Butter-gold blooms and unmistakable licorice fragrance make Julia Child® as distinctive as the woman who chose it.
Julia Child® Floribunda Rose is memorable before you even know its remarkable story. Butter-gold, 3-inch flowers combine old-fashioned fullness with an unmistakable licorice-and-spice fragrance, creating a rose that engages both sight and scent. Julia Child personally selected this rose to bear her name, choosing a variety distinguished not only by its golden color and fragrance but also by its rounded habit, glossy foliage, and strong garden performance. Introduced by Weeks Roses in 2006, it earned the prestigious 2006 All-America Rose Selections (AARS) award.
Clusters of approximately 35-petal blooms appear repeatedly from late spring into fall on a compact, rounded plant approximately 3 feet tall and wide. Strong disease resistance and excellent heat tolerance add to its garden appeal, while long stems make the fragrant golden flowers beautiful for cutting. Its compact size fits easily into beds and borders without sacrificing the abundant flowering Floribundas are known for.
Why You'll Love It
- Butter-gold flowers bring warm, luminous color to the garden
- Strong licorice-and-spice fragrance gives the blooms a distinctive perfume
- Julia Child personally selected the rose that would bear her name
- Winner of the prestigious 2006 All-America Rose Selections (AARS) award
- Approximately 35 petals create full, old-fashioned flowers
- Repeat flowering provides abundant blooms from late spring into fall
- Compact, rounded growth fits beautifully into beds and borders
- Strong disease resistance supports dependable garden performance
- Excellent heat tolerance helps it perform through warm summer conditions
- Long stems make the fragrant blooms excellent for cutting
Why This Rose Stands Out
Few roses have a namesake story quite like Julia Child®. Rather than simply having her name attached to a finished variety, Julia Child personally selected the rose that would carry her name. Its butter-gold flowers and distinctive licorice fragrance make that selection particularly memorable, while the 2006 AARS award provides independent recognition of its garden performance.
Jackson & Perkins also values Julia Child® for what happens beyond the individual flower. Its compact, rounded habit, repeat flowering, glossy foliage, disease resistance, and heat tolerance create an unusually complete Floribunda. It delivers fragrance and character for gardeners who want something distinctive, while remaining versatile enough for borders, beds, cutting gardens, and prominent specimen plantings.
Plant Highlights
- Rose Type: Floribunda Rose
- Breeder: Tom Carruth
- Introduced By: Weeks Roses
- Introduction Year: 2006
- Cultivar: 'WEKvossutono'
- Patent: PP18,473
- Award: 2006 All-America Rose Selections (AARS) Winner
- Bloom Color: Butter gold to golden yellow
- Bloom Size: Approximately 3 inches
- Petal Count: Approximately 35 petals
- Flower Form: Full, old-fashioned blooms in clusters
- Fragrance Strength: Strong
- Fragrance Notes: Licorice and spice
- Bloom Season: Late spring through late fall
- Flowering: Repeat flowering throughout the season
- Growth Habit: Compact, rounded, and bushy
- Mature Height: Approximately 3 feet
- Mature Width: Approximately 3 feet
- Foliage: Glossy green
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9
- Special Strengths: Strong fragrance, repeat flowering, disease resistance, heat tolerance, compact growth, and cutting performance
- Best Garden Uses: Beds, borders, fragrant gardens, cutting gardens, and specimen plantings
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Julia Child choose the rose named for her?
Yes. Julia Child personally selected the rose that would bear her name. Its distinctive golden color, fragrance, rounded growth, glossy foliage, and strong garden performance helped make it a fitting choice.
What does Julia Child® Rose smell like?
Julia Child® has a strong and distinctive fragrance with sweet licorice and spicy notes. Its unusual perfume is one of the qualities that sets this Floribunda apart from other yellow roses.
What color is Julia Child® Rose?
The flowers are a warm butter-gold to golden yellow, producing an especially rich display when numerous blooms open across the compact plant.
What does Julia Child® Rose's AARS award mean?
Julia Child® was named a 2006 All-America Rose Selections (AARS) winner. For decades, AARS was one of America's most respected rose trial programs, evaluating new roses in trial gardens across the country before recognizing exceptional varieties. Roses were judged on important garden qualities including flower production and form, fragrance, plant habit, vigor, foliage, disease resistance, and performance in different growing conditions. For gardeners, Julia Child®'s AARS award provides independent recognition that the rose stood out for its overall garden performance, not simply for its beautiful golden flowers.
