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The Queen of Sweden Rose

Decedent, lush blooms that inspire thoughts of whimsy, romance, and the antique—that’s what The Queen of Sweden Rose brings to mind! This low-maintenance, fragrant, beautiful rosebush variety is an excellent and elegant addition to casual gardens, formal bouquets, and more. If you’re looking for a rosebush that will keep blooming for years with minimal effort, you’ve searched for the right one.

Let’s learn more about the Queen of Sweden Rose!

Closeup of a single Queen of Sweden rose bloom.

History of The Queen of Sweden Rose

Bred by renowned rose-breeder David Austin in the United Kingdom, the Queen of Sweden Rose is a hybridization of an unknown seedling with the popular Charlotte variety. It was first bred in 2004 and became widely popular from 2006 onward.

Characteristics of The Queen of Sweden Rose

The small, beautiful buds on this large rosebush turn to half-enclosed cups, and finally give way at full bloom to upward-facing, wide, shallow roses with up to a hundred petals in a soft blush tone. Distinguished by an apricot-pink hue ripening into a full, pure, soft pink as the flowers mature, the Queen of Sweden Rose sheds an intoxicatingly mild fragrance likened to myrrh, making it both a lovely and elegant addition to flower gardens, bouquets, décor, and more!

A Queen of Sweden rose shrub in bloom.

The Queen of Sweden Rose Specific

Where can you buy this flower?

The Queen of Sweden Rose can be a bit more difficult to find for sale in local areas than other rosebush varieties, but it’s always best to check with your local gardens and nurseries to see if they have bushes or seeds available! Otherwise, it’s recommended to purchase either bareroot or potted Queen of Sweden rosebushes from reputable online sellers. Occasionally, seed packets can be found at a low cost from sellers on eBay as well.

Can you grow it at home?

The Queen of Sweden Rose is quite popular among home-growers and gardeners of all skill levels, many of whom find it to be one of the most eye-catching varieties in their garden! It’s also a very low-maintenance repeat-bloomer, and its perpetual resistance to disease and insects makes it a lush and beautiful addition to any garden, with very little work to keep it growing back healthy and lovely year after year!

A small arrangement of pink English roses in a mason jar.

What is significant about this flower?

The Queen of Sweden Rose, like many of the roses bred by David Austin, are remarked on for having the look and scent of what are considered the rather classic, romantic “Old Rose” or “English Rose” types, but with the stronger hues and repeating-blooming habits of more modern rose varieties. The Queen of Sweden Rose showcases this achievement with its wide, shallow cupping, soft, breathtaking colors, and vintage appearance—all in addition to its hardiness, great garden performance, vigorous blooming habits, and more!

Why would you want to grow it at home?

This is a great rose for home-growing due to its disease resistance, season-long blooms, strong repeating performance, and notably low number of thorns. Its height and recurrent blooming throughout its fertile season also make it a tasteful and popular gardening hedge flower for beds, borders, and yards.

Closeup of blooming pink English roses.

Where should you plant it?

As a large, particularly upright shrub—expanding up to 5 feet in height and 3 feet across, typically—the Queen of Sweden Rose does best with a healthy 24-36 inches from its nearest neighbors. For that reason, it does best in an outdoor environment, though it can be potted in its own pot indoors. Outside, it’s renowned for attracting butterflies!

You’ll want to plant outdoors in mid-to-late spring, once the threat of frost has passed. If you’re planting a potted rosebush, dig your hole twice the diameter of the container and equally as deep and place the container inside.

If you’re beginning with a bareroot plant, you’ll need to soak the roots in a bucket of room-temperature water overnight the day before planting; make sure your hole is twice the diameter of the container at least, and with enough depth that the plant can rest on a mound of soil while the limbs still rise above the ground.

Once on top of the mound, gently spread out the roots and then fill the hole about halfway using a soil mix; then wet the soil with your garden hose until it’s a muddy consistency and fill the rest of the hole with soil. Finally, water the soil once more, and you’re done! Your rosebush is ready for the growing season.

Closeup of a single Queen of Sweden rose bloom.

The Queen of Sweden Rose, like most roses, thrives on 6 or more hours of direct sun or partial shade each day, and is healthiest when planted in fertile, rich, adequately-moist and well-drained soil such as clay, loam, chalk, or sand, with occasional feeding during the growing season (about one good soaking a week, and a dose of fertilizer every few months from first to last bloom). This rosebush tends to bloom in flushes from late spring to first frost, and is a truly remarkable repeat bloomer—you’ll be enjoying your Queen of Sweden rosebush for years to come!

This hard rosebush should be pruned in the late winter or early spring, before the leaves start to open but when the weather is beginning to warm. At this time, you’ll want to remove any dead or discolored wood from the plant; trim off any dead leaves and remove debris from around the base; and prune back overlapping lateral canes and trim all other canes to about one-third their current height (this will help encourage new growth).

Lastly, lay down a layer of fresh mulch, and your Queen of Sweden rosebush is ready for the next growing season!

A pink English rose shrub in bloom.

Making a Bouquet With It/Using It For Décor

The Queen of Sweden Rose is known not only for its beauty at all stages—from budding to full flourish—but for how well it stands up to cutting, lasting several days in water while continuing to shed its slight-to-moderate herbal fragrance. It’s also a favorite as a pressed flower or among home arrangements or formal bouquets, as its color is attractive but not overpowering; it pairs particularly well with lavender, salvia, nepeta, and other purple/blue flower and herb tones.

A mixed flower arrangement with English roses on an outdoor table.

Where To Buy The Queen of Sweden Rose

The Queen of Sweden Rose can be purchased online as a bareroot from popular, respectable sellers such as Burpee, found here, or Heirloom Roses, found here. Potted Queen of Sweden rosebushes can be purchased (when in stock) directly from the website of original curator and rose-breeder David Austin, found here.

Where To Buy Arrangements With Queen of Sweden Roses

If you’re looking to purchase Queen of Sweden Roses already grown and cut, for bouquets, decorations, and more, you can visit David Austin’s directory, found here, for options to search wholesale and florists who can provide this gorgeous rose for your floral needs!

Wrapping Up the Queen of Sweden Rose

Closeup of a single Queen of Sweden rose bloom.

Whether you’re a casual or dedicated gardener, we’re certain you’ll find the Queen of Sweden Rose makes a fantastic addition to your collection, bouquets, décor, and more—bringing vibrant, antique beauty to its environment.

Have you grown and maintained a Queen of Sweden Rosebush? How long has yours been blooming? We’d love to know! Tell us all about your rosebush in the comments below!

Excited for more rose content? Then keep reading all about these beautiful flowers, how to take care of them, and more on our roses page!