-serrated and the surface is smooth, very glossy, and deep, rich, green. Flowers begin to open in May, or even earlier in hotter zones, and are carried in clusters of up to 10 blooms, at the end of every branch. New stems are produced continuously through the season, so there are almost always plenty of blooms to enjoy. Each flower is an open cup of 5 to 7 petals, and more than 2 ½ inches in diameter. The petals are velvety, undulating, and a wonderful, rich, orange-red to scarlet-red. In the center of each bowl is a bold cluster of bright-yellow stamens, adding spice and variety. Petals drop cleanly, and new growth covers older flower heads, so dead-heading isn’t needed. Using the Scarlet Drift® Rose in Your Garden With its low, spreading form, the Scarlet Drift® Rose is the perfect choice for edging your beds, and for ground cover in front of shrubs or flowers. Grow it with white plants for a great contrast, or with oranges, yellows, purples and blues for stunning arrangements. Use it at the top of garden walls, in the levels of terracing, or along a pathway, where it does a great job of softening those hard architectural lines. It is also a great way to cover a bank, preventing erosion and looking just great for months. It is also terrific for planter boxes, needing nothing else to give you color for months. It could even be used in large window boxes. Plants in boxes or pots can be simply left outdoors all winter if you are in zone 6 or warmer. Otherwise, plant it somewhere in the garden for the cold months, and re-pot in spring. Hardiness You can grow the Scarlet Drift® Rose in warmer parts of zone 4, without any need for winter protection. It grows almost anywhere, even in zone 10, so you can enjoy it throughout the southeast, right into Florida, and also, with some irrigation, in the southwest as well. In warmer zones it will hardly ever be dormant. Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions You will get the best results and the most blooms by planting your Scarlet Drift® Rose in full sun. It will still perform quite well with a little shade, especially if you are in a hot zone. The ideal soil is heavier loam or clay, as roses in sandy soils need a lot of compost added when planting, and more used as mulch each year. Regular watering is needed, especially during the first season, and a good soak during hot weather is great. The plant is quite drought tolerant, but dry plants tend to stop flowering, so don’t neglect watering as needed. For planters, add 25% garden soil to regular potting soils, and use liquid or slow-release fertilizers for the best results. Make sure your pot has a drainage hole, and don’t leave it standing in a saucer of water. Maintenance and Pruning The special breeding of this rose means it is highly tolerant of black spot (Diplocarpon rosae) and Phragmidium rose rust. So spraying is almost never needed. If you see some aphids, simply wash them off with a strong jet of water, but the vigor and continuous growth of this plant means pests are rarely an issue. For the best results we recommend a fertilizer program with good-quality rose foods, according to specific directions, and mulching with rich compost each spring, to retain moisture and feed your plant. Spring pruning is advised, removing thin, twiggy branches and cutting back to a framework of strong branches with outward-facing buds. However, this isn’t a rose that needs a lot of pruning, so use a light touch and just trim back a little. Once your plant is 4 or 5 years old, start removing one or two of the oldest branches each spring, cutting back close to the base. This will stimulate new, vigorous growth and keep your plant healthy and strong. History and Origin of the Scarlet Drift® Rose The Meilland family is one of the top rose-breeders in the world, and still remembered for their ‘Peace’ rose, released in the 1950s, after being secretly bred in Nazi-occupied France during WWII. They continue to be one of the major breeders, and responsible for some of our best roses. Alain Meilland took over the business after the war, and has turned it into a global corporation. At his breeding facility in Le Cannet de Maures, in the French Riviera, he is constantly making new crosses. Starting in 2014 he crossed together a pink Floribunda rose called Deborah® (‘Meinoiral’) with an unnamed seedling, and then took one of the plants grown from that cross and crossed it with a bushy rose with scarlet flowers called Scarlet Bonica® (‘Meiscarlebo’). Among the seedlings was one he selected for its profuse blooming and wonderful scarlet flowers. It was granted a US plant patent in 2015, with the official name of ‘Meidelvega’. It was newly-released in 2026 by Star Roses® & Plants as the latest variety, Scarlet, in their Drift® Rose series – all valuable, low-growing roses great for edging and ground cover. Buying the Scarlet Drift® Rose at The Tree Center This rose was awarded an ADR (Allgemeine Deutsche Rosenneuheitenprüfung) award, a German award of great worth, and one requiring serious trials over 3 years. Plants are grown chemical-free, and assessed regularly in several different climates for health, hardiness, vigor and overall performance. Roses with this award are really going to perform well in your garden, wherever you are, and that is what the Scarlet Drift® Rose is going to do for you – the ADR tells you that better than we ever can. Don’t hesitate to place your order, we have some great plants in stock, but they are going fast.