BARBRA STREISAND™ – lavender hybrid tea rose
Step outside after a shower of soft Irish rain and meet BARBRA STREISAND™, a lavender hybrid tea rose created for moments of quiet contentment and gentle luxury. Large, high‑centred blooms in refined lavender‑purple tones open one by one, giving your front garden or cottage border a subtly glamorous accent without demanding constant attention. The perfume is remarkably intense, a sweet‑citrus rose fragrance that you will notice as you walk past, even on cooler days and in gardens where rainfall and humidity are frequent companions. Grown on its own roots, this rose settles in securely and ages gracefully, rewarding you with a long, reliable life and the ability to regenerate after pruning or winter knocks. Plant it once, give it decent drainage and a sunny spot, and enjoy the natural rhythm as Year 1 focuses on roots, Year 2 brings confident shoots, and Year 3 reveals the full ornamental performance you were hoping for.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Feature rose near the front door |
Use BARBRA STREISAND™ as a single specimen by the entrance, spacing it about 1 m from paths or walls so its tall, upright growth and large blooms can be appreciated at eye level, perfect for fragrance‑loving visitors and homeowners. |
| Mixed flower bed in a family garden |
Incorporate this variety into a mixed bed with perennials and grasses at 65 cm spacing to create a relaxed, cottage‑style drift of colour that keeps flowering in flushes through the season for busy but style‑aware hobby‑gardeners. |
| Cut‑flower corner for the house |
Dedicate a sunny strip to 2,5 plants/m² so you can pick long‑stemmed, high‑centred blooms for vases, enjoying exhibition‑style flowers and powerful scent indoors with very little technical know‑how for enthusiastic beginners. |
| Statement rose in a small city front garden |
Place one plant in a narrow Dublin front garden bed or gravel strip as a vertical accent; the upright, dense growth delivers structure and all‑season presence without sprawling, ideal for compact plots and urban garden‑owners. |
| Informal low hedge along a path |
Plant at 55 cm intervals to form a low, gently formal line of lavender blooms guiding you along a path, trimming lightly after each flush to keep shape with modest effort, suiting time‑pressed yet design‑conscious families. |
| Roses with reliable health in damp climates |
Choose this variety where summers are cool and showery; its good black‑spot resistance and manageable needs sit well with gardens that experience frequent breezes carrying salty, moisture‑laden Atlantic air for practical Irish gardeners. |
| Long‑term planting for a stable garden framework |
Because it is supplied on its own roots, the shrub matures into a solid, uniform plant that comes back strongly after hard pruning and lives for many years, giving a dependable backbone to borders for long‑viewing planners. |
| Large containers on patio or terrace |
Grow one plant in a sturdy 40–50 litre container with drainage holes, using quality compost and regular watering to enjoy the fragrance and colour close to seating areas, particularly suitable for paved spaces and balcony‑focused residents. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage‑border romance – Combine with soft pink foxgloves and hardy geraniums in a loose, billowing border so the lavender blooms float above, ideal for lovers of relaxed Irish cottage gardens – fragrance‑oriented homeowners.
- Front‑door welcome – Underplant with low lavender and thyme in a sunny doorway bed, using gravel mulch for drainage to frame the entrance with colour and scent – busy city dwellers who want instant charm.
- Elegant cut‑flower row – Line a narrow bed with BARBRA STREISAND™ and alternate clumps of white phlox for filler stems, giving a near‑continuous supply of perfumed blooms – home florists and bouquet enthusiasts.
- Textured contrast – Pair with dwarf mountain pine and blue globe thistle so the glossy foliage and lilac flowers play against blue spheres and evergreen mounds – design‑minded gardeners who enjoy structure.
- Patio focal point – Plant a single rose in a 50 litre clay pot with silver‑leaved Artemisia around the base for a chic, scented container – apartment and townhouse owners with limited planting space.
Technical cultivar profile
| Property |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, registered as WEKquaneze; sold as BARBRA STREISAND™ – lavender hybrid tea rose – Carruth; exhibition hybrid tea type for garden and cutting use. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Tom Carruth (USA) from (“Blue Nile” × (“Ivory Tower” × “Angel Face”)) × “New Zealand”; introduced after 2002 by Weeks Wholesale Rose Grower, Inc. |
| Awards and recognition |
Rose Hills International Rose Trials Most Fragrant Variety 2004; Desert Rose Society Best of Class 2010; multiple ARS show awards including Queen, King, Princess and Court of Show. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright habit to 110–150 cm high and 75–105 cm wide; dense, glossy dark green foliage; moderately thorny stems; medium self‑cleaning so spent flowers benefit from deadheading. |
| Flower morphology |
Large double blooms 7–10 cm across, high‑centred and pointed, borne mainly singly on stems; 26–39 petals with classic hybrid tea form, repeating in flushes with a generous second bloom period. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Mid‑lilac to lavender petals, edges slightly deeper purplish‑lilac; buds purple‑violet tipped; colour may lighten towards silvery tones in strong sun, retaining an overall even lavender appearance in bloom. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strong sweet‑citrus fragrance, noticeable from a distance in still air; perfumed flowers suited to positioning near seating or paths; valued internationally as one of the more powerfully scented hybrid teas. |
| Hip characteristics |
Rose hips form only occasionally due to regular deadheading; when present they are small, ovoid, 10–14 mm in diameter and red, adding modest late‑season interest without becoming dominant. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to about –26 to –23 °C (RHS H7, USDA 5b, Swedish zone 4); good resistance to black spot, medium tolerance of powdery mildew and rust; prefers regular watering in prolonged heat or drought. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with fertile, well‑drained soil; space 65 cm for beds or 55 cm for hedges; suits 40–50 litre containers; maintain with seasonal feeding, mulch, and occasional pest and disease checks. |
BARBRA STREISAND™ – lavender hybrid tea rose WEKquaneze offers powerful fragrance, elegant long‑stemmed blooms and durable, regenerative own‑root growth, making it a thoughtful choice if you would like a dependable, scented focal point.
