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

Gertrude Jekyll

Rosa 'Gertrude Jekyll'

Medium · Some experience

About Gertrude Jekyll

Gertrude Jekyll is David Austin's most fragrant rose, introduced in 1986, voted the Nation's Favorite Fragrant Rose in the UK and treasured for its rich true old-rose damask perfume. Producing fully-quartered rich pink rosette blooms on an upright 4 to 5 foot shrub, it blooms repeatedly from late spring through fall. The essential oil is distilled for perfume production. A cornerstone fragrant rose in American English-rose collections.

  • Fragrant
  • Long-blooming
WATER
Regular
Top inch dry
LIGHT
Full sun
6+ hrs direct
HARDY
Hardy to -30°F (-34°C)
USDA hardiness zones 4–9

How to care for Gertrude Jekyll

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
Get watering reminders for Gertrude Jekyll — free on iPhoneDownload on the App Store

At a Glance

  • Height4–6 ft (1.2–1.8 m)
  • Spread3–4 ft (0.9–1.2 m)
  • Flower colorPink
  • Foliage colorGreen
  • SoilLoamy, Well-drained, Rich
  • LocationsYard

Bloom time

BLOOM CYCLE

Peak bloom

May–Sep

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

Rich pink quartered rosettes with powerful damask fragrance, deadhead for repeat

Fragrance

STRONG FRAGRANCE

The flowers have a quintessential old-damask rose fragrance.

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.

History

Illustrated historical scene for Gertrude Jekyll

Rosa 'Gertrude Jekyll' is a strong pink English shrub rose bred by David Austin at Albrighton, England, released in 1986 from a cross between 'Wife of Bath' and the Portland rose 'Comte de Chambord'. Austin named the cultivar for Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932), the influential English garden designer and writer who, with Edwin Lutyens, defined the Arts and Crafts garden. The quartered rosette-shaped blooms, eight to ten centimeters across with up to eighty petals, open a strong rich rose-pink and carry what Austin's company calls the quintessential old-rose fragrance: the classic heavy damask perfume that has been distilled for attar-of-roses for centuries.

The cultivar won the American Rose Society's James Alexander Gamble Fragrance Medal in 2002, and the English oil-distillation industry has trialled it as a commercial perfume source.

Symbolism & meaning

What It Symbolizes

The Gertrude Jekyll Rose can symbolize artful devotion, named in honour of the pioneering English garden designer whose color theory still shapes mixed borders today. Another layer is perfume grace, for its old-rose fragrance has been distilled commercially for rose oil, a rare crossover between ornamental and industrial perfumery. To grow Gertrude Jekyll is to keep a quiet tribute in the garden, a flower that joins the memory of a great designer with one of the most generous scents in modern roses.

  • Artful devotion — honors pioneering garden designer
  • Perfume grace — fragrance distilled for commercial rose oil

Where the Name Comes From

Named for Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932), pioneering English garden designer and writer who shaped modern perennial border design.

Uses & Fun Facts

  • Pink English rose with classic old-rose perfume
  • Quartered rosette blooms star in romantic bouquets

Related plants

More Rosa plants

Plants with similar care

Frequently asked questions

How often should I water Gertrude Jekyll?

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

How much light does Gertrude Jekyll need?

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

Is Gertrude Jekyll 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 Gertrude Jekyll easy to grow?

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

When does Gertrude Jekyll bloom?

It typically blooms May–Sep in the Northern Hemisphere.

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