Gertrude Jekyll is a hybrid shrub rose in the rose family (Rosaceae) bred by David Austin in 1986. It was named after Gertrude Jekyll, a famous British writer and garden designer. Parentage is 'Wife of Bath' x 'Comte de Chambord'. It remains one of the most popular of the English roses. This tall, vigorous, bushy shrub with arching canes grows 6-10 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide. It grows tallest in warm climates and can be trained as a climber. For best results, plant in full sun in amended, well-drained, moist soil. Prune in late winter. The bright pink flowers have a reddish center and a strong old-world fragrance. They are 4-5 inches wide and in a flat rosette shape with 50-80 petals. It blooms in small clusters beginning in late spring and reliably repeat blooms through frost. The dark green foliage grows on stems with prickles. It was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 2012 and the James Mason Award. This rose can be grown in a pot and placed near the patio to enjoy its fragrance. It can be grown in the garden as a specimen, in a border, as a hedge or trained to a vertical surface as a trellis. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Watch for black spot, rust and powdery mildew especially in humid conditions. See pests of roses to the left. Deer will browse roses The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common rose diseases as well as a factsheet on insects and other related pests. 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 Heritage 'AUSblush'Rosa Hero® 'AUShero'Salvia rosmarinus
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Perennial; Rose; Shrub
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Grey-green leaves
Flower color
Pink
Flower value
Fragrant; Good Cut
Flower shape
Saucer
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
4-5 inch wide flat rosette-shaped, pink double flowers with a strong fragrance and 50-80 petals repeat blooms spring to frost in small clusters.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer
Stem detail
Stems with prickles
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Patio; Walkways
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Cutting Garden
Design feature
Border; Hedge; Screen/Privacy; Small groups
Garden tags
#non-toxic for cats #non-toxic for horses #non-toxic for dogs #long bloom season #climber #showy flowers #specimen #fall flowers #summer flowers #patio #spring flowers #hedge #pink flowers #border #fragrant flowers #container plant #repeat flowering #shrub rose