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Double Delight (Rosa 'Double Delight'), whole plant
  • Double Delight — close-up of leaves and flowers
  • Double Delight — seasonal appearance
  • Double Delight in a garden setting

Double Delight

Rosa 'Double Delight'

Medium · Some experience

About Double Delight

Double Delight is a world-famous bicolor hybrid tea rose, producing creamy white blooms edged vivid strawberry red with intensely sweet spicy fragrance. Growing 4 to 5 feet tall on a spreading bush, the 5-inch blooms deepen their red edges with sun exposure. A 1977 AARS winner and member of the World Federation of Rose Societies Hall of Fame, it remains a top American garden rose.

  • Fragrant
  • Cut-flower
WATER
Regular
Top inch dry
LIGHT
Full sun
6+ hrs direct
HARDY
Hardy to -20°F (-29°C)
USDA hardiness zones 5–9

How to care for Double Delight

Watering

  • Springevery 5 days
  • Summerevery 3 days
  • Fallevery 7 days
  • Winterevery 14 days

Soil · Rich & loamy

  • Top dressingBark mulch15%
  • Main mixRich loam + compost 3:170%
  • DrainageGravel15%

Use fully finished compost — fresh compost burns roots.

FERTILIZER

Balanced Feed 14-14-14

An even feed covers all three needs at once, keeping leaves, roots and blooms moving together with nothing pushed out of balance.

N33%P33%K33%
  • Nitrogen · Leaves
  • Phosphorus · Roots + Blooms
  • Potassium · Strength
  • Springevery 30 days
  • Summerevery 30 days
  • Fallevery 45 days
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At a Glance

  • NativeNorth America
  • Height4–5 ft (1.2–1.5 m)
  • Spread2.5–3.5 ft (0.8–1.1 m)
  • Flower colorWhite, Red, Pink, Cream
  • Foliage colorGreen
  • SoilRich, Loamy, Well-drained
  • LocationsYard

Bloom time

BLOOM CYCLE

Peak bloom

May–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Deadhead for repeat bloom; prune late winter to healthy outward buds

Fragrance

STRONG FRAGRANCE

The flowers have a strong spicy damask scent.

Toxicity

Humans Slight

Unknown toxic principle

Slight

  • Stem
  • Contact

EXPOSURE Touching stems.

EFFECT Pricks from thorns.

NOTE Not toxic; thorns cause mechanical injury.

Safe

EXPOSURE No exposure route is reported.

EFFECT No toxic effect is reported.

NOTE Listed as non-toxic for dogs; avoid eating ornamental plants unless confirmed edible.

Safe

EXPOSURE No exposure route is reported.

EFFECT No toxic effect is reported.

NOTE Listed as non-toxic for cats; avoid eating ornamental plants unless confirmed edible.

Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.

DISTRIBUTION

Double Delight · Native
  • Native
  • North America

History

Illustrated historical scene for Double Delight

Rosa 'Double Delight' is a bicoloured hybrid tea rose bred by American breeders Herb Swim and Arnold Ellis, released by Armstrong Roses in 1977. A cross between the fragrant 'Granada' and the creamy 'Garden Party', the cultivar produces large high-centered blooms whose creamy yellow-white petals develop brilliant strawberry-red blushing along the edges in proportion to sun exposure; greenhouse-grown flowers stay nearly white while garden blooms become vividly bicoloured. The strong spicy fragrance recalls old damask roses.

'Double Delight' won the All-America Rose Selections award in 1977, earned the World Federation of Rose Societies' Hall of Fame induction in 1985, and remains one of the best-selling bicoloured roses worldwide, especially popular as a cut flower. Ellis in California and introduced in 1977 by Armstrong Nurseries, winning AARS the same year.

Renowned for its strong spicy fragrance and sun-responsive color change from white to red-edged.

Symbolism & meaning

What It Symbolizes

Double Delight is passionate allure in petal form — bicolor blooms of cream edged in raspberry red, paired with one of the strongest fragrances in modern roses. Its allure deepens with sunlight, the red rim spreading further across the petal as the day warms. Its meaning is a dual seduction: scent and sight intensifying together, a hybrid tea that grows more compelling the longer it is watched.

  • Dual beauty — bicolor petals and strong fragrance
  • Allure — color deepens with sunlight

Where the Name Comes From

Named 'Double Delight' for its two pleasures: striking red-and-cream bicolor and intensely sweet spicy fragrance.

Uses & Fun Facts

  • Cream-and-red blooms carry strong classic rose perfume
  • Long-stemmed bicolor flowers prized in florist arrangements
  • Award-winning hybrid tea for sunny rose gardens

Related plants

More Rosa plants

Plants with similar care

Frequently asked questions

How often should I water Double Delight?

In summer, water about every 3 days; in winter, about every 14 days. Adjust for heat, pot size and drainage.

How much light does Double Delight need?

Full sun: 6+ hrs direct. Watch the leaves — scorching or stretching means the light needs adjusting.

Is Double Delight toxic to cats or dogs?

Pets Safe (Dogs Safe · Cats Safe) Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.

Is Double Delight easy to grow?

It is moderately demanding: a good choice once you have a little experience.

When does Double Delight bloom?

It typically blooms May–Sep in the Northern Hemisphere.

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