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

Sunsprite

Rosa 'Sunsprite'

Medium · Some experience

About Sunsprite

Sunsprite is a classic deep yellow floribunda rose producing clusters of 3-inch fully double blooms with strong sweet fragrance. Growing 2 to 3 feet tall on a compact bush, famously holding its bright non-fading color in hot summer sun, it won the James Alexander Gamble Fragrance Medal and remains the best yellow floribunda in American gardens.

  • Fragrant
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 Sunsprite

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 Sunsprite — free on iPhoneDownload on the App Store

At a Glance

  • NativeEurope
  • Height2–4 ft (0.6–1.2 m)
  • Spread2–3 ft (0.6–0.9 m)
  • Flower colorYellow
  • 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 clusters for repeat bloom; prune late winter

Fragrance

STRONG FRAGRANCE

Strong licorice and honey 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

Sunsprite · Native
  • Native
  • Europe

History

Illustrated historical scene for Sunsprite

Rosa 'Sunsprite' (German: 'Friesia') is a bright yellow floribunda rose bred by Reimer Kordes at W. Kordes' Söhne in Sparrieshoop, Germany, released in 1973 from a cross between 'Friedrich Wörlein' and 'Spanish Sun'. The clusters of semi-double clear buttercup-yellow blooms, remarkable in a genus where yellow tends to fade quickly, hold their intense color in sun and rain, and the strong sweet licorice-and-honey fragrance perfumes the garden for meters around. 'Sunsprite' won the American Rose Society's James Alexander Gamble Fragrance Medal in 1979, the first floribunda ever to do so, and multiple European trial awards.

The compact plant is disease-resistant, cold-hardy, and among the most continuously blooming yellow roses available. Beloved by cottage and landscape gardeners worldwide.

Symbolism & meaning

What It Symbolizes

Sunsprite Rose is joyful friendship in pure deep yellow — a sunny floribunda chosen for cheerful gifts and cottage borders, the rose you plant when you want the bed to feel hopeful. It also carries fragrance as honor: it won the prestigious Gamble Fragrance Medal, a rarity for a yellow rose. It is sunshine bottled into a hardy shrub, given as a small bright friendship across the garden gate.

  • Joyful friendship — bright yellow cheer
  • Fragrance — Gamble medal winner for clear, powerful yellow-rose scent

Where the Name Comes From

Named 'Sunsprite' in America to evoke its bright sunny yellow color; European name is 'Friesia.'

Uses & Fun Facts

  • Deep yellow blooms won James Alexander Gamble Fragrance Medal
  • Compact bush yields scented yellow clusters for small bouquets

Related plants

More Rosa plants

Plants with similar care

Frequently asked questions

How often should I water Sunsprite?

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

How much light does Sunsprite need?

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

Is Sunsprite 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 Sunsprite easy to grow?

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

When does Sunsprite 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