Commercially available

• MEIhelvet
• Sonia Meilland
• Sonja
• Sweet Promise (hybrid tea, Meilland 1974)

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Average rating: EXCELLENT-.  

Pink blend Grandiflora.
Registration name: MEIhelvet
Exhibition name: Sonia

Bred by Marie-Louise (Louisette) Meilland (France, 1970).

Florists Rose, Grandiflora, Hybrid Tea.  

Pink blend.  Mild, fruity fragrance.  30 petals.  High-centered bloom form.  Blooms in flushes throughout the season.  

Height of 30" to 4¼' (75 to 130 cm).  Width of 2' (60 cm).

USDA zone 7b and warmer.  Spring Pruning: Remove old canes and dead or diseased wood and cut back canes that cross. In warmer climates, cut back the remaining canes by about one-third. In colder areas, you'll probably find you'll have to prune a little more than that.  Requires spring freeze protection (see glossary - Spring freeze protection) .  Can be grown in the ground or in a container (container requires winter protection).  

United States - Patent No: PP 3,095  on  4 Apr 1972   VIEW USPTO PATENT
Application  on  25 Feb 1970
Inventor: Marie-Louise Meilland

Named for Alain Meilland's daughter...

'Sonia' is the rose which has been the biggest commercial success in the world with about 40 million plants sold.