WILDFIRE® – orange tea-hybrid rose - Zary
Bring a touch of cottage-garden magic to your front path with WILDFIRE®, a tall, elegant hybrid tea whose blooms open from fiery buds into glowing, coral-scarlet flowers that light up even soft Irish skies and cope well with frequent rain and breezy weather. This own-root rose settles in steadily, building a dependable framework that gives you lasting colour with minimal fuss. Plant it once, then watch it evolve – roots in the first year, strong shoots in the second, and full ornamental value by the third – for years of relaxed enjoyment. Long, high-centred flowers are perfect for cutting, so a few stems in a jug bring that same glow indoors, while its moderate pollinator appeal still adds a touch of living wildlife interest among cottage perennials. With simple pruning, occasional deadheading and basic plant protection, it earns a permanent place in any busy family garden, rewarding you with a cheerful, flame-like display from summer into autumn.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Feature rose in a small front garden bed |
The tall, upright habit and vivid, flame-orange blooms make WILDFIRE® an instant focal point beside a path or front door, giving strong colour without complex care routines, ideal for enhancing kerb appeal for the busy homeowner. |
| Cutting patch for home bouquets |
Large, high-centred, long-stemmed flowers in classic hybrid tea form are perfect for cutting, with each stem producing impressive, exhibition-style blooms so you can enjoy elegant arrangements indoors for the creative flower-lover. |
| Romantic cottage-style mixed border |
The warm coral-scarlet shades blend beautifully with perennials like purple loosestrife, beardtongue and Russian sage, creating an informal, “girly” Irish cottage look with minimal fuss for the nature-oriented gardener. |
| Background hedge or screen planting |
Its 150–190 cm height and dense, glossy foliage form a softly glowing, flowering screen, ideal along boundaries or around seating areas where a long-lived backbone plant is needed by the family garden planner. |
| Reliable long-term garden investment |
As an own-root rose, WILDFIRE® regenerates well from the base, maintaining stable colour and shape over many years with straightforward pruning, rewarding patient planting decisions for the long-view homeowner. |
| Sunny, well-drained border in wetter regions |
In Irish conditions, it performs best in a sunny spot with improved drainage and a good mulch, where the foliage stays healthy despite regular showers and brisk winds, suiting the practical Irish gardener. |
| Container rose for patios and terraces |
Given a generous 40–50 litre container with quality compost and regular watering, its upright form and vivid flowers create a strong vertical accent that is easy to enjoy up close for the urban balcony-owner. |
| Family garden with occasional plant care |
Moderate disease resistance and medium maintenance needs mean it thrives with basic seasonal pruning, feeding and occasional spraying, fitting comfortably into a routine with limited gardening time for the busy beginner. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage Glow – weave WILDFIRE® through a loose mix of purple loosestrife, foxgloves and ornamental grasses to echo an Irish cottage lane – ideal for romantically minded homeowners.
- Front-Door Welcome – plant one or three roses by a path with low lavender edging for fragrance and structure – perfect for city terraces seeking simple kerb appeal.
- Sunset Border – combine its warm blooms with dusky penstemons and bronze foliage plants for an evening-lit palette – suited to gardeners who love rich, sunset tones.
- Patio Accent – grow a single plant in a 50 litre terracotta pot with trailing thyme at the base for easy summer colour – great for renters and balcony gardeners.
- Cutting Corner – dedicate a small sunny strip with WILDFIRE® and filler plants like lady’s mantle to supply regular bouquets – appealing to home florists and DIY arrangers.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, registered as JACdouce, marketed as Wildfire® Hybrid tea rose JACdouce; American Rose Society exhibition name Wildfire, belonging to the Rós taehibride commercial group. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Keith W. Zary for Jackson & Perkins Research, from an unknown seedling crossed with ‘Elina’; introduced and registered in the United States in 2004, then distributed more widely. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Tall, upright bush reaching about 150–190 cm in height and 85–115 cm spread, with dense, dark green glossy foliage and a moderately thorny framework that lends itself to borders, hedging and cutting. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, high-centred, pointed-budded hybrid tea flowers, double with around 26–39 petals, usually borne singly on stems; strongly remontant habit, producing abundant repeat flushes through the season in good conditions. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Vivid, flame-like orange overall effect; buds fire-red to coral with orange flush, opening to fire-orange with golden inner sheen, then coral-scarlet, finally softening to brick–peach pink as blooms age on the plant. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Fragrance is very weak, with only a delicate muscatel nuance detectable in warm, still weather; chosen primarily for its striking colour effect and flower form rather than strong scent in garden or vase. |
| Hip characteristics |
Rose hips are produced only slightly; small ellipsoidal red fruits, about 6–10 mm in diameter, can appear after flowering if spent blooms are not removed, but are usually not a major ornamental feature. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately −21 to −18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b, Swedish zone 3); disease resistance is moderate to black spot, powdery mildew and rust, benefiting from good air circulation and preventive care. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Prefers sunny sites with well-drained soil; spacing 65 cm in beds, 55 cm for hedges, 110 cm as specimen. Best performance with regular feeding, deadheading and light pruning; protect from prolonged drought with watering. |
WILDFIRE® Hybrid tea rose JACdouce offers vivid long-season colour, elegant cutting blooms and resilient own-root longevity; it is a thoughtful choice if you would like a striking yet manageable rose.
