QUEEN ELIZABETH ROSE

The Queen Elizabeth rose is a beautiful grandiflora rose. It was hybridised by Dr. Walter E. Lammerts and its year of introduction was 1954. This rose has achieved much recognition with the Portland 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 favourite 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 coloured Grandiflora that appears singly on the stem. The bloom of the flower is large size with 26 to 40 petals. They form high centre 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 10 cm and bears a moderate fragrance. The blooms of the rose are profuse and repetitive throughout the season which is from mid-Spring to mid-Autumn. Normally a bush can attain the height of 2 metres and a width of about 1 metre. The bud formation is normally pointed. The rose has an upright and bushy growth. Foliage is dark green, glossy and leathery to touch.

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.

The Queen Elizabeth is a charming beauty is an exhibition rose that looks excellent in any flower arrangement like bouquet or table centrepieces. The medium pink coloured heavy blooms blend easily with any surrounding plants and flowers enhancing the beauty of the garden.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.