Queen Elizabeth Rose

The Queen Elizabeth rose is a beautiful grandiflora. The rose was hybridized by Dr. Walter E. Lammerts and the year of introduction was 1954. This enchanting flower has achieved much recognition with thePortland gold medal in 1954, AARS award in 1955, NRS PIT in 1955, ARS gold medal in 1957 and Golden Rose of The Hague in 1968. It has maintained its place in the top 10 roses for the last 40 years and is one of the favorite roses among rose breeders across the world. Its parentage is the Floradora and Charlotte Armstrong.  Charlotte Armstrong is a dark pink color tea rose whereas Floradora is an orange blend floribunda rose.

The Queen Elizabeth rose is a great pink colored Grandiflora that appears singly on the stem. The bloom of the flower is large size with 26 to 40 petals. They form high center and elegant cup shaped blooms. To add to the beauty of this flower the blooms range from single petals to fully double petals. Average diameter of the bloom is 4 inches and bears moderate fragrance. The blooms of the rose are profuse and repetitive throughout the season which is from mid spring to mid fall. Normally a bush can attain the height of 5 to 7 feet and a width of about 3 to 4 feet. The bud formation is normally pointed.  The rose has an upright and bushy growth. Foliage is dark green, glossy and leathery to touch.

The Queen Elizabeth is also known as the Queen of England rose. This charming beauty is an exhibition rose that looks excellent in any flower arrangement like bouquet or table centerpieces. The medium pink colored heavy blooms blend easily with any surrounding plants and flowers enhancing the beauty of the garden.

The rose requires a little pruning to train it to grow out. Removal of dead canes is the only regular pruning required. Other pruning need to be done is once in several years so that the plant starts off with new canes. There are a large number of blooms on new canes. This pruning could be done in the winter. The plant is susceptible to diseases and not very resistant to blackspots and mildews. But with proper cultivation techniques and little care this drawback can be avoided. The rose requires partial sun to full sun for its growth. The soil should be loamy and moist. The rose is hardy for USDA zones 6b to 10a.

An additional popular variety is the climbing Queen Elizabeth Rose. This is the climber variety of the rose and climbs well on trellis, arbors and walls and looks and smells great with its beautiful pink blooms and pleasant fragrance.