OPHELIA™ – pale pink hybrid tea rose - Paul
With its romantic pastel blooms and strong, lasting fragrance, OPHELIA™ is a classic hybrid tea rose that fits beautifully into Irish family gardens, even where humidity and frequent showers are part of everyday life. You receive a well-rooted, own‑root plant in a handy 2‑litre pot, so you can simply plant it, water it and watch it settle in without complicated routines. Over time it forms an upright, bushy habit that stays neat and easy to shape for beds and front gardens. The medium, double flowers appear mainly singly on stems, perfect for cutting. Their pale-pink colour with a warm peachy wash lightens gently as it opens, giving your borders a soft, nostalgic feel. As an own‑root plant, OPHELIA™ tends to regenerate well, supporting a long garden lifespan with stable ornamental value. In year one it concentrates on roots, in year two it builds stronger shoots, and by year three you can expect its full ornamental display in your garden.
Use cases
| Target area |
Reason |
| Front garden feature by the entrance |
The upright, bushy growth keeps a tidy outline, giving a structured, welcoming look beside paths and front doors without needing constant reshaping; ideal if you want a reliable first impression as a busy homeowner |
| Cut-flower bed near the house |
Medium, elegant, solitary blooms on sturdy stems and a strong, sweet fragrance make OPHELIA™ excellent for cutting, so you can enjoy classic rose bouquets indoors from a small home cutting patch as a hobby flower arranger |
| Small group planting in a cottage-style border |
Planted in groups of three to five, the soft pale-pink flowers with a peachy tone create a romantic, old-fashioned look that blends naturally with perennials and cottage-style planting for a romantic garden lover |
| Mixed shrub and rose border in family gardens |
Moderately dense, slightly glossy foliage and balanced height help this rose slot into mixed borders with shrubs and perennials, building a calm, cohesive backdrop that remains attractive year after year for a long-term planner |
| Sunny, well-drained bed in wetter Irish climates |
Performs reliably in our cool, damp conditions when given a bright spot and decent drainage, coping well with air moisture so you are not fighting constant problems in an average front or back garden as a Irish climate gardener |
| Low-maintenance specimen rose near seating areas |
The strong, lingering fragrance rewards simple seasonal care, so a single bush near a favourite bench or patio gives scented enjoyment for many summers without demanding daily attention from a relaxed garden user |
| Formal edging or short rose row |
Its upright, moderate height and repeat flowering allow you to line a path, short hedge or driveway edge with coordinated blooms, creating a gentle formal effect that stays manageable in scale for a neat border enthusiast |
| Large container on a sunny patio or balcony |
In a 40–50 litre container with regular watering, OPHELIA™ offers classic hybrid tea flowers and scent close to the house, providing a traditional rose experience even where space or soil are limited for a compact-space gardener |
Decorating ideas
- Cottage Pastels – Group OPHELIA™ with airy perennials and soft grasses in a small border for a romantic, pastel haze – ideal for cottage-garden fans
- Scented Seating Corner – Plant one or two bushes near a bench, combined with lavender or rosemary, to enjoy fragrance on summer evenings – perfect for relaxation seekers
- Front-Door Welcome – Place OPHELIA™ by the path with low evergreens such as Euonymus fortunei 'Minimus' to frame your entrance – great for tidy front-garden owners
- Classic Cut-Flower Row – Arrange a short row in a sunny bed for regular cutting, pairing with silver foliage Artemisia for contrast – suited to home bouquet makers
- Patio Feature Pot – Grow OPHELIA™ in a 40–50 litre container beside outdoor seating and underplant with trailing groundcovers – ideal for balcony and terrace gardeners
Technical cultivar profile
| Characteristic |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose cultivar marketed as OPHELIA™, with the American Rose Society exhibition name Ophelia; an unregistered variety belonging to the Hybrid Tea commercial group used widely as a classic garden and cut rose. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by William Paul & Son in Waltham Cross, United Kingdom, from an 'Antoine Rivoire' seedling. Introduced by William Paul & Son in 1912 and considered a historic hybrid tea rose with a long record in gardens. |
| Growth and structure |
Forms an upright, bushy shrub about 80–110 cm high and 50–70 cm wide. Foliage is moderately dense, slightly glossy, medium to dark green, with a moderately thorny framework giving traditional hybrid tea structure. |
| Flower morphology |
Medium-sized, double flowers with 26–39 petals, mostly solitary on stems. Cup-shaped hybrid tea form, remontant with a plentiful second flush after the main bloom, suited to cutting and display in vases. |
| Colour and phenology |
Pastel pale-pink petals with a warm, peachy mid-tone. Buds are powder-pink with a creamy-yellow base; colour lightens in strong sun to creamy-beige. Colour retention is excellent in cooler conditions, giving refined pastel displays. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, long-lasting scented rose with a slightly sweet character. The fragrance is noticeable both in the garden and indoors as a cut flower, contributing significantly to its value in small home cutting beds. |
| Rose hip characteristics |
Double flowers limit hip set; where formed, hips are small, spherical, around 8–12 mm in diameter, orange-red in colour and generally few, so ornamental effect is mainly from the blooms. |
| Resistance and hardiness |
Hardy to about −26 to −23 °C (RHS H7, USDA 5b, Swedish zone 4). Overall disease resistance is moderate, with good resistance to powdery mildew and black spot, and moderate susceptibility to rust in some seasons. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with well-drained soil and regular watering, especially in warmth. Deadhead to tidy weakly self-cleaning blooms. Space 45–90 cm depending on use and allow 3–3.8 plants/m² for mass planting schemes. |
OPHELIA™ offers romantic pale-pink blooms, strong fragrance and balanced bushy growth; as an own-root rose it settles deeply and ages gracefully in family gardens, so you can plant it with confidence and enjoy its classic charm for many years.
