Dainty Bess is a hybrid tea shrub in the rose family (Rosaceae) bred by Wm. E.B. Archer & Daughter of the United Kingdom in 1925 and released in 1927. Parentage is Ophelia (hybrid tea, Paul 1912) × Kitchener of Khartoum. This upright vigorous shrub growing 3-4 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide does best in full sun and amended well-drained garden soil. Prune in late winter to remove dead and diseased canes. Requires late frost protection. Light pink to salmon-pink single blooms with ruffled petals, maroon stamens and a mild spicy fragrance are 3-4 inches across. It is a good repeat bloomer through fall being nearly continuously in bloom. The foliage is leathery and dark green on stems with prickles. Use this shrub in the border, as an accent or specimen in a cottage English or cutting garden. It can be grown in a container for the patio and walkways. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Watch for black spot, rust and powdery mildew. See pests of roses to the left. Deer will browse roses. More information on Rosa .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheRosa 'Celestial'Rosa 'Country Dancer'Rosa 'Duet'
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Perennial; Rose; Shrub
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Open
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Leathery
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Matte leathery dark green leaves
Flower color
Gray/Silver; Pink
Flower value
Fragrant; Good Cut; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
Soft silvery pink 4-5 inches across. Five-petalled, flat single bloom with ruffled edges produced in clusters. It is free flowering and repeats throughout summer to fall.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Green
Stem detail
Stems with prickles
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Attracts
Bees
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Patio; Walkways
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Cutting Garden; English Garden
Design feature
Accent; Border; Small groups; Specimen
Garden tags
#cutting garden #English garden #long bloom season #walkway #shrub rose #pink flowers #small groups #patio #deer browsing plant #prickles #border #fragrant flowers #cottage garden #container plant