SILVER JUBILEE™ – pink hybrid tea rose – Cocker & Cocker
Imagine stepping onto your veranda after a walk on the beach, the air bright with sea breeze and the poised blooms of Silver Jubilee™ catching the light in soft, pastel petals. This hybrid tea’s upright habit and dense, glossy foliage make it an elegant feature even in smaller UK family gardens, while its generous rebloom keeps flowers coming for vases and evening tea corners. Bred in Scotland, it is naturally suited to cooler, variable summers and can settle well where breeze and drizzle help offset coastal winds, supporting a garden that feels quietly sheltered rather than exposed. As an own-root rose, it offers reassuring longevity and steady renewal, growing a reliable framework over time for those who want beauty without fuss. Planted in a well-drained bed or a 40–50 litre container, it gives you space-efficient impact that matures gently year by year.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Coastal veranda in large containers |
Ideal in 40–50 litre pots on a sheltered veranda where its upright form and dense foliage provide vertical colour without taking over the seating area, particularly where breeze and drizzle help tame harsher salt-laden winds; perfect for coastal-style beginners. |
| Small front garden focal point |
Use a single plant near the door or pathway: the high-centred, exhibition-quality blooms draw the eye, yet the medium maintenance fits busy homeowners who prefer a tidy, upright shrub that stays within bounds; suited to first-time gardeners. |
| Cutting corner for home arrangements |
Planted in a sunny strip, its XL, high-centred flowers and steady rebloom provide classic stems for indoor vases from late spring onwards, extending the sense of occasion without needing a large cutting patch; appealing to home flower enthusiasts. |
| Mixed pastel bed with perennials |
Combines gracefully with cool-toned perennials and low groundcovers, where its glossy, dark foliage anchors softer textures and the pastel salmon-pink flowers bring a gentle, “girly” note without appearing overly formal; ideal for family-garden stylists. |
| Specimen rose in a lawn island |
As a single specimen at the recommended spacing, it forms a well-shaped bush with season-long flowers, making the most of its own-root vigour as roots deepen, shoots strengthen in year two, and full display arrives by year three; attractive to patient planners. |
| Sheltered patio seating area |
Placed close to outdoor chairs, the mild, fruity fragrance and refined, tea-style blooms create a calm, refined backdrop for evening tea without overwhelming the senses, rewarding regular deadheading with repeat flushes; perfect for relaxed patio users. |
| Traditional rose-and-clematis feature |
Its upright, moderately thorny framework pairs well with a clematis weaving through the stems, with the rose’s dense foliage providing a green backdrop for both sets of blooms, adding romance to compact gardens; aimed at cottage-style admirers. |
| Seasonal hedge or low screen |
Planted at hedge spacing, it builds a low, floral screen that offers privacy when in leaf and bloom, while own-root stability and Scottish-bred hardiness support long-term structure in typical UK winters; reassuring for low-fuss homeowners. |
Styling ideas
- Pastel Promenade – Line a shingle path with Silver Jubilee™ and low blue Festuca for a soft, coastal feel that keeps the walkway airy yet romantic – for coastal-style lovers who enjoy gentle colour.
- Veranda Jewel – One or two plants in 50 litre tubs by a south-west facing door, underplanted with Vinca minor to spill over the rim – for busy owners wanting easy elegance near the house.
- Tea-Cup Corner – Create a small seating nook with Silver Jubilee™ flanked by lavender, so pastel roses and soft scent frame your afternoon tea – for hobby gardeners who like a cosy retreat.
- Classic Feature – Place a single specimen in a circular lawn bed, edged with sea kale or low grasses to echo seaside textures – for those who want one strong, manageable focal point.
- Romantic Screen – Plant a short row at hedge spacing with a clematis trained through, forming a flowering screen that softens fences or sheds – for families seeking beauty and subtle privacy.
Technical cultivar profile
| Characteristic |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, registered as COCjubilee, marketed as Silver Jubilee™ Hybrid tea rose COCjubilee; ARS approved exhibition name Silver Jubilee, in the hybrid tea rose commercial group. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred in Scotland before 1977 by Alexander Morison Cocker and Anne Grant Cocker from complex hybrid parents; introduced in 1978 by James Cocker & Sons Ltd. and Anne G. Cocker. |
| Awards and recognition |
Highly regarded exhibition hybrid tea; RNRS President’s International Trophy 1977, Portland Gold Medal 1981, James Mason Memorial Prize 1981, and Belfast Gold Medal 1985 attest to its floral quality. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright bush to around 100–140 cm high and 75–105 cm wide, with a moderately thorny framework and dense, glossy, dark green foliage that forms a substantial, shapely presence in beds or containers. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, double, high-centred blooms with 26–39 petals in classic pointed-bud, cut-rose style; borne mainly solitarily on stems, with reliable rebloom and a notably abundant second flush in suitable conditions. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Soft salmon-pink with peach and cream reverse, subtly bicoloured; ARS PB, RHS 36B–36D. Colour fades gently to pastel pink and apricot tones, faster in strong sun but generally with good colour retention. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Mild yet noticeable rose scent with a discreet fruity character; best appreciated near seating areas or when cut for indoor arrangements, adding refinement without dominating more strongly scented companions. |
| Hip characteristics |
Produces moderate numbers of small, spherical red hips about 10–14 mm across, globular in shape; hips can add a subtle seasonal accent if spent blooms are not removed late in the year. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Rated H7 and USDA zone 5b, hardy down to about −26 °C; powdery mildew resistant, with moderate susceptibility to black spot and rust, benefiting from routine observation and timely care in damp seasons. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in sunny positions with well-drained soil; dislikes heat and drought, so ensure watering in dry spells. Suitable for beds, specimens, hedging, and containers at about 55–100 cm spacing depending on use. |
SILVER JUBILEE™ offers upright elegance, exhibition-quality pastel blooms and reliable rebloom on a long-lived own-root framework, making it a thoughtful choice for relaxed, enduring beauty in smaller family gardens.
