Paul Neyron occupies a particular place in rose history as one of the most extravagant hybrid perpetuals ever bred. Antoine Levet crossed Victor Verdier with Anna de Diesbach in Lyon in 1869, and the result was a bloom of staggering proportion: 6 to 7 inches across, 40 to 50 petals deep, the warm pink flushed with lilac at the margins. The near prickle-free canes and light green foliage only add to the sense of refinement.

Grow it in full sun with amended, well-drained soil and it will reach 4 to 7 feet in an upright column. Most of the flowering concentrates in summer with some repeat into fall, and the cut flowers are among the finest the old rose world has to offer. Like many hybrid perpetuals, it tolerates poorer soils without complaint, though it rewards richer ground with fuller performance. Watch for rust, powdery mildew, and black spot in humid seasons.