Mister Lincoln Hybrid Tea Rose
Rosa 'Mister Lincoln'
flowerMister Lincoln is the rose most people picture when they think of a classic red rose - the tall, long-stemmed, velvety crimson hybrid tea of the florist and the home garden. Introduced in 1965 and an All-America Rose Selections winner, it grows three to five feet tall and opens large, fully double, deep-red flowers one at a time on long straight stems, each pouring out one of the strongest, sweetest damask-rose perfumes of any rose. Bloom begins in late spring and repeats through summer to frost. It is among the best of all roses for cutting, prized for the size, color, and intense fragrance of its blooms.
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Sun
full sun
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Water
Every 5 days
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Bloom
~45 days
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Difficulty
medium
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Lifecycle
perennial
Comes back every year
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Spacing
2-3 ft. apart
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Planting Depth
Set the graft union at the soil line, or 1-2 in. below in zones 5-6
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Soil pH
6.0-6.5
Growing Details
Soil Type
Slightly acidic, well-drained loam
Hardiness Zones
Zones 5 – 9
When to Fertilize
In early spring, then again after each major bloom flush (stop about 6 weeks before frost)
Fertilizer
Balanced rose fertilizer or slow-release; go easy on nitrogen
🌱 Growing Guide
Grow Mister Lincoln in full sun, at least six hours a day, in medium-moisture, slightly acidic, well-drained loam improved with compost. Full sun gives the best flowering and the best disease resistance; some light shade is tolerated but invites foliage disease. Water deeply at the base in the morning and keep water off the leaves, since it can be prone to black spot. Remove spent flowers just above an outward-facing five-leaflet leaf to push the next flush, and prune hard in early spring to an open vase of strong canes. Like most hybrid teas it is a heavy feeder, so feed through the season and keep fallen leaves cleaned up beneath it. In zones 5 and colder, mound soil or mulch over the graft union for winter.
🌼 Have a different variety?Cultivars of the same species usually share the same basic care — they differ mainly in flower color, height, and bloom form, not in how you grow them. So this guide still applies even if your exact variety isn't the one shown.
Planting Calendar
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Direct sow
Apr 15
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Projected first bloom
May 30
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
✅ Plant alongside
Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests
- English Lavender — Its scent and gray foliage set off the red rose while drawing bees and helping mask the plant from aphids
- Catmint — A soft billowing edging that hides the bare rose base and pulls in pollinators all summer
- Chives — Alliums planted at the base are a traditional rose partner thought to deter aphids and reduce black spot
🛡️ Pest & disease prevention
Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide
Mister Lincoln can be prone to it - plant in full sun with airflow, water at the base in the morning, and rake up and destroy fallen infected leaves
Give space for air to move through the canopy and avoid late-day overhead watering
Rinse colonies off soft new growth with water, encourage ladybugs, and avoid heavy nitrogen feeding
Handpick beetles in the cool morning into soapy water; skip lure traps, which draw in more than they catch
🌸 Blooms & cutting
Mister Lincoln is one of the great cut roses - cut stems in the cool early morning when the bud is half to two-thirds open, making the cut just above an outward-facing five-leaflet leaf so the next shoot grows outward. Strip the lower leaves, recut underwater, and the long stems and powerful fragrance make a superb vase. Deadhead the same way through the season to keep the repeat bloom coming, and stop cutting and deadheading about six weeks before your first frost so the plant hardens off.
🥗 Nutrition & benefits
Grown as an ornamental and a premier cut flower rather than for food. The very double blooms offer little to pollinators, but the plant rewards with large, intensely fragrant red roses for the vase from late spring to frost.
For educational and informational purposes only — HomeSown is not medical, health, or other professional advice. Always positively identify any plant before handling or eating it; some plants, and some parts of otherwise-edible plants, are toxic. Consult a qualified professional before consuming or otherwise using any plant, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.