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Scarlet Meidiland (Rosa 'Scarlet Meidiland'), whole plant
  • Scarlet Meidiland — close-up of leaves and flowers
  • Scarlet Meidiland — seasonal appearance
  • Scarlet Meidiland in a garden setting

Scarlet Meidiland

Rosa 'Scarlet Meidiland'

Easy · Beginner friendly

About Scarlet Meidiland

Scarlet Meidiland is a low-growing spreading mini landscape rose from Meilland's Meidiland series, introduced in 1987, producing abundant small bright scarlet-red double flowers in clusters on a sprawling 3 foot plant. Blooming continuously from spring through frost with exceptional disease resistance, it serves as groundcover, container filler, or border edging. A workhorse mini-scale landscape rose in American commercial and residential gardens.

  • Disease-resistant
  • Low-maintenance
  • Compact
  • Groundcover
WATER
Regular
Top inch dry
LIGHT
Full sun
6+ hrs direct
HARDY
Hardy to -30°F (-34°C)
USDA hardiness zones 4–9

How to care for Scarlet Meidiland

Watering

  • Springevery 7 days
  • Summerevery 5 days
  • Fallevery 10 days
  • Winterevery 21 days

Soil · Rich & loamy

  • Top dressingBark mulch15%
  • Main mixRich loam + compost 3:170%
  • DrainageGravel15%

Use fully finished compost — fresh compost burns roots.

FERTILIZER

Balanced Feed 14-14-14

An even feed covers all three needs at once, keeping leaves, roots and blooms moving together with nothing pushed out of balance.

N33%P33%K33%
  • Nitrogen · Leaves
  • Phosphorus · Roots + Blooms
  • Potassium · Strength
  • Springevery 45 days
  • Summerevery 45 days
Get watering reminders for Scarlet Meidiland — free on iPhoneDownload on the App Store

At a Glance

  • NativeEurope
  • Height2–3 ft (0.6–0.9 m)
  • Spread4–6 ft (1.2–1.8 m)
  • Flower colorRed
  • Foliage colorGreen
  • SoilRich, Loamy, Well-drained
  • LocationsYard · Balcony

Bloom time

BLOOM CYCLE

Peak bloom

May–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Small scarlet clusters cover plant spring to frost, self-cleaning

Fragrance

LIGHT FRAGRANCE

The flowers have a light scent.

Toxicity

Humans Slight

Unknown toxic principle

Slight

  • Stem
  • Contact

EXPOSURE Touching stems.

EFFECT Pricks from thorns.

NOTE Not toxic; thorns cause mechanical injury.

Safe

EXPOSURE No exposure route is reported.

EFFECT No toxic effect is reported.

NOTE Listed as non-toxic for dogs; avoid eating ornamental plants unless confirmed edible.

Safe

EXPOSURE No exposure route is reported.

EFFECT No toxic effect is reported.

NOTE Listed as non-toxic for cats; avoid eating ornamental plants unless confirmed edible.

Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.

DISTRIBUTION

Scarlet Meidiland · Native
  • Native
  • Europe

History

Illustrated historical scene for Scarlet Meidiland

Rosa 'Scarlet Meidiland' is a bright cherry-scarlet groundcover shrub rose bred by Marie-Louise Meilland at the Meilland nursery near Antibes, France, released in 1987 as part of the pioneering Meidiland landscape series. The arching wide-spreading plant reaches 1.2 meters tall and 1.8 meters wide, and produces enormous clusters of twenty to forty small semi-double bright scarlet blooms continuously from late spring to heavy frost, creating a dramatic sheet-of-color effect. Along with its Meidiland siblings (white, pink, red), it helped establish the modern easy-care landscape shrub rose category in the 1980s, before the later Knock Out and Drift revolutions.

The cultivar requires no spraying, tolerates heat, drought, and cold into USDA zone 4, and is widely used in municipal median plantings, commercial landscape beds, and slope stabilization. Its small scale and sprawling habit make it a versatile container and edging rose in American gardens.

Symbolism & meaning

What It Symbolizes

The 'Scarlet Meidiland' Rose offers cheerful vigor with almost no asking — a tough miniature that thrives without spray and shrugs off neglect. As a scarlet carpet, it covers slopes and difficult banks with steady red blooms through the long heat of summer. Its meaning is generous reliability: a small rose that gives more than it receives, lighting hard ground with effortless color.

  • Cheerful vigor — thrives with no spray and minimal care
  • Scarlet carpet — covers slopes in red blooms

Where the Name Comes From

'Meidiland' is a Meilland trademark for the landscape rose series; 'Scarlet' describes the bright red flower color.

Uses & Fun Facts

  • Low spreading shrub covers banks with cherry-red clusters
  • Disease-resistant landscape rose for low-care mass plantings

Related plants

More Rosa plants

Plants with similar care

Frequently asked questions

How often should I water Scarlet Meidiland?

In summer, water about every 5 days; in winter, about every 21 days. Adjust for heat, pot size and drainage.

How much light does Scarlet Meidiland need?

Full sun: 6+ hrs direct. Watch the leaves — scorching or stretching means the light needs adjusting.

Is Scarlet Meidiland toxic to cats or dogs?

Pets Safe (Dogs Safe · Cats Safe) Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.

Is Scarlet Meidiland easy to grow?

Yes — it is considered an easy, beginner-friendly plant.

When does Scarlet Meidiland bloom?

It typically blooms May–Sep in the Northern Hemisphere.

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