Queen Elizabeth Grandiflora Rose
Rosa 'Queen Elizabeth'
flowerQueen Elizabeth is the rose that created the grandiflora class in 1954, combining the long elegant buds of a hybrid tea with the cluster flowering and vigor of a floribunda. It is a tall, upright, almost thornless plant reaching 4 to 6 ft, carrying high-centered silver-pink double flowers either singly on long stems or in small clusters, blooming from late spring to frost. Named for the new British queen and a former All-America Rose Selections winner, it is valued as a back-of-border specimen and for its long cutting stems, with generally good disease resistance for a rose of its age.
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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
Early spring, then again after each bloom flush
Fertilizer
Balanced rose fertilizer or slow-release
🌱 Growing Guide
Give Queen Elizabeth full sun and medium-moisture, slightly acidic, well-drained loam. Six or more hours of sun deliver the best bloom and the cleanest foliage, and good air circulation helps keep black spot and mildew down. Water deeply at the base in the morning and avoid overhead watering. Because it grows tall, prune it in early spring to a framework of strong canes and shorten them to keep flowers within reach, and deadhead above an outward-facing five-leaflet leaf to drive the repeat. Feed through the season as a moderate to heavy feeder, keep fallen foliage cleaned up, and mulch the base over winter in cold zones.
🌼 Have a different variety?Cultivars of the same species usually share the same basic care, and 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: Shares the full sun and well-drained footing and draws bees alongside the roses
- Catmint: A billowing low skirt that covers the tall plants bare ankles and feeds pollinators
- May Night Salvia: Violet spikes that contrast the silver-pink blooms and flower in the same window
🛡️ Pest & disease prevention
Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts. Tap a name with an arrow for its full guide
Plant in full sun with airflow, water at the base in the morning, and clear fallen infected leaves
Keep good spacing so air moves through the tall canopy and avoid late-day wetting
Rinse colonies off new growth and encourage beneficial insects; avoid heavy nitrogen
Handpick into soapy water in the morning during their few weeks of activity
🌸 Blooms & cutting
The long, nearly thornless stems make Queen Elizabeth a favorite for cutting - take stems in the cool morning as the buds start to unfurl, cutting above an outward-facing leaf, and they last about a week in water. Frequent cutting and deadheading keep the tall plant blooming in repeated flushes; ease off about six weeks before frost.
🥗 Nutrition & benefits
An ornamental and excellent cut rose. The full blooms are grown for beauty and the vase rather than for wildlife, though bees visit the open flowers and the plant can set hips if left unpruned.
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.