Meilland’s Rosa ‘Black Gold’ premieres at Aalsmeer auction

Author: Ron van der Ploeg

AALSMEER, Netherlands: Featuring bright red blooms with outer petals that show deep-red and black colouring, Rosa ‘Black Gold’ stands out for its bud size (5-6 cm depending on altitudes), petal count (35/40) and 11 to 13-day shelf life. French rose breeder Matthias Meilland says that Kenya-based Akina Farm in Njoro, is growing these roses at 2,300m high altitude and as part of Fontana Group, it has started selling the spectacular new variety at the Aalsmeer auction in the Netherlands.

According to Meilland, if there is one thing that the industry can learn from his company’s 140 years’ history is that next to gloom and doom, there’s also bloom and blossom. He says, “That’s why we wanted to share this little story about ‘Black Gold’s’ successful launch on Friday 24 April.”

Meilland notes auction buyers had greeted the new rose, whose blooms gracefully arise above dark green foliage and firm, 60 cms stems, with enthusiasm. The first batches of the rose breeding breakthrough yielded 70 cents per stem. And in these uncertain times, that is not a bad result.

Bred in the heart of Provence and selected by Meilland’s team of breeders, Rosa ‘Black Gold’ has been thoroughly tested for several years in Kenya. Meilland has granted Akina exclusive rights to produce the rose. Auction-based Decofresh is a vital global supply chain link, and handles the consignments of Akina Farm’s roses, unpacking and selling them through the clock.

At FloraCulture International, our upright and honest international editorial team are proud to bring you trustworthy, factual and relevant reporting about the global ornamental horticulture industry. The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the horticultural sector is enormous. To keep up-to-date with the news that’s affecting us all, become a subscriber to our FREE newsletter and digital magazine.