Small to medium sized, velvety dark- or red-purple flowers, sometimes with a hint of a mauve bar. Dark red-purple or grey-purple anthers on greenish filaments. The variety received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 1993.

Group: Viticella group
Approximate height: 3.0 - 4.0 metres
Flowering period(s): Jul Aug Sep
Aspect: Any aspect
Pruning: Hard prune (Group 3)
Raised by: Francisque Morel
Country of origin: France
Date raised: b1914 ic1939
Parentage: Unknown
Other name(s): viticella 'Royal Velours'. Mis-spellings: 'Royal Velour'; 'Royal Verlours'

Further detail:

Flower diameter: 4-8 (-12)cm
Tepals: 4 (-6); obovate or rhomic, usually blunt, tip slightly recurved