It seems there may be an imposter afoot, masquerading as Tea rose Etoile de Lyon. From reading various rose forums and listening to some of the mad rose gardeners I occasionally find myself mixed up with, there seems to be some confusion, dare I say argument, about the identification of the rose Etoile de Lyon. All manner of hilarity ensues when rose gardeners get together to discuss whether ‘their’ Etoile de Lyon is the actual cultivar. Much of the debate seems to be due to a general variability in Etoile de Lyon’s blooms, which can range from yellow to pale cream. I really don’t care to add my own two cents to the case. So here’s some basics for ya…

Etoile de Lyon is a classic tea rose, bred by Guillot in 1876 and subsequently introduced in 1881. The undeniably spectacular blooms may have a nodding quality to them, although very little nodding is going on with my own Etoile de Lyon. Could it be that the imposter has made its way into my very own garden? Either way, I’m not really concerned. What’s in a name anyway…wait, there’s a quote about names. Hmmm…let me think. Oh yes, ironically, the quote is about roses even: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Count on good old Shakespeare to bring perspective to the situation. Word to old English masters to kick some sense back into us.

Fragrance is strong classic tea rose. Some people report good results in growing Etoile de Lyon as a container rose, although some legginess may result (Barrie’s solution: whack it all the way back every so often). Drastic measures for drastic times.

Introduced: 1881, Guillot, France
Class: Tea
Zones: 7-9
Parentage: Seedling of Madame Charles
Flowers: Medium pink, single
Size: 3 - 5 feet
Fragrance: Strong tea fragrance.
Of note: Repeat flowering, does well in a container.