Prior to 1894

4 to 6 feet

This most interesting rose was once sold as ‘Tipo Ideale’, and it is ideally suited to illustrate the typical China trait of darkening with age, instead of fading. Nowhere is that trait more visible than in the flowers of ‘Mutabilis’, whose single petals open sulfur yellow, changing through orange to a rich pink and finally crimson. Bright, silky flowers of all these colors will often be on display at the same time, looking as if a group of multi-colored butterflies has settled on the bush. This aspect earned ‘Mutabilis’ its common name–"The Butterfly Rose".

A healthy, well-branched shrub, ‘Mutabilis’ will easily grow to 6 feet, making a fine specimen plant whose showy flowers are accented by the bronze color of the new growth. This is a very popular rose due to its distinct coloration, which changes as it ages, and its unique single-petaled blooms.