Small, bell-shaped, red flowers with a velvety sheen - sometimes with a white base to the tepals. Brown anthers. This form appears in the literature as early as 1597 but it is not entirely clear whether today's 'Rubra' is the same cultivar as then. Certainly along the way there has been considerable confusion between this and the similar 'Kermesina' raised by Lemoine et fils towards the end of the 19th century.

Group:	Viticella group
Approximate height:	2.5 - 4.5 metres
Flowering period(s):	Jul Aug Sep
Pruning:	Hard prune (Group 3)
Parentage:	?selection from viticella
Other name(s):	viticella var rubra; viticella 'Rubra'; 'Viticella Rubra'; viticella var kermesina (but see above)
Further detail:  Flower diameter: 5-6cm Tepals: 4-5; blunt, margin recurving as flower opens, tip recurved Database entry: 2701