Rita Levi Montalcini
Awarded the prestigious Rosa D’Oro – Golden Rose at the 1991 Geneva Rose Competition, ‘Rita Levi Montalcini’ rose exhibits exceptional disease resistance, abundant repeat blooming, and vigorous growth. The beauty of this variety lies in the elegance of its buds, warm apricot-pink shades, and delicate fragrance.
The compact, low-growing bush is well-foliated and has an attractive shape. The rose is dedicated to Rita Levi-Montalcini, an Italian neurobiologist and Nobel laureate in Physiology and Medicine in 1986, and a lifetime senator of the Italian Republic. In 1991, she was a guest in Monza on the occasion of the competition for new roses in the rose garden of the Royal Villa. Vittorio Barni, the prize winner for the most beautiful rose, dedicated this flower to her as the “rose of the year.”
Characteristics:
Variety Name: Rita Levi Montalcini
Patented Name: BARlev
Group: Modern Garden Roses
Class: Floribunda
Hybrid: Origin unknown
Breeder: Rose Barni / Vittorio Barni, Anna Medici Barni
Year of Introduction: 1991, Italy
Form: Low, compact bush
Height: 60-80 cm
Flowering: Waves throughout the season
Fragrance: Medium
Color: Apricot, orange
Flower Diameter: 10-11 cm
Flower: Double
Disease Resistance: Good
Tolerates Partial Shade: Yes
USDA Zones: 6b to 9b
Ideal for: mixed borders, group and single planting, as ground cover.
Awards: 1991: Gold Medal — Geneva (Switzerland)
