Old Garden
Mutabilis
Multicolor · repeat-blooming · Zones 6-9
Old Garden Rose
Fantin-Latour
Cabbage rose.
The Fantin-Latour is a pale pink old garden rose valued for its generous early-summer display and memorable fragrance. Below you'll find a full profile of Fantin-Latour — its characteristics, how to grow it, where to use it in the garden, and answers to the questions gardeners ask most.
About Fantin-Latour
Fantin-Latour belongs to the old garden & heirloom roses, a class defined by full, many-petaled blooms, often quartered or cupped. Prized for depth of fragrance and full, romantic form, the old garden roses carry a character that many modern roses cannot match.
In flower, Fantin-Latour is pale pink and gives one memorable, concentrated display, carrying a strong, carrying fragrance. It is hardy across USDA zones 5-9, so it suits a wide range of gardens with the right seasonal care.
Characteristics and form
Fantin-Latour makes an arching, informal shrub in most classes, typically around 3 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide. The blooms are full, many-petaled blooms, often quartered or cupped, medium to large in size, set against often matte green foliage. Knowing a rose's habit and mature size is the key to placing it well: give Fantin-Latour room to reach its full spread without crowding its neighbors, which also keeps air moving through the plant and disease at bay.
How to grow Fantin-Latour
Plant Fantin-Latour where it will get at least six hours of direct sun a day in fertile, well-drained soil with good air movement around it. In cold climates, set the graft union — the swollen knob where the variety joins the rootstock — at or just below the soil line; in mild climates, keep it at soil level. Once planted, water deeply and less often to encourage deep, drought-resistant roots.
- Light: Full sun, six hours or more; morning sun is best because it dries dew early and limits disease.
- Soil: Rich and well-drained, slightly acidic at about pH 6.0–6.5. Improve heavy or sandy soil with plenty of compost before planting.
- Water: Deep, infrequent soakings at the base rather than frequent light sprinkling; more in heat, sandy soil, or containers.
- Feeding: A balanced rose fertilizer in early spring to support its single flush.
- Pruning: Prune it after the main flush and only lightly, since it flowers on wood formed the previous year.
Bloom habit: Once (early summer). Fantin-Latour blooms once, in a single generous flush in early summer. Leave the last flowers to form hips for autumn and winter interest.
Where to use Fantin-Latour in the garden
Fantin-Latour suits heritage and cottage borders, fragrant gardens, and specimen shrubs. It is at home in a romantic, informal planting with other old roses and cottage perennials. For more ideas, see our guide to companion plants for roses.
Common problems and care
Grow it with good air flow; many old roses are robust and famously long-lived. Watch for the usual rose troubles — black spot, powdery mildew, and aphids — and head them off with good air flow, base watering, and a tidy autumn clean-up. See our full guide to rose diseases and pests for identification and treatment.
Fantin-Latour — frequently asked questions
How big does Fantin-Latour get?
Fantin-Latour typically grows about 3 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide, forming a an arching, informal shrub in most classes. Its final size depends on your climate and how you prune it.
Is Fantin-Latour fragrant?
Yes — Fantin-Latour has a strong, carrying fragrance, and scent is one of the reasons to grow it.
Does Fantin-Latour bloom more than once a season?
No. Fantin-Latour blooms once, in a single generous flush in early summer, rather than repeating through the season — so enjoy its main display and let it set hips afterward.
What hardiness zones does Fantin-Latour grow in?
Fantin-Latour is hardy in USDA zones 5-9. That range describes the winter cold it can survive; gardeners colder than zone 5 should give it winter protection or grow it in a movable container.
Is Fantin-Latour easy to grow?
Grow it with good air flow; many old roses are robust and famously long-lived. Give Fantin-Latour full sun, well-drained soil, and the ordinary seasonal care any rose appreciates, and it is a straightforward rose to grow.
How and when should I prune Fantin-Latour?
Prune Fantin-Latour after the main flush and only lightly, since it flowers on wood formed the previous year — see our step-by-step guide to pruning roses for the full method.