STELLERIT – orange tea-hybrid rose – Harkness
Imagine stepping onto your coastal veranda after collecting seashells, a pot of tea beside you and the air lifted by the citrusy scent of STELLERIT, its warm orange blooms glowing even on breezy afternoons. This hybrid tea rose forms an upright, well-shaped hedge or solo accent that fits neatly into the scale of most family gardens, while its glossy foliage gives a tidy, ornamental backdrop to everyday life. In large 40–50 litre containers it anchors a small seating area, coping reliably with the sort of brisk, salty breezes that often roll in from the sea on exposed British coasts, without demanding fussy care. Developed on its own roots for a longer-lived, more stable plant, it settles in steadily and rewards you with season-long flowering and a strong supply of cut stems for the house. Plan for the natural rhythm of a quality shrub – first year building roots, second year pushing confident shoots, and by the third year delivering its full coastal-garden impact with confident repeat flushes of richly coloured, fragrant blooms.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Small coastal veranda in Cornwall or Devon |
Planted in a 40–50 litre container, this upright hybrid tea gives you a compact vertical accent with richly scented orange blooms, while its moderate hardiness and firm structure cope well with brisk, salty breezes at exposed seating spots – ideal for the time-poor coastal gardener who still wants elegance for the veranda-owner. |
| Cut-flower corner in a family back garden |
STELLERIT’s solitary, medium-sized hybrid tea blooms sit on straight, sturdy stems, making it easy to cut well-shaped flowers for the house without damaging the plant’s outline, and its strong, long-lasting fragrance brings that fresh citrus note indoors for the home-arranger. |
| Feature rose beside a garden bench |
Used as a specimen at roughly one metre spacing, the upright habit and glossy dark foliage form a calm, structured backdrop, while the warm orange-peach flowers repeat through the season, giving a gently changing view with minimal intervention for the seat-lover. |
| Narrow mixed border in a small family garden |
Its height of around one metre twenty and moderate spread fit nicely into slim borders, adding vertical colour without overwhelming surrounding perennials, and the tidy, moderately dense foliage helps maintain a well-kept look between flowering flushes for the border-planner. |
| Informal low hedge along a path or drive |
Planting at 55–65 cm intervals creates a softly defined line that guides the eye and offers recurring colour; the bushy, upright structure is easy to prune into a gentle hedge shape, while the repeat flowering keeps the boundary lively for the path-user. |
| Shingle or gravel planting with coastal character |
Combined with good drainage under the planting pocket, STELLERIT’s robust framework and moderate disease resistance suit a shingle-style bed; the warm orange tones contrast effectively with pale gravel and hardy coastal perennials for the shingle-gardener. |
| Partially shaded urban patio or courtyard |
This rose tolerates partial shade, so it can brighten a courtyard that only gets sun for part of the day, and in such conditions its colour often stays more vivid; the strong perfume still travels well in enclosed spaces for the patio-dweller. |
| Long-term focal plant for future-proofed planting |
As an own-root rose, STELLERIT is less prone to graft failure, regenerates well from the base and maintains its ornamental character over many years, repaying modest, regular care with reliable flowering and structure for the thoughtful future-gardener. |
Styling ideas
- Sea-breeze focus pot – One STELLERIT in a 50‑litre tub with pale shingle mulch and a low ring of Festuca for a simple, wind-tolerant veranda focal point – suited to coastal balcony owners.
- Cutting strip – A short row of plants edged with thyme and backed by Delphinium hybrids, giving structured stems for vases and a gentle cottage feel – ideal for home florists.
- Sunset shingle band – Thread STELLERIT through a gravel bed with sea kale and Perovskia atriplicifolia to echo warm sunset tones against silvery foliage – perfect for seaside-style gardens.
- Bench companion – Place a specimen near a bench, underplanted with low Lavandula and soft groundcover to enjoy layered fragrance and colour at sitting height – great for relaxation corners.
- Pathway rhythm – Use a loose hedge of STELLERIT along a garden path, interspersed with Lychnis alpina ‘Magenta’ to punctuate the orange with bright pink notes – appealing to colour-loving families.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose registered as HARrowbond, marketed as STELLERIT – orange tea-hybrid rose – Harkness; exhibition name Rosemary Harkness for show purposes in hybrid tea classes. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Jack Harkness, R. Harkness & Co. Ltd., Hitchin, United Kingdom, from ‘Compassion’ × (‘Basildon Bond’ × ‘Grandpa Dickson’); introduced and registered in 1985 in the UK. |
| Awards and recognition |
Belfast Gold Medal for Best large-flowered tea hybrid and Most fragrant rose in 1987, Glasgow Tollcross Fragrance Award 1991, and Best Floribunda at Hamilton New Zealand Rose Trials 1995. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright hybrid tea shrub reaching about 95–125 cm high and 75–105 cm wide, with moderately dense, glossy dark green foliage and moderate prickliness; spent blooms may need manual removal. |
| Flower morphology |
Medium-sized, double, cup-shaped blooms with around 26–39 petals, mainly solitary on stems; remontant habit with a generous second flush, giving good continuity of flowers over the season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Warm orange with peach sheen; buds orange‑pink, opening vivid orange with softer outer petals, later fading paler in strong sun; ARS code OB, RHS 28B outer and 30B inner tones described. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, long-lasting perfume with a fresh, citrus character; double blooms offer moderate pollinator access, so it can contribute scent and some ecological value in mixed plantings. |
| Hip characteristics |
Moderate production of small red hips, around 10–14 mm long, ovoid and decorative in autumn, adding a modest seasonal accent without overwhelming the plant’s overall flowering effect. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Rated to approximately −26 to −23 °C, RHS H7, USDA zone 5b, Swedish zone 4; black spot resistant with moderate susceptibility to mildew and rust, needing occasional preventive care. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in fertile, well-drained soil with consistent moisture; prefers full sun but tolerates partial shade; suitable for beds, hedging and containers, planted about 55–100 cm apart as required. |
STELLERIT – orange tea-hybrid rose – Harkness offers fragrant, citrusy cut blooms, a compact upright habit for small gardens, and a resilient own-root constitution that rewards you with enduring beauty if you choose to plant it.
