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 If any class of roses can be considered an enigma,  Grandiflora may be the one. Created to accommodate the stately pink 'Queen Elizabeth,'
very few roses have met the standard first set by her majesty. Even so, there are some
outstanding Grandifloras offered today.First, a little more history. In 1954, a rose created from a cross between a floribunda and hybrid tea was introduced as 'Queen Elizabeth'. A tall, strong plant with beautiful blooms of pink, her growth habit was so new and unusual that the decision was made to create a new class. The class was Grandiflora. A typical grandiflora would be described as having the flower quality of the classic hybrid tea (long-stemmed, high-centered bloom), but also produced in clusters like a Floribunda. Growth is normally tall and vigorous, and Grandifloras are often most valuable as background plants. The Grandiflora class is not recognized in Great Britain, which is ironic since the first rose to be classified as a Grandflora was 'Queen Elizabeth'. In England, roses which bear the Grandiflora designation in America are placed into the Floribunda class. |
