Silver Jubilee Rose Bushes

• Variety: Silver Jubilee
• Type: Hybrid Tea
• Colour: Coppery salmon-pink shading to cream
• Fragrance: Moderate, sweet
• Height: 90cm (3ft)
• Flowering: June to October, repeat-flowering
• Aspect: Full sun
• Disease resistance: Good resistance to blackspot, powdery mildew, and rust
• Good for: Cut flowers, borders, formal gardens
• Sold as: Bare root (November–March) and potted plants
• Delivered: By next-day courier. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Silver Jubilee is a coppery salmon-pink Hybrid Tea with high-centred double blooms and a moderate sweet fragrance, flowering reliably from June to October. A 1977 Cocker introduction bred to commemorate the Queen's Silver Jubilee, it remains a benchmark rose for clean form, disease resistance and vigorous growth.

Silver Jubilee, the Hybrid Tea That Earned Its Place in History

When Cocker bred Silver Jubilee in Scotland to mark the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977, few could have predicted it would still be regarded as one of the decade's finest roses nearly 50 years later. The variety was immediately embraced by growers for its near-perfect flower form, robust health and consistent performance across seasons. The blooms are large, double, and classically high-centred, opening from deep apricot buds into flowers of coppery salmon-pink that soften to cream at the petal edges as they mature. Each flower sits on a strong, straight stem ideal for cutting.

What sets Silver Jubilee apart from many Hybrid Teas of similar vintage is its disease resistance. Where contemporary varieties struggle with blackspot or powdery mildew in wet seasons, Silver Jubilee shows good natural resistance to all three major rose fungal diseases. The foliage is dense, glossy and remarkably healthy, providing a perfect backdrop for the flowers. This is a rose that genuinely rewards you with minimal intervention.

Height at 90cm (3ft) makes it ideal for mixed borders, front-of-bed planting in formal rose gardens, or the classic Hybrid Tea role in dedicated rose beds. It flowers continuously from early summer through to the first hard frost, with well-timed deadheading encouraging even more blooms. The moderate sweet fragrance is clean and true, not overpowering but entirely present.

Cut Flowers and Garden Presence

Silver Jubilee produces flowers of exhibition quality on stems long enough to justify cutting for the house. The colour holds well in the vase, fading gracefully rather than browning, and the flowers last a good seven to ten days with regular water changes. In the garden, the repeating flushes of bloom maintain colour and interest throughout the growing season, and the salmon-pink tone associates beautifully with soft pastels or works as a warm accent against silver-foliaged shrubs.

The rose performs well in most UK locations provided it receives at least six hours of direct sun daily. It prefers well-drained soil enriched with organic matter and benefits from an annual mulch and winter feed. Pruning is straightforward: cut to outward-facing buds in spring, remove any crossing or diseased growth, and tidy the plant after each flush of flowers.

A Proven Champion

Silver Jubilee was voted Rose of the Decade by many professional growers in the 1980s and has never fallen out of favour with serious gardeners. It represents everything a good Hybrid Tea should be: reliable, beautiful, healthy and easy to grow. If you want a rose that delivers year after year without fuss, this is the one.

Companion Plants for Classic Hybrid Tea Roses

Silver Jubilee pairs beautifully with lavender for a romantic, scented border, and with soft-coloured herbaceous perennials like catmint or delphinium. Clematis varieties trained through nearby structures add vertical interest without competing for space. Silver foliage from artemisia or dusty miller echoes the cream tones in the flowers, while allium bulbs provide form and texture between plantings.

Why Buy Your Roses from Ashridge Nurseries?

Our Silver Jubilee is budded onto vigorous rootstock and grown by specialist rose growers for Ashridge. Award-winning service, healthy plants and expert knowledge. Browse our complete Hybrid Tea rose collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Silver Jubilee a good choice for a beginner?

Yes. Its disease resistance and reliable repeat-flowering make it more forgiving than many Hybrid Teas. Follow basic pruning and feeding guidance and it will reward you generously. See our rose-growing guide.

When should I prune Silver Jubilee?

Prune in spring as new growth emerges, removing dead or crossing wood and cutting to outward-facing buds. Deadhead spent flowers throughout the season to encourage more blooms. Read our detailed pruning guide.

How tall does Silver Jubilee grow?

It reaches approximately 90cm (3ft) in height with a spread of 60cm (2ft), making it suitable for mixed borders and standard-sized rose beds without dominating smaller gardens.

Does Silver Jubilee have a strong fragrance?

It has a moderate sweet fragrance, not as heady as some heirloom roses but clean and present in still air. The moderate scent is characteristic of 1970s breeding priorities.

Can Silver Jubilee be grown in a container?

Yes, though ground planting is ideal for longevity. If growing in a pot, use a 40-litre container with quality rose compost and water regularly during the growing season.