ALEXANDER™ – orange-red hybrid tea rose – Harkness
Enjoy a gently glowing Irish garden with the vivid orange-red ALEXANDER™, a classic hybrid tea that brings reliable colour, soft fragrance and elegant long-stemmed blooms to even compact spaces. Its upright, balanced habit is ideal for neat flower beds or a single standout shrub, while the robust shrub framework supports a long season of repeat flowering that copes well with breezy, rain-washed Irish days and careful drainage on heavier clay. Own-root plants build strength from within, offering reassuring longevity, stable shape and the ability to recover after harder pruning, making life easier for busy gardeners. In a cottage-style front garden or a small Dublin terrace, this rose gradually settles in: roots first, then confident new shoots, before reaching full ornamental value by its third season.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Feature rose in a small front garden bed |
The tall, upright bush and large, high-centred blooms create a strong focal point without taking up much ground space, perfect beside a doorway or bay window for impactful kerb appeal – ideal for the homeowner. |
| Cutting row for indoor arrangements |
Long, straight stems and large orange-red flowers are excellent for vases, with buds opening slowly and holding colour well, so a short cutting row will supply elegant stems for the house all summer – appealing to the flower-lover. |
| Cottage-style mixed border with perennials |
Remontant flowering means flush after flush of blooms, weaving bright colour through softer cottage plants like lobelia and crocosmia, giving continuous interest with only light deadheading – perfect for the relaxed gardener. |
| Low-maintenance own-root specimen shrub |
As an own-root plant it ages gracefully, reshooting strongly from the base after pruning or winter damage, so the shrub keeps its form and ornamental value over many years with modest care – reassuring for the long-term planner. |
| Clay-soil family garden bed with improved drainage |
Once planted into a slightly raised bed or well-drained planting hole, its sturdy root system copes reliably with typical Irish wet spells and breezy conditions, keeping flowers looking fresh after rain – helpful for the busy family. |
| Partially shaded town garden corner |
Tolerant of partial shade, it still gives good colour and flower size where there is only a few hours of direct sun, brightening narrow side gardens or overlooked terrace plots – useful for the urban gardener. |
| Long-term structure in a rose-and-perennial scheme |
The balanced, upright framework and moderate foliage density provide reliable structure and height among lower perennials, giving a repeat-flowering backbone that matures steadily from year one to full impact in year three – valued by the patient beginner. |
| Showpiece bed in gardens with regular care |
Moderate disease resistance plus a premium award-winning pedigree reward basic spraying and feeding with exhibition-quality blooms, ideal where you can offer routine attention and want consistently smart roses – suited to the keen enthusiast. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage Glow – Combine ALEXANDER™ with blue lobelia and white obedient plant for a soft, country look along a low front wall – for lovers of romantic cottage style.
- Terrace Statement – Plant as a single specimen near a front door with simple evergreen edging to let the bright blooms take centre stage – for design-conscious city homeowners.
- Sunset Border – Pair with crocosmia and warm-toned grasses to echo its orange-red flowers in a long, glowing summer border – for gardeners who enjoy rich, fiery palettes.
- Cutting Corner – Dedicate a small back-garden strip to several bushes in a row for a steady supply of classic long-stemmed roses – for home florists and bouquet makers.
- Family Friendly – Use in a mixed shrub bed with hardy perennials and mulch to keep maintenance low while still enjoying repeat flowering – for busy family gardens.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Alexander™ hybrid tea rose, registered as HARlex; hybrid tea shrub group, exhibition-quality blooms and own-root 2-litre plants, supplied as antoniaROSE® ORIGINAL for reliable garden use. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Jack L. Harkness, R. Harkness Roses & Co. Ltd., United Kingdom, from ‘Tropicana’ × (‘Ann Elizabeth’ × ‘Allgold’); introduced and registered in 1972 for garden and exhibition use. |
| Awards and recognition |
Highly decorated hybrid tea with ADR status from 1974, multiple Gold Medals including Belfast and Hamburg, RNRS Certificates of Merit and RHS/RNRS Award of Garden Merit from 1993. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright hybrid tea shrub reaching about 145–195 cm high and 85–115 cm wide, moderately dense light-green foliage, densely thorned shoots, forms a balanced, vertical garden presence over time. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, double, high-centred blooms 7–10 cm across with 26–39 petals, usually singly borne on stems; remontant habit with a generous second flush and classic cupped hybrid tea form. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Vivid orange-red flowers, ARS code OR, RHS 34B–34A; buds open deep and bright, then slowly soften to a slightly salmon-orange pastel while retaining an overall warm, glowing appearance. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Soft, mild fragrance with a delicate classic rose character; pleasantly noticeable at close range without overpowering, making it suitable near seating areas or along frequently used paths. |
| Hip characteristics |
Rose hip set is generally sparse due to double flowers, but occasional small egg-shaped hips 12–18 mm may develop, colouring to orange-red and adding subtle late-season interest. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to around −21 to −18 °C (USDA 6b, RHS H7), with good resistance to powdery mildew and black spot and moderate susceptibility to rust; appreciates regular watering in dry spells. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in fertile, well-drained soil with improved structure on heavy clay; space 60–110 cm depending on use, allow 2.0–2.4 plants/m² in groups, and choose at least 40–50 litre containers for large pots. |
ALEXANDER™ offers vivid orange-red flowers, reliable repeat flowering and graceful height on a durable own-root shrub, an excellent choice if you would like a long-lived, structural rose.
