MISTER LINCOLN – deep red hybrid tea rose
Step outside after the rain and meet Mister Lincoln in the soft, green light: tall, upright and dignified, with velvety deep-red blooms that keep their colour and perfume even in humid weather and brisk coastal breezes, despite Ireland’s changeable climate. This classic hybrid tea is prized for its very strong, long-lasting fragrance, ideal if you love cutting roses to scent your home without fuss. Grown on its own roots, it is bred for longevity and easy regeneration, settling steadily so that year one focuses on roots, year two on building shoots, and by year three you enjoy its full ornamental impact. With medium maintenance needs and solid disease resistance, it suits beginners and busy gardeners who still want a romantic, “girly” cottage look in an Irish front garden.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Main feature rose in a small front garden |
The tall, upright habit and large, high-centred flowers give strong vertical presence without taking up too much ground space, ideal beside a path or low wall where the deep-red colour can be appreciated at eye level by homeowners. |
| Irish cottage-style mixed border |
Classic hybrid tea form, repeat flowering and a romantic deep-red tone fit perfectly with soft perennials and traditional shrubs; its medium maintenance and own-root staying power make it practical in relaxed cottage borders for hobby gardeners. |
| Cutting patch for home bouquets |
Long-stemmed, high-centred blooms with an exhibition-style form and very strong, lingering scent are ideal for vases; planting at the recommended spacing helps produce straight, quality stems for fragrance-loving buyers. |
| Specimen rose in a lawn or gravel bed |
At 150–200 cm, the plant becomes a striking focal point; own-root growth means it ages gracefully, retaining ornamental value for many seasons, suiting those who want one standout rose with little fuss, including busy urban gardeners. |
| Roses in larger containers on patios |
When grown in a 40–50 litre pot with good drainage, it offers big impact on terraces and balconies; regular watering and deadheading keep flowers coming, while the strong scent rewards space-limited beginners. |
| Roses in heavier Irish clay soils |
With proper preparation and mulch, its medium disease resistance and good winter hardiness allow it to cope reliably with cool, damp spells and soft Atlantic breezes common in many Irish gardens, reassuring cautious starters. |
| Low, fragrant flowering hedge |
Planted at hedge spacing, its upright structure and repeat flowering create a perfumed boundary; own-root plants fill out steadily, giving a long-lived, coherent line of colour for family gardens. |
| Statement rose near doors or seating |
Placing it where you pass daily lets you enjoy the powerful perfume and velvety flowers up close; regular deadheading concentrates energy into new buds, rewarding sensory-focused, nature-oriented visitors. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-Romantic – Underplant with Stachys byzantina and low geraniums for a soft, silvery, “girly” cottage feel beside a front path – ideal for fragrance-loving beginners.
- Crimson-Showpiece – Use a single plant in a gravel circle or large pot to spotlight the velvety red blooms and perfume – suited to small urban gardens.
- Heritage-Mix – Combine with white hydrangeas and foxgloves to echo period Dublin terraces with layered heights and colour – perfect for cottage-style homeowners.
- Cutting-Row – Plant a straight row with easy-access paths so you can harvest long, scented stems all season – great for home floristry enthusiasts.
- Climber-Companion – Pair with Clematis ‘Fairy Slippers’ on a sunny fence, letting the clematis thread through the upright rose for extended bloom interest – appealing to creative hobby gardeners.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, registered as ‘Mister Lincoln’; ARS exhibition name Mister Lincoln, trade name Mister Lincoln Hybrid tea rose Mister Lincoln, dedicated to Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the USA. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred in the United States by Herbert C. Swim and O. L. Weeks from ‘Chrysler Imperial’ × ‘Charles Mallerin’; introduced 1965 by Star Roses and Plants after 1964 selection. |
| Awards and recognition |
All-America Rose Selections winner 1965, James Alexander Gamble Fragrance Medal 2003, and Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit for proven garden performance. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright bush reaching 150–200 cm high, 75–105 cm spread, moderately dense, slightly glossy dark green foliage, with moderate prickles; weak self-cleaning, benefits from regular deadheading. |
| Flower morphology |
Large 7–10 cm double blooms with 26–39 petals, classic high-centred, pointed hybrid tea form on mostly solitary stems, remontant with a notably abundant second flush in season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Deep, velvety red blooms, ruby-like in light; buds burgundy, freshly opened flowers vivid ruby-red, ageing to blood-red; colour holds well though may lighten slightly in hot sun. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strong, classic rose fragrance of long duration, often regarded as a benchmark scent among hybrid teas; ideal for positioning where passing garden users can fully appreciate it. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set usually low due to full double blooms; where present, produces small ovoid red-orange hips 10–14 mm across, adding modest late-season ornamental interest. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Medium overall disease resistance; resistant to powdery mildew and black spot, medium for rust; tolerates heat with watering, hardy approximately to −26 to −23 °C (RHS H7, USDA 5b). |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with fertile, well-drained soil; suitable for beds, specimen planting and cutting; space 55–100 cm depending on use; prefers regular watering and timely deadheading. |
Mister Lincoln offers velvety deep-red, powerfully fragrant blooms on a long-lived own-root plant that matures steadily into a reliable feature rose, making it a thoughtful choice for Irish family gardens.
