Alec's Red™ hybrid tea rose – pharmaROSA® NEONATAL rooted cutting
Fragrance and flower quality define Alec's Red™ as a premium hybrid tea option for own-root production, with remontant performance and XL blooms supporting high-value, cut-flower-style finished stock. Delivered as pharmaROSA® NEONATAL tray-rooted cuttings, this material underpins predictable premium 5–7 L container routes and bush-trained, 3–5 cane structures, aligning with exclusive retail and reseller positioning. Its upright habit, moderately dense, dark green foliage and medium vigour suit nursery propagation beds and container grow-on, while own-root longevity supports long-term collection and specimen use. With hardiness aligned to rigorous winters and exposed planting, this variety can support projects where reliable cold tolerance and public-realm style durability are required in the UK climate, and the own-root development arc naturally progresses from root establishment in year one, structural canopy in year two, and full ornamental expression in year three. Strong colour retention, with a uniform dark cherry-red, velvety sheen, helps maintain saleable presentation, while medium resistance and moderate maintenance needs remain manageable within professional plant protection programmes.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- Premium 5–7 L scented hybrid tea line – Own-root, bush-trained Alec’s Red™ in 5–7 L containers, highlighting very strong fragrance and XL flowers as an exclusive finished product route – premium retail and garden-centre ranges
- Exhibition-style border specimen range – Solitary, high-centred cherry-red blooms and upright habit positioned as focal border and specimen plants, grown from NEONATAL material into rigid, 3–5 cane bushes – design-led landscaper and reseller projects
- Collection-grade hybrid tea assortment – Authenticated, award-winning Alec’s Red™ supplied as premium container stock to anchor thematic or historic hybrid tea collections – rose gardens, public parks and institutional collections
- Cold-hardy premium red series – Grouped production of this H7-rated hybrid tea in 5–7 L containers for regions requiring strong winter performance without sacrificing flower and fragrance – regional nursery networks and integrator systems
- Fragrance showcase feature line – Curated batch focusing on the very strong, classic rose scent and repeat flowering, finished as high-impact container specimens – fragrance-focused retail promotions and show-garden suppliers
Technical cultivar profile
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea group rose with registered cultivar name CORed and trade name Alec's Red™; approved exhibition name Alec’s Red within ARS, positioned commercially as a premium hybrid tea rose. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Alexander M. Cocker in Scotland from ‘Fragrant Cloud’ × ‘Dame de Cœur’; introduced by James Cocker & Sons Ltd. around 1970 after registration in 1969 for garden and exhibition use. |
| Awards and recognition |
Recognised with Henry Edland Memorial Fragrance Medal, RNRS Gold Medal, President's International Trophy, R. J. Frizzell Award for fragrance, and ADR certificate in Germany, supporting high-value positioning. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright habit, 80–110 cm high and 50–70 cm spread, with moderately dense, dark green, slightly glossy foliage and moderate prickliness; self-cleaning is weak so spent blooms usually need manual removal. |
| Flower morphology |
Very large, double flowers with 26–39 petals, solitary on stems, cupped with a pronounced high-centred form, providing classic hybrid tea presentation suited to cut-flower style and exhibition orientated markets. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Colour is uniform dark cherry red with velvety sheen; buds burgundy to almost black, newly opened blooms rich carmine red, lightening slightly to raspberry tones, with good colour retention and only slight fading in strong sun. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strong, garden-filling, classic rose scent that is a key feature in premium and exhibition use; double flowers limit pollinator access, so primary value is ornamental and fragrance display rather than ecological support. |
| Hip characteristics |
Produces small numbers of ovoid, red-orange hips, around 10–14 mm in diameter, which are not dominant ornamentally but indicate successful flowering and pollination late in the season where flowers are not deadheaded. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Medium resistance to powdery mildew, black spot and rust; performs best under professional protection. Rated H7, Swedish zone 4 and USDA zone 5b, tolerating approximately –26 to –23 °C in well-managed plantings. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suitable for borders, cut-flower style use, specimen and container production; medium maintenance with occasional plant protection; best released as bush-trained, 3–5 cane premium container plants from 5–7 L pots. |
Alec's Red™ offers very strong fragrance, XL hybrid tea blooms and proven hardiness on a predictable, regenerative own-root base, making it a dependable choice for premium programmes where we can jointly plan capacity and scheduling.
