Rachel Rose Bushes

• Variety: Rachel — frilly, fragrant blooms in peach and apricot tones
• Type: Hybrid Tea
• Colour: Pale cream to peach, purple-tinged and spotted outer petals
• Fragrance: Strong
• Height: To around 1m
• Spread: To around 65cm
• Flowering: Repeat-flowering, late spring to autumn
• RHS AGM: No
• Pruning: Cut back to 30 to 40cm in late February, just above an outward-facing bud
• Good for: Borders, cutting, scent
• Container suitable: Qualified — needs a minimum 50cm pot
• Similar varieties: Isn't She Lovely, for a paler, more compact Hybrid Tea alternative
• Sold as: Potted (3 litre) or bareroot, grown for us by specialist rose growers
• Plant: Bareroot November to March while dormant; potted plants any time of year
• Delivered: Bareroot November to March. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Rachel is a big, frilly Hybrid Tea grown for its scent as much as its looks — large, full double blooms in a gentle two-tone cream and peach, with a strong fragrance that carries further than most roses in our range.

A Frilly, Fragrant Hybrid Tea

Bred by the German rose house Tantau, Rachel produces masses of large, high-centred blooms with frilled, ruffled edges — mostly creamy peach with purple-tinged, spotted outer petals. Individual flowers don't last especially long, but they keep coming from late spring right through to autumn on an upright, bushy plant with toothed, glossy dark green leaves.

Planting Companions

Rachel's soft peach tones sit well in a classic scented border alongside Hidcote lavender, or paired with Isn't She Lovely for a lighter-toned companion nearby. See our full Hybrid Tea range or browse scented roses.

Why Buy Rachel from Ashridge?

Every Ashridge rose is grown for us by specialist rose growers and dispatched bareroot in season, or potted for planting at any time of year. We've supplied UK gardens since 1949, hold Which? Gardening's Best Plant Supplier award and a Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award, and grow peat-free with no neonicotinoids. All our roses are guaranteed.

When is the best time to prune Rachel?

Late February to early March — cut stems back to 30 to 40cm, just above an outward-facing bud. Our pruning guide covers it step by step.

How fragrant is Rachel?

Strongly scented — one of the more fragrant Hybrid Teas in our range, and a large part of its appeal alongside the flower colour.

Does Rachel hold an RHS award?

No — Rachel does not currently hold the RHS Award of Garden Merit, though it remains a popular, reliable Hybrid Tea in UK gardens.

Can I grow Rachel in a pot?

Yes, in a large container — a minimum 50cm pot with loam-based compost, though it will perform best given a proper border position given its size.

How long do the individual flowers last?

Not especially long compared with some Hybrid Teas, but the plant compensates by flowering in three flushes across the season, from late spring into autumn.