GOLDEN DELICIOUS – golden-yellow hybrid tea rose – WEKgobafa
Colour and flower quality define Golden Delicious as a premium hybrid tea option for professional programmes seeking reliable exhibition-grade stems and high-value container stock. Its upright habit, dense, glossy foliage and medium maintenance needs support predictable scheduling in UK nursery systems, even where winters are sharp and exposure is high, reflecting strong cold tolerance. As own-root pharmaROSA® NEONATAL material, 3–6‑month tray-rooted cuttings provide a renewable production base, aligning well with premium 5–7 L container routes and subsequent large 40–50 L presentations for specimen or collection planting. Year 1 focuses on root establishment, Year 2 on framework shoot development, and Year 3 on delivering full ornamental and cut-stem value within thematic rose gardens and curated collections, underpinning exclusive, flower-led positioning for retail and reseller partners who require a stable, long-term portfolio.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- Premium 5–7 L hybrid tea feature – Bush-trained own-root plants in 5–7 L containers highlighting large, double golden-yellow blooms and glossy foliage, positioned as an exclusive flower-quality statement for retail benches – retail / reseller premium lines
- 40–50 L collection specimen – Taller, frameworked specimens in 40–50 L pots for thematic rose and show gardens, leveraging the upright habit, colour retention and long-term own-root regeneration – landscape and project-oriented resellers
- Dual-purpose cut and display block – Nursery-grown lines managed for both border-ready 5–7 L plants and occasional cut stems, utilising solitary hybrid tea blooms and medium fragrance – specialist cut-flower and collector outlets
- Heat-resilient golden border series – Container-finished stock targeted at warmer or more exposed sites, using good heat tolerance and remontant flowering to support a reliable, high-colour border range – landscape contractors and project suppliers
- Curated golden hybrid tea collection – Branded subset within a wider own-root range, emphasising cultivar identity, remontant flowering and exclusive flower form in uniform premium containers – garden centres and specialist rose retailers
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, registered as WEKgobafa, marketed as Golden Delicious hybrid tea rose WEKgobafa; ARS exhibition name Good as Gold; pharmaROSA NEONATAL rooted cutting product GOLDEN DELICIOUS. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred in the United States in 2010 by Tom Carruth from ‘Golden Beauty’ × ‘About Face’; introduced by Weeks Roses in 2014 (USA) and by UK distributors, including C & K Jones, from 2018. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright bush reaching approximately 130–170 cm in height and 85–115 cm spread, with dense, dark green, glossy foliage and moderate prickliness; spent blooms are poorly self-cleaning and benefit from regular deadheading. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, double, cupped hybrid tea blooms (approximately 2.75–3.95 inches), typically borne solitary on stems; 26–39 petals, with remontant behaviour providing abundant main and secondary flushes under suitable culture. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Deep golden-yellow base with subtle orange flush and soft orange tones, ARS yb, RHS 14A/18A; newly opened flowers show golden-yellow centres with orange-salmon sheen, later lightening towards lemon-yellow as reddish edging fades. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Medium-intensity, clearly perceptible fragrance characterised by a grapefruit-like, citrusy profile; double, closed bloom form reduces accessibility to pollinators and it is not considered a pollinator-focused selection. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set is generally limited due to the double flower form; when formed, hips are small ellipsoidal structures around 10–14 mm diameter, developing an orange-red colour as they mature later in the season. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Rated to approximately −26 to −23 °C (USDA 5b, RHS H7, Swedish zone 4), with moderate resistance to powdery mildew, black spot and rust; tolerates heat well but benefits from regular watering during extended drought. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suited for borders, cut-flower use and as a specimen; recommended as a bush-trained plant with 3–5 strong framework canes, moderate maintenance and occasional pest and disease control, ideal for premium container production paths. |
Golden Delicious hybrid tea rose WEKgobafa combines premium flower quality, remontant performance and good heat and cold tolerance in a predictable own-root form, making it a sound candidate for aligning long-term nursery capacity and project scheduling.
