TEQUILA® II – orange landscape shrub rose - Meilland
Bring a touch of warm post-rain balance to a small London front garden with TEQUILA® II, a compact, bushy landscape shrub rose that thrives even where wind-blown showers and heavy soils demand reliable resilience. Its dense, mid‑green foliage and self-cleaning clusters of warm orange blooms create long-season impact from early summer well into autumn, with little more than basic pruning and feeding. As an own-root eleanorROSE® ORIGINAL in a 2‑litre pot, it quietly builds longevity below ground before rewarding you above: roots in year one, strong shoots in year two and full ornamental presence by year three. The measured 100–140 cm height and 50–70 cm spread make it ideal for repeat-flowering front-garden structure, mixed borders or low hedging, while its award-winning performance in sustainable rose trials speaks for its long-term reliability. TEQUILA® II suits rainwater-conscious, low-maintenance gardens where colour needs to work hard in a modest space, giving you generous flowering on a sturdy, regenerating framework without complicated care.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front garden focal shrub (terraced house) |
The compact, bushy habit and 100–140 cm height provide instant structure and kerb appeal without overwhelming a narrow front bed, while self-cleaning blooms keep the entrance neat for busy urban garden owners |
| Low-maintenance flowering hedge |
Planted at 35–40 cm intervals, TEQUILA® II knits into a dense, thorny, flowering line that needs only light annual trimming, giving season-long colour and privacy with far less upkeep than clipped evergreen hedges for homeowners |
| Mixed border with perennials (e.g. lavender, nepeta) |
The warm orange flowers contrast beautifully with cool blues and silvers, while its steady repeat-flowering anchors the display as surrounding perennials come and go, simplifying planting plans for hobby gardeners |
| Water-wise urban planting strip |
Its good heat and moderate drought tolerance, together with strong disease resistance, suit exposed, rain-fed front strips where irrigation is minimal and splashback from paths is frequent, ideal for sustainability-focused gardeners |
| Rainwater-managed clay or chalky beds |
Once established on its own roots, the bushy structure and robust health cope well with the demands of free-draining chalk or improved heavy clay, helping you harness rain rather than fight it in city front-garden projects |
| Feature shrub in large container (40–50 L+) |
Grown in a generous, well-drained, peat-free container, it offers a long-lived, moveable accent of colour for paved front gardens and balconies, with simple annual pruning and feeding suiting beginners |
| Long-term, low-input family garden rose |
As an own-root plant, TEQUILA® II rebuilds from its base after hard winters or pruning mistakes, maintaining shape and flowering over many years with straightforward seasonal care for families |
| Small-scale landscape-style bed |
Using recommended densities, groups of plants create a carpet of warm orange and mid‑green foliage that suppresses bare soil and reduces weeding, mimicking professional schemes for design-conscious novices |
Styling ideas
- Sunset frontage – Mass TEQUILA® II in a narrow front bed with soft blue nepeta and grey gravel mulch for a sunset palette that looks tidy from pavement and window – ideal for time-poor city homeowners
- Courtyard accent – Grow a single shrub in a 50 L terracotta pot, underplant with trailing thyme and allysum for scent and softness – perfect for balcony and small-patio gardeners
- Soft hedge – Line a path with closely spaced shrubs, interplanting with low lavender to blur the edges and provide gentle scent – suited to families wanting safe, welcoming access routes
- Modern meadow – Combine with airy grasses and drought-tolerant perennials like euphorbia and verbena for a loose, contemporary, water-wise strip – for sustainability-minded urban planters
- Warm border – Anchor a mixed border with TEQUILA® II, weaving in peach, apricot and cream perennials for a harmonious, long-season scheme – attractive to colour-loving beginner gardeners
Technical cultivar profile
| Feature |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Modern shrub (landscape) rose from the MEILLANDECOR® collection; registered as MEIpomolo, marketed as TEQUILA® II MEILLANDECOR® MEIpomolo; ARS exhibition name ‘Téquila’. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Alain Meilland (Meilland International, France) from ‘Golden Holstein’ × ‘Bonica’; bred before 2002, registered 2002, introduced 2004 as a durable landscape and garden shrub. |
| Awards and recognition |
Highly decorated landscape rose: Rose d’Or Geneva 2003, Médaille d’Or Courtrai 2004, Plus belle rose de France Lyon 2004, Rose d’Or Orléans 2005, multiple Certificates of Merit and ARTS sustainability winner. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy, upright shrub reaching approximately 100–140 cm high and 50–70 cm wide; dense, slightly glossy mid‑green foliage (RHS 137A), moderately thorny stems and good self-cleaning of spent blooms. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, double, cupped clusters with 26–39 petals, bloom size roughly 7–10 cm; strongly remontant with generous repeat flushes, especially when lightly deadheaded and fed in sunny positions. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Warm medium-bright orange (RHS 24A–24B) with a peachy hue and golden-yellow glow; dark orange-copper buds open to salmon-yellow centres, fading to softer peach and light yellow tones over time. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Subtle, delicately rose-scented fragrance of very weak intensity; scent is usually only noticeable at close quarters, making the cultivar suitable for entrances where overpowering perfume is not desired. |
| Hip characteristics |
Occasional spherical orange-red hips, around 8–12 mm in diameter, form after flowering; decorative value is modest and usually secondary to the plant’s prolonged seasonal display of flowers. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Demonstrates strong resistance to black spot, powdery mildew and rust; copes well with heat and moderate drought; hardy to about −26 to −23 °C (RHS H7, USDA 5b, Swedish zone 4) for reliable overwintering. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with reasonable drainage; plant 35–65 cm apart depending on hedge or specimen use; suitable for beds, borders, urban green spaces and large containers using a peat-free, moisture-retentive mix. |
TEQUILA® II MEILLANDECOR® offers award-backed reliability, self-cleaning colour and a compact, long-lived own-root shrub form that suits today’s low-input, rainwater-conscious family gardens, making it a thoughtful choice to consider for your next planting.
