About Peggy Rockefeller Bare-Root Rose Bush
Rosa ‘WILace’ — Peggy Rockefeller™
🧬 Breeder: J. Benjamin Williams (United States)
🌹 A striking dark red Hybrid Tea rose with strong form, spice fragrance, and excellent garden performance.
Peggy Rockefeller™ is a standout Hybrid Tea rose renowned for its richly colored, very full blooms with moderate spice fragrance and garden presence. With an upright, medium bushy habit and glossy dark green foliage, this rose brings elegant structure and vibrant color to beds, borders, and cut-flower arrangements alike. Developed in the early 1990s, its classic form and season-long bloom make it a beloved choice for rose lovers.
🌹 The Woman Behind the Rose
Peggy Rockefeller was a devoted gardener, philanthropist, and passionate rose enthusiast whose love for horticulture left a lasting legacy. Her commitment to roses lives on through the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden at the New York Botanical Garden, one of the most celebrated rose gardens in the world. Designed as a living collection of beauty, fragrance, and form, the garden reflects her belief that roses should be experienced up close — not just admired, but truly lived with. Naming this rose in her honor is a tribute to her lifelong dedication to preserving and sharing the romance of roses with generations to come.
💐 Plant & Flower Traits
🌹 Rose Type: Hybrid Tea
🎨 Color: Carmine-red to cherry-red with darker edges
🌸 Bloom Form: Very full, classic Hybrid Tea form
🌼 Bloom Size: ~40 petals
🔁 Flowering Habit: Blooms in flushes throughout the growing season
🌼 Fragrance: Moderate, spicy fragrance
🌿 Foliage: Large, semi-glossy, dark green leaves
🏡 Growth & Garden Habits
🌱 Growth Habit: Medium, bushy, upright
↕️ Height: Medium (garden shrub size)
↔️ Width: Moderate / garden-friendly
❄️ Winter Hardiness: USDA Zones 7b and warmer
☀️ Light Requirements: Full sun
🛡️ Disease Resistance: Very disease resistant — ideal for reliable performance
💛 Why Grace Rose Farm Loves It
Peggy Rockefeller™ is both timeless and dependable — a classic Hybrid Tea that delivers rich, dramatic reds with depth and spice in every flush. Its refined bloom form and glossy foliage make it equally beautiful in the landscape as in bouquets, while its sturdy habit and disease resistance make it a pleasure to grow in many gardens. Whether used as a focal point or as part of a romantic rose border, this cultivar brings vibrant character and steady seasonal interest.
🌿 Growing & Care Recommendations
Planting Site: Full sun with well-drained soil
Spacing: Allow enough space for bushy, upright growth
Watering: Regular watering, especially during establishment
Pruning: Remove old canes and dead wood in spring; shape upright habit
Maintenance: Moderate — benefits from regular care for best flowering
