MISTER LINCOLN – deep red hybrid tea rose - Swim & Weeks
Bring a sense of storybook romance to your garden with Mister Lincoln, a statuesque hybrid tea rose whose velvety deep-red blooms and very strong perfume instantly suggest afternoon tea beneath an arbour. This own-root plant establishes steadily for a long, reliable life, coping well with breezy, damp weather and the kind of coastal exposure many UK gardens face. Over time it develops into an upright, dark-foliaged presence that anchors cottage-style borders while still being surprisingly manageable for newer gardeners. Its solitary, high-centred flowers are superb for cutting, so you can enjoy that fragrance indoors as well as outside. In practical terms, own-root roses recover better from winter, regenerate if cut back hard and maintain stable ornamental value with fewer replacements, giving you a reassuringly durable choice for a family plot. With medium maintenance needs and good heat tolerance, Mister Lincoln suits busy homeowners looking for classic impact without daily fuss, settling comfortably among hedging, kitchen-garden paths and cottage-style planting for a deeply romantic yet grounded garden feel.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Feature rose near seating or terrace |
Mister Lincoln’s very strong, classic rose fragrance and large, high-centred flowers make it ideal beside a bench or patio where you regularly sit. Planted as an own-root specimen, it develops steadily into a long-lived presence without complex care, suiting a relaxed, scented corner for the hobby gardener. |
| Cutting garden or kitchen garden edge |
As a traditional hybrid tea with solitary, long-stemmed blooms, Mister Lincoln is superb for cutting, providing deep-red, velvety flowers for vases over a long season. Its remontant habit ensures repeated flushes, so even a short row along a vegetable patch can supply regular bunches for the homeowner. |
| Cottage-style mixed border |
The upright habit and dark green, lightly glossy foliage create a strong vertical accent among perennials and herbs. Own-root resilience and medium maintenance needs make it straightforward to manage in a relaxed, cottage border where you want dependable colour and perfume with simple seasonal tasks for the busy urban gardener. |
| Informal flowering hedge |
Planted at recommended hedge spacing, Mister Lincoln forms a moderately dense, shoulder-height line of scented colour, ideal for subtly dividing areas of a family garden. Its good heat tolerance and solid winter hardiness help maintain structure year after year with basic pruning for the family buyer. |
| Sunny front garden focal point |
In a bright, well-drained spot, the velvety deep-red blooms hold their colour well, giving a classic, welcoming look in smaller front gardens. The plant’s own-root construction means it can regenerate if pruned back after harsh weather, reducing the risk of gaps and replacements for the beginner. |
| Raised bed on heavier soils |
Where clay is an issue, a raised bed with improved drainage allows Mister Lincoln’s roots to establish strongly, supporting its tall, upright frame and repeated flowering. Over the first few seasons, it builds a stable framework that becomes simpler to maintain for the practical gardener. |
| Large container on patio (40–50 litres+) |
In a generous 40–50 litre pot, Mister Lincoln can be enjoyed close to doors and seating, where fragrance is most appreciated. Regular watering and feeding support its height and bloom size, while own-root resilience offers a longer container life than many grafted plants for the balcony and patio owner. |
| Wind-exposed but sunny garden corner |
With good hardiness, an upright but steady habit and foliage that copes with unsettled weather, Mister Lincoln can perform well in open, breezier gardens, including those that regularly experience strong, moist winds and need planting that stands up reliably for the coastal gardener. |
Styling ideas
- Arbour elegance – Train Mister Lincoln up a sturdy obelisk beside a bench and underplant with lamb’s-ear and soft pink geraniums for a fragrant tea corner – ideal for cottage-style romantics.
- Cutting row – Plant a simple single-row hedge along a kitchen-garden path, spacing plants generously so each stem can be cut for vases – perfect for home florists.
- Front-door welcome – Position one rose in a large 50-litre terracotta pot flanked by clipped box for a formal, scented entrance – suited to busy homeowners wanting impact.
- Evening border – Combine Mister Lincoln with pale clematis and silver foliage such as lamb’s-ear to make the deep red blooms glow at dusk – for lovers of atmospheric twilight gardens.
- Family backdrop – Use a loose line of plants along a lawn edge with cottage perennials in front to create a classic, easy-care frame to play space – perfect for family gardens.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Mister Lincoln is a hybrid tea rose; registered cultivar name and American Rose Society exhibition name both recorded as Mister Lincoln, widely sold under deep-red hybrid tea trade designations. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred in the United States in 1964 by Herbert C. Swim and O. L. Weeks from ‘Chrysler Imperial’ × ‘Charles Mallerin’; introduced in 1965 by Weeks Rose Growers via Star Roses. |
| Awards and recognition |
All-America Rose Selections (1965), James Alexander Gamble Fragrance Medal (2003) and Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit attest to enduring performance and scent quality. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Forms an upright bush 150–200 cm high and 75–105 cm wide, with moderately dense, slightly glossy dark green foliage and moderate prickliness; self-cleaning is weak, so deadheading is recommended. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, double, high-centred, pointed-budded blooms with 26–39 petals appear mostly singly on stems; remontant flowering gives abundant first and second flushes suited to cutting and display. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Closed buds are dark burgundy; newly opened flowers show vivid ruby-red, deepening to velvety blood-red; colour holds well though may soften slightly in hot conditions, with a faint purplish veil before fading. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very strong, long-lasting classic rose fragrance, particularly noticeable in still, warm conditions; primarily ornamental, with heavily doubled blooms limiting access to stamens for pollinating insects. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set is usually sparse because of the fully double flowers; where formed, hips are small, ovoid, red-orange, around 10–14 mm in diameter and may add a discreet late-season accent. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to around −26 to −23 °C (RHS H7, Swedish Zone 4, USDA 5b); disease resistance is generally good for powdery mildew and black spot, with medium susceptibility to rust. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with fertile, well-drained soil; water regularly in dry spells, feed to support repeat flowering and deadhead spent blooms; suitable for beds, hedging, specimens and cut-flower production. |
Mister Lincoln combines velvety deep-red flowers, powerful fragrance and reliable hardiness in an own-root form that promises a long-lived, regenerating presence in your garden, making it a thoughtful choice if you favour classic roses.