How large does Julia Child® Rose grow?
Julia Child® develops a compact, rounded habit approximately 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide, making it easy to incorporate into beds and borders.
Is Julia Child® Rose disease resistant?
Yes. Strong disease resistance is one of the important garden-performance qualities of Julia Child®, complementing its abundant flowering and attractive glossy foliage.
Does Julia Child® tolerate hot weather?
Yes. Julia Child® offers excellent heat tolerance, making it particularly valuable for gardeners who want a yellow rose that continues performing through warm summer conditions.
Is Julia Child® good for cutting?
Yes. Its fragrant golden flowers are carried on stems suitable for cutting, allowing its distinctive color and licorice-spice fragrance to be enjoyed indoors.
Care Tips
Plant Julia Child® in full sun and moist, well-drained soil with good air circulation. Water deeply at the root zone during dry periods and use mulch to help conserve soil moisture. Remove spent blooms as needed to encourage continued flowering. Prune in early spring to remove dead, damaged, or crossing canes and to maintain its naturally rounded form.
Grow with Confidence
For more than 150 years, Jackson & Perkins has helped gardeners grow exceptional roses with confidence. Explore our expert resources for planting, care, pruning, seasonal maintenance, and more.
Details
Skip Product Specs | Genus | Rosa |
| Species | hybrids |
| Variety | WEKvossutono |
| ppaf | PP18473 |
| Zone | 5 - 9 |
| Bloom Start to End | Late Spring - Late Fall |
| Habit | Compact |
| Height | 3 ft |
| Width | 3 ft |
| Bloom Size | 3 in |
| Petal Count | 35 |
| Additional Characteristics |
Gift, Bloom First Year, Free Bloomer, Easy Care Plants, Fragrance, Needs Deadheading
|
| Bloom Color |
Yellow, Gold
|
| Bud Shape |
Ovoid, Pointed
|
| Foliage Color |
Medium Green, Glossy
|
| Fragrance |
Spicy, Strong, Licorice
|
| Light Requirements |
Full Sun
|
| Moisture Requirements |
Moist, well-drained
|
| Resistance |
Heat Tolerant, Disease Resistant
|
| Soil Tolerance |
Normal, loamy
|
| Uses |
Border, Cut Flowers, Ornamental
|
| Restrictions | *Due to state restrictions we cannot ship to the following:
Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Hawaii, Alaska
|
Jackson & Perkins World's Finest Roses
The Jackson & Perkins Difference
Jackson & Perkins is one of the most recognized names in the gardening industry. In fact, for decades rose lovers have considered Jackson & Perkins synonymous with great roses. How has Jackson & Perkins earned this reputation? Simple, for over 100 years we have brought our customers the world's finest selection of roses.
Jackson & Perkins became a leader in the world of roses by producing dozens of award-winning roses. Jackson & Perkins has won more All-America Rose Selection awards than any other US company. In addition to the AARS awards, Jackson & Perkins has won numerous other awards, including the coveted Golden Rose of The Hague and the Royal National Rose Society’s President’s International trophy, among others.
From seed to market a new garden rose can take 8 to 10 years to develop. Every year, thousands of seedlings are grown but only a handful are selected to move into the trial phase. During this time, potential new roses are grown and evaluated in different climatic regions of the country. Our rosarians are looking for rose bushes that have stronger disease resistance, vigorous growth habits, and clean healthy foliage. When it comes to blooms, they are looking for improved flower form, unique colors, and strong fragrance.
Today Jackson & Perkins offers over 200 varieties of roses that includes a broad selection of exclusive roses, historical favorites, and innovative genetics from hybridizers around the world. We have two seasons each year for roses. In the spring, we offer bare root rose bushes, bare root 36” trees, 24” patio trees, and container grown roses. Our fall season is all bush roses, and they are available in 2QT and 1GL containers.
Whether you are new to roses or are an experienced rosarian, our online store has rose varieties for you. Our website is packed with information. You will find each rose fully described and lots of articles and videos that will help answer all your questions. Our call center staff have decades of experience and are just a phone call away.
Jackson & Perkins is here to help you in every way on your rose-growing journey. There is no other plant in the garden that comes in more colors, fragrances, shapes, or forms, or performs as many functions than roses do.
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