PAPAGENO™ – red-and-white bedding floribunda rose - McGredy
Step onto your terrace after rain and PAPAGENO™ greets you with playful red-and-white blooms, echoing its operatic namesake in an easy-going, upright bush perfect for London front gardens where rainfall and breezy conditions are part of everyday life. Its floribunda habit brings colour in generous flushes from early summer well into autumn, with clustered, cup-shaped flowers that open to reveal stamens, making this rose naturally pollinator friendly and welcoming to bees. Container-grown on its own roots in a 2-litre pot, it settles in reliably, building root strength first, then bushing out and reaching full ornamental presence over three seasons for enduring garden balance. Once established, it asks for only light shaping and the occasional tidy-up of spent flowers, rewarding you with a long-lived, medium-height, bushy shrub that fits effortlessly into small beds, mixed borders, or a 40–50 litre pot as a feature plant, supporting your sustainable, low-fuss city garden and turning everyday views into a quietly uplifting scene.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front garden focal point |
The distinctive hand-painted red-and-white blooms create immediate kerb appeal in small London terraces, offering season-long visual interest from a single, medium-height bush with cup-shaped clusters that naturally draw the eye for the style-conscious homeowner. |
| Pollinator-friendly city planting |
Although double-flowered, PAPAGENO™ opens its blooms to reveal accessible stamens, drawing bees and other beneficial insects while still looking lush and ornamental, ideal where you wish to support urban biodiversity without sacrificing a refined look as a busy gardener. |
| Low-fuss family flower bed |
Its upright, bushy growth and repeat-flowering habit give months of colour with only modest pruning and deadheading, suiting mixed beds where you want reliable performance and an easy-care routine that fits around everyday life as a time-pressed parent. |
| Rain-resilient coastal or urban garden |
With medium disease resistance and good colour retention, PAPAGENO™ copes well with changeable, breezy weather and regular rainfall, staying ornamental between showers and fitting neatly into gardens that must handle wet spells gracefully for the pragmatic planner. |
| Long-lived own-root specimen |
Grown on its own roots, this rose establishes steadily and ages gracefully, regenerating from the base if stems are damaged and maintaining a stable, uniform display over many years, a reassuring choice for the investment-minded garden owner. |
| Container display on patio or balcony |
Its compact height and bushy habit work beautifully in a 40–50 litre planter, where the patterned flowers can be appreciated up close, turning limited hardstanding into a richly coloured, low-maintenance feature enjoyed daily by the urban dweller. |
| Colour theme planting with perennials |
The raspberry-red and cream striping pairs strikingly with Salvia nemorosa, Coreopsis or similar perennials, giving a designed, layered look while the rose repeats through summer, ensuring structure and continuity for the design-minded beginner. |
| Weather-tough family border backbone |
Its H6 hardiness, moderate drought tolerance with watering, and reliable remontant flowering help anchor small to medium borders, balancing showy blooms with sturdy structure even in exposed sites that face cool winds and regular showers for the practical starter. |
Styling ideas
- Operatic Entrance – Line a short front path with PAPAGENO™ and lavender for scented, theatrical colour that welcomes visitors – ideal for terrace-house gardeners wanting impact from a compact strip.
- Painterly Pot – Plant one rose in a 40–50 litre clay container with trailing thyme to soften the rim, showcasing the striped blooms at eye level – perfect for balcony and patio owners.
- Balletic Border – Combine PAPAGENO™ with Salvia nemorosa and soft grasses to contrast vivid flowers against airy movement – suited to those seeking a modern, low-fuss mixed border.
- Family Playbed – Use as a colourful centrepiece in a small family flower bed with easy perennials like Coreopsis, keeping planting resilient yet cheerful – great for households with limited gardening time.
- Rain-Garden Rhythm – Position in a free-draining, raised bed that channels roof runoff, underplanted with nepeta and drought-tolerant herbs – for eco-minded gardeners managing rainwater stylishly.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bed rose, registered as MACgoofy, marketed as PAPAGENO™, linked to Mozart’s bird-catcher character and approved for exhibition under the name Papageno. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Samuel Darragh McGredy IV from ‘Freude’ × ‘Donald Duck’, registered in 1982 and introduced in 1989 via McGredy Roses International and European partners. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright, bushy shrub reaching about 100–140 cm high and 75–105 cm wide, with moderately dense, mid-green, slightly glossy foliage and moderate prickliness on well-branched stems. |
| Flower morphology |
Double, cup-shaped blooms with 26–39 petals, large-flowered clusters on floribunda-type trusses; remontant with a particularly abundant second flush in favourable conditions. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Bright raspberry-red with irregular cream-white striping; ARS code RB, RHS 53A outer and 155D inner; red tones lighten toward pink while striping remains clear, especially in strong sun. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Mild, pleasantly balanced rose scent that complements, rather than overpowers, the colourful display; noticeable at close range without dominating nearby seating or dining areas. |
| Hip characteristics |
Produces moderately formed, spherical rose hips about 12–18 mm in diameter, coloured orange-red; decorative in late season if spent blooms are left unpruned on the shrub. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to around −15 to −12 °C (RHS H6, Swedish zone 2, USDA 7b); good black spot resistance, medium tolerance to powdery mildew and rust, steady in summer heat with watering. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with well-drained soil; plant 55–65 cm apart in beds or hedges, or as a specimen at 100 cm; medium maintenance, needing regular watering in dry spells and some deadheading. |
PAPAGENO™ Hand-painted roses MACgoofy offers long-season striped colour, pollinator-friendly blooms and a dependable own-root habit that settles in for years of characterful performance, a thoughtful choice if you value enduring, easy-care planting.
