When a rose is over 160 years old and is still offered for sale, it is unusual. At the beginning of summer, the silky petals open into a huge, 10 to 12 cm irregular rose whose color is very subtle: from purple-washed magenta to lavender gray with mottled reflections. The fine branches, with only few thorns, of this large old Centifolia rose bear an intensely green foliage and often require support. This ancient variety full of charm, intoxicatingly fragrant, with a long-lasting unique flowering and cold-resistance, deserves its place in today's gardens.
′Tour de Malakoff was one of the first three roses to be launched by Soupert & Notting in 1856. It was a worldwide bestseller. This legendary rose refers to the Crimean War. In 1855, during the Siege of Sevastopol, French troops distinguished themselves in the attack on one of the city's defenses, the Malakoff Tower.