EIFFEL TOWER – pink hybrid tea rose – Armstrong & Swim
Step outside on a soft Irish morning and let the fragrance of Eiffel Tower wrap around You like warm raindrops, its classic rose perfume drifting far across the garden even in wind-kissed corners where Atlantic breezes meet Your front path. This statuesque hybrid tea builds its own-root strength slowly and reliably, settling into heavy soil once You provide basic drainage and a mulch blanket for winter comfort. Tall, elegant stems carry XL high-centred blooms perfect for cutting, each mid-pink flower opening from a pointed bud into a luminous cup that keeps its colour well in our changeable climate. Year by year it develops deeper structure – roots in the first season, branching shoots in the second, then full ornamental presence by the third – giving Your garden long-lived impact with only modest, occasional care and a wonderfully romantic statement at the gate or beside a cottage door.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Sunny cottage-garden border |
Eiffel Tower’s tall, upright habit and XL, mid-pink, high-centred blooms give a classic cottage focus in full sun, while own-root vigour supports a long-lived framework with only moderate upkeep for beginners. |
| Feature rose beside front door or path |
As a solitary specimen at around 150–190 cm, it forms an elegant vertical accent, greeting visitors with a strong, classic rose perfume that drifts across small city front gardens in still or breezy conditions for urban-owners. |
| Cut-flower bed for home arrangements |
The long, straight stems and exhibition-style buds are ideal for vases, offering repeatedly flowering, high-centred blooms; own-root plants re-sprout well after hard cutting, prolonging productive life for home-florists. |
| Statement rose in large container (40–60 L) |
In a generously sized, well-drained pot, Eiffel Tower can be showcased on patios or terraces; its moderate foliage and upright structure suit vertical emphasis where ground is limited, rewarding simple watering routines for balcony-gardeners. |
| Small rose hedge or linear screen |
Planted 110 cm apart, the tall, uniform plants form a loose, scented screen, their slightly glossy dark foliage providing structure, while own-root stability helps hedging sections recover from winter or pruning stress for practical-planners. |
| Focal rose in heavy Irish clay soils |
With thoughtful site preparation for drainage and mulch, this variety establishes reliably in Irish clays, tolerating our damp spells and breezy exposure, making it a confident choice where conditions can be challenging for clay-gardeners. |
| Long-season showpiece outside windows |
Its remontant habit and abundant second flush ensure months of colour, with buds, full blooms, and fading pearly-pink flowers all visible at once, maintaining interest between early summer and autumn for view-seekers. |
| Planned, long-term family garden layout |
The own-root form supports a long functional lifespan, with the plant building roots, then framework, then full display over three seasons, fitting a thoughtful, soil-conserving, low-replacement garden plan for future-minded. |
Styling ideas
- Parisian-portal – Frame a cottage or terraced-house doorway with one or two Eiffel Tower roses underplanted with lavender for a romantic, gently formal entrance – ideal for fragrance-lovers.
- Soft-screen – Plant a loose row and weave in airy switchgrass such as Panicum ‘Sangria’ to soften the tall stems, creating a semi-transparent boundary – suited to family gardens.
- Cutting-corner – Dedicate a sunny bed with Eiffel Tower, Gaillardia, and simple foliage plants so You can gather armfuls of scented stems and cheerful fillers – perfect for home arrangers.
- Clay-cottage – In improved but still weighty soil, combine Eiffel Tower with tough perennials like obedient plant for a resilient, romantic border – good for low-fuss gardeners.
- Patio-centrepiece – Grow a single plant in a 40–50 litre container with trailing seasonal bedding at the rim for colour at different heights – tailored to small-plot urban gardeners.
Technical cultivar profile
| Property |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, registered as ‘Eiffel Tower’, with ARS exhibition name matching the trade name; part of the Rós taehibride group and suited to garden and cutting use. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by David L. Armstrong and Herbert C. Swim (Armstrong Nurseries, California) from ‘First Love’ × (‘Charlotte Armstrong’ × ‘Signora’), introduced and registered in the USA in 1963. |
| Awards and recognition |
Highly regarded exhibition-type hybrid tea, winning Gold Medals at Geneva and Rome International Rose Competitions and a Certificate of Merit in Madrid, all awarded in 1963. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Strong, upright bush reaching about 150–190 cm with 100–140 cm spread, moderately dense, slightly glossy dark green foliage, and only slight thorniness, forming a vertical, architectural shrub. |
| Flower morphology |
Very large, double, high-centred blooms with 26–39 petals, borne mainly singly on stems; classic exhibition hybrid tea form, remontant with a notably abundant second flush in season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Mid-pink flowers, ARS mp, RHS 65C outer and 65A inner, opening from vibrant buds to rich rosy tones that fade to a pearly, silvery pink, with good colour retention through the bloom’s life. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Possesses a very strong, classic rose scent that readily fills surrounding spaces, especially in still air, making it both a garden-perfume plant and an excellent choice for scented indoor cut flowers. |
| Hip characteristics |
Produces few hips; where present they are small, spherical, 13–17 mm across, with an orange-red colour, adding modest late-season detail without significantly diverting energy from flowering. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to about −21 to −18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b, Swedish Zone 3), with good heat tolerance; disease resistance moderate overall, showing good black spot resistance but some mildew and rust risk. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with well-drained soil; water in prolonged dry spells and monitor for mildew or rust. Space 110–180 cm depending on use; suitable for borders, specimens, hedging, and large containers. |
EIFFEL TOWER offers tall, scented mid-pink blooms, long-season repeat flowering and durable own-root growth, making it a refined choice for Irish gardens You will enjoy for many years.
