YardMate
English
Download
Queen Elizabeth (Rosa 'Queen Elizabeth'), whole plant
  • Queen Elizabeth — close-up of leaves and flowers
  • Queen Elizabeth — seasonal appearance
  • Queen Elizabeth in a garden setting

Queen Elizabeth

Rosa 'Queen Elizabeth'

Medium · Some experience

About Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth is the founding and most famous grandiflora rose, producing 4-inch clear medium-pink high-centered blooms singly or in clusters on tall 5 to 7 foot stems. Mildly fragrant, extremely vigorous, and one of the most award-winning roses in history including the 1955 AARS and World Rose Hall of Fame induction in 1979, it remains a signature American garden rose.

  • Long-blooming
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 Queen Elizabeth

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 Queen Elizabeth — free on iPhoneDownload on the App Store

At a Glance

  • NativeNorth America
  • Height5–7 ft (1.5–2.1 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

Deadhead for repeat bloom; prune late winter; tolerates harder pruning

Fragrance

LIGHT FRAGRANCE

The flowers have a light sweet tea-rose 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

Queen Elizabeth · Native
  • Native
  • North America

History

Illustrated historical scene for Queen Elizabeth

Rosa 'Queen Elizabeth' is a tall medium-pink rose bred by American hybridizer Dr. Walter Lammerts at Germain Seed and Plant Company, released in 1954 from a cross between the red 'Charlotte Armstrong' and the pink 'Floradora'. The cultivar was released to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in 1952, with permission of Buckingham Palace. Blooms combined the classic high-centered form of a hybrid tea with the cluster production of a floribunda on an unprecedented two-meter-tall plant; the American Rose Society created an entirely new class, grandiflora, to accommodate it.

'Queen Elizabeth' won the All-America Rose Selections award in 1955, the American Rose Society's National Gold Medal Certificate in 1960, and was voted World's Favorite Rose in 1978. It remains one of the most widely grown roses in history.

Walter Lammerts in California and introduced in 1954 to honor Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. Won AARS in 1955 and World Rose Hall of Fame in 1979.

Symbolism & meaning

What It Symbolizes

The Queen Elizabeth Rose can symbolize royal dignity, a stately tribute to Queen Elizabeth II whose tall, well-clothed pink blooms helped define mid-century ideas of garden composure. Another layer is its place as a class founder, for it was the first rose officially designated a grandiflora, between hybrid tea and floribunda. In the historical rose garden, Queen Elizabeth is both monarch and category-maker, a flower whose name and structure together opened a new room in the rose's modern taxonomy.

  • Royal dignity — tribute to the Queen
  • Class founder — created the grandiflora class

Where the Name Comes From

Named in 1954 in honor of Queen Elizabeth II upon its 1953 coronation.

Uses & Fun Facts

  • Pink grandiflora with mild classic tea fragrance
  • Tall stems with pink blooms popular for vases
  • Vigorous upright canes form informal flowering screens

Related plants

More Rosa plants

Plants with similar care

Frequently asked questions

How often should I water Queen Elizabeth?

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

How much light does Queen Elizabeth need?

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

Is Queen Elizabeth 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 Queen Elizabeth easy to grow?

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

When does Queen Elizabeth bloom?

It typically blooms May–Sep in the Northern Hemisphere.

YardMate

Identify any plant in seconds

Snap a photo — YardMate names the plant, diagnoses problems, and reminds you when to water.

Download on the App Store
YardMateIdentify · Diagnose · Remind
Download