“It is a real breakthrough, a novelty in the world of cut roses and a new product line for the market,” says Bruno Etavard of Meilland when talking about their new variety Gypsy® Rose. It was introduced in 2021 and first planted by Kenyan farm Penta Flowers and presented for the first time at the IFTF in Vijfhuizen, the Netherlands, last month. “Special about this variety is that it is a rose but looks like a filler.”

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Bruno Etavard, Meilland, on Gypsy Rose:

“It is a rose but looks like a filler”

Versatility
According to Etavard, the main advantage of this variety is its versatility. “It can be used in many ways, from mixed bouquet to single stem use, long, short, solid bouquet, having an amazing decorative effect. It is an innovative filler, it has a very good vase life (14 to 18 days), and for the grower, the production is very good (180 to 200 stems/sqm at 1.600 m above sea level). The tolerance to disease is quite exceptional; so far, it requires less frequent spraying. It can be said that this is an ecological rose. The only inconvenience we are experiencing now is that it is currently only available in one color, but our breeding team is working on it, and the preliminary results are encouraging.”

Large interest from buyers
The flowers have already been tested and commercialized in various markets, and the interest for this variety is high, Etavard explains, particularly from the buyers. “In 2021 and 2022, we saw a lot of interest from them. They find it an exceptional and innovative product.”

Penta Flowers was the first farm to grow this new rose, and nowadays, other growers in Kenya, like Fontana Group and East African Growers, planted it, and more plantings are expected to occur in 2023. “We will continue to promote it and will do our utmost best to make it available to those interested. “