Hybrid Tea Roses

Hybrid Tea is a Cultivar Group of roses, created by cross-breeding two different types of roses. Grown one flower to a long stem, they are supported by long, straight and upright stems. Most can be as tall as 1.8 meters and are repeat flowering. Each flower can grow to 8-12.5 cm wide. Hybrid Teas are the world's most popular type of rose by choice due to their color and flower form. With their long stems, it gives them the advantage, over others, as cut flowers. Most varieties, however, lack fragrance and can be difficult to grow in the home garden due to a lack of disease resistance and susceptibility to cold temperatures.

The birth of the world's first hybrid tea is generally accepted to have been 'La France' in 1867. It was raised by Jean-Baptiste Guillot, a French nurseryman. He did it by hybridizing a Tea rose, supposedly 'Madame Bravy,' with a Hybrid Perpetual, supposedly 'Madame Victor Verdier,' hence 'hybrid tea' (The parentage is uncertain; 'La France' may have been a seedling of the Tea 'Madame Falcot'). Today, 'La France' survives and can still be found at nurseries specializing in old garden roses like it.

Propagation of hybrid tea roses can be done by budding, a technique that involves grafting buds from a parent plant onto strongly growing rootstocks. One type of such rootstocks is the R. multiflora.

Most hybrid teas are hardy plants and can withstand a relatively cold winter. Protection is required however, to prevent the temperature of the bud union falling below −12 °C, beyond which it can be killed or damaged.

Some hybrid teas are named after royalty, presidents as well as entertainment celebrities. Some have become a legend - like the 'Peace' rose, a rose hybridized in France just prior to World War II. It was reportedly sent to the US on the last plane available before the German invasion. Safely propagated by the Conard Pyle Company in the US during the war, 'Peace' was introduced to the world in 1945. Called 'Gloria Dei' in Europe, it remains a favorite symbol of hope for the future. It celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1995.

More Information