A grandiflora is described as having the beauty and quality of a hybrid tea rose with its long stems and full, high-centered bloom. It also produces clusters like a Floribunda. They are hardy, tall plants most often used as background plants in gardens.

Although the Grandiflora class was created for the Queen Elizabeth rose, it is not a class recognized in Great Britan. Roses which are classified in America as Grandifloras are placed in the Floribunda class in Britan.

Because so few roses have met the quality and standards of the Queen Elizabeth, there are considerations being made to discontinue the class, Grandiflora. Most rose plants are so similar to Floribunda or Hybrid Tea that they could be placed in those categories. Hybrid Tea roses are known for their large, excellent quality blooms and Floribundas are known for having more blooms, but at less size and quality.

The Queen Elizabeth, for whom the class Grandiflora was created, is a tall, strong plant with large blooms of rich pink on long stems like the Hybrid Tea. It blooms in clusters like the Floribunda. It is usually used in the back of borders because its blooms are at the top of the long stems. There are sometimes as many as 35 petals, all beautifully formed. The flowers of the Queen Elizabeth seem to bloom all at once. The fragrance is light; excellent as a cut flower.

The Queen Elizabeth is offered in a climbing form but is not as spectacular as the shrub form.

(Submitted by Cinnamon, Gus and Bo)