Plant Guide

rosa-absolutely-fabulous

Rosa 'Absolutely Fabulous'

Repeat-flowering floribunda rose with glossy mid green foliage and old-fashioned, butter yellow flowers with an unusual sweet anise-licorice scent. Flowers have 30-45 petals, and are about 10 cm across. Neat, rounded growing habit and self-cleaning (petals of spent flowers drop off).

Registration name: Rosa 'WEKvossutono'. Bred by Tom Carruth (USA). Introduced in Australia as Rosa 'Soul Mate' and in the USA as Rosa 'Julia Child'. Master chef Julia Child selected this rose herself to bear her name. Known as Rosa 'Absolutely Fabulous' in the UK and New Zealand.

Prefers a sunny position in any well-draining soil with a generous amount of organic matter. Good mildew and blackspot resistance. Heat tolerant. Fertilise in early spring and again in early summer. Dead-head during the flowering season and prune in winter.

Gorgeous rose for flower display, flowering prolifically throughout the season. Can be grown as a standard or a shrub in garden beds or borders, as a single specimen or en masse. Good for cutting. Suitable for containers.

Type of plant

Shrub - Deciduous

Size

to about 1 m tall

Landscape Use

flower display, cut flowers, pot plant, fragrance

Specifications

  • Temperature: Hardy
  • Light: High
  • Moisture: Medium
  • Soil: Light Medium Heavy
  • Wind tolerance: Average