GOLDEN DELICIOUS – golden-yellow tea hybrid rose - Carruth
Step outside after rain and meet the golden glow of GOLDEN DELICIOUS, a hybrid tea created for effortless balance in the small family garden. Its tall, upright habit and long, straight stems give you classic cut-rose beauty for vases, while each cupped bloom opens in rich citrus tones that slowly soften to lemon and blush. Own-root planting offers reassuring longevity, renewing from the base and keeping shape and colour dependable year after year. Ideal for sunny London front gardens where careful planting easily copes with heavy rain and challenging drainage, this medium-maintenance rose rewards simple deadheading with generous repeat flowering from summer onwards. Give it time to settle – roots in the first year, stronger shoots in the second, and full garden impact by the third.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Feature rose in a small front garden |
The tall, upright growth and large, cupped blooms create an immediate focal point beside a path or bay window, yet the single-bush footprint suits narrow, urban front gardens where space is limited but impact matters for the busy homeowner. |
| Cutting rose for home arrangements |
Long, straight stems and substantial hybrid tea flowers make this variety particularly suited to cutting; buds open slowly in the vase, shifting from deep golden yellow to softer lemon tones, stretching the display time for the home flower enthusiast. |
| Season-long colour anchor in a mixed border |
Remontant flowering brings flush after flush through the season, so one or two bushes can hold the colour scheme together around perennials and grasses, reducing the need for constant replanting for the low-input gardener. |
| Own-root specimen for long-term planting schemes |
Supplied on its own roots, this rose regrows reliably from the base if winter or pruning are severe, maintaining the original cultivar traits and supporting long-term, low-replacement planting plans for the sustainability-minded planner. |
| Urban front garden with challenging rainfall |
Once established, its robust structure and dense, glossy foliage cope well with exposed, rain-hit positions, provided you ensure good soil structure to manage heavy rain in clay and similar conditions for the city-front-garden owner. |
| Sunny border in typical UK family gardens |
This heat-tolerant hybrid tea thrives in full sun, rewarding regular watering in dry spells with healthy growth; it suits average suburban gardens aiming for dependable colour without demanding complex regimes for the time-poor beginner. |
| Structured planting with clear vertical lines |
The strong, upright habit and dark, glossy leaves create clean vertical accents amongst softer perennials; simple annual pruning keeps the outline tidy, supporting coherent design in compact spaces for the design-conscious gardener. |
| Peat-free container rose (large pots) |
In a 40–50 litre or larger container filled with quality peat-free compost, its upright growth and repeat flowering provide season-long display by the door or on a terrace, with care focused on watering and deadheading for the balcony and patio owner. |
Styling ideas
- Golden-pathway – Line a narrow front path with single specimens at generous spacing; underplant with low Nepeta or hardy geraniums to soften the stems – ideal for terrace houses wanting calm structure and scent.
- Citrus-border – Combine with lavender, sage and oregano in a sunny bed; the golden flowers shine against silvery foliage and support a Mediterranean mood – for gardeners seeking a warm, holiday feel at home.
- Vase-ready – Grow one strong plant near the back door for convenient cutting; mix its long-stemmed blooms with daisies and cranesbill for relaxed kitchen-table arrangements – perfect for home florists who cut weekly.
- Urban-feature – Plant in a large, water-retentive but free-draining container by the front step; add ornamental grasses for movement and rain-tolerant interest – suited to city dwellers without real borders.
- Sunny-hedge – Use at 60 cm spacing to form a low, upright flowering line along a drive or boundary; interplant with white oxeye daisy for a fresh, graphic contrast – for families wanting order without formality.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, registered as WEKgobafa, marketed as Golden Delicious Hybrid tea rose WEKgobafa; ARS exhibition name Good as Gold, in the hybrid tea commercial group. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Tom Carruth (USA) in 2010 from ‘Golden Beauty’ × ‘About Face’; introduced 2014 in the USA and 2018 in the UK by Weeks Roses and partners. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright hybrid tea, around 130–170 cm high and 85–115 cm wide, with dense, glossy dark green foliage and moderate prickliness; spent blooms tend to persist and benefit from deadheading. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, double, cupped hybrid tea blooms on mainly solitary stems, typically 26–39 petals and 2.75–3.95 inches across; remontant and capable of producing an abundant second flush. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Deep golden yellow with orange flush; ARS yb, RHS 14A and 18A; buds and new blooms show rich gold and orange tones, lightening to lemon yellow as they age and losing most pink or orange edging. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Medium-intensity scent clearly noticeable on warm days; fragrance character is fresh and citrusy, with a grapefruit-like note that complements the bright yellow and orange flower colours. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set is generally sparse due to its full double form; where produced, hips are ellipsoidal, about 10–14 mm in diameter, and colour to an attractive orange-red late in the season. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately −26 to −23 °C (RHS H7, USDA 5b, Swedish zone 4); heat tolerance is good with regular watering in drought, and disease resistance is moderate to major foliar diseases. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in sunny positions as specimen, border or cut-flower rose; plant around 70 cm apart in borders, 60 cm for hedging or 110 cm as a specimen, and maintain moderate pest and disease monitoring. |
GOLDEN DELICIOUS offers tall, vase-worthy golden blooms, repeat flowering and reliable upright structure on a resilient own-root plant that suits long-term, low-fuss planting schemes; consider it if you value enduring colour with measured effort.
