I love Double Delight and Mr Lincoln :D Both are divine and I wouldn't have a garden without either :)

Tiffany. Love the large, fragrant pink blooms. Most importantly, she seems to do fine no-spray in my garden.

Cheers,
Jo

Oklahoma is my favorite modern red hybrid tea. I really like Whisky Mac for the warm color range. Both are redolent with scent.

My favorite floribunda is Old Port. Not that you asked.

Rosefolly

I don't have many HT's, but for favorite it's a 3-way tie:

Smoky
Talisman
Magenta

They are all first class in my garden.

Susan

I have several and not in order of preference.

Tahitian Sunset
Lemon Spice
Peter Mayle
Firefighter
Just Joey
Secret

Others too...but I can't think of them offhand.

Ouch, you do know how to rip the heart out of my chest, don't you? The one I have continually come back to is Careless Love, the striped sport of Red Radiance. It is serendipitous with no two flowers exactly alike. It often reverts/sports to Mrs. Charles Bell, Shell Pink Radiance, with many flowers half and half, or some with striped petals and one shell pink one, or the opposite. It has the wonderful Damask fragrance of the original and is as adaptive as Radiance, about which, J. Horace McFarland wrote, "A world rose, anywhere a man can comfortably live, Radiance will flourish."

Snowbird is a love, representing the efforts of R. Marion Hatton, the well loved Treasurer of the ARS in the early Twentieth Century. Polly, I agree completely with Jack Harkness in "Roses", "Smooth of limb and plump of bottom and full of sweet odours. She requires coddling for she is a tender thing. If it sounds as if I'm writing about an old love, I am..." Comtesse Vandal with her marvelously sophisticated colors and reflexed, starred petals. Sierra Glow, a luminous pink with a lovely fragrance on a vigorous plant. I Zingari, the last Rev. Joseph Pemberton HT around, originally a Hybrid Foetida, but absorbed into the HT class. The colors of the I Zingari (The Male Gypsy) Cricket Club uniforms and named for them in 1925. Lulu, from 1919 with her elegant, long, slender buds and interesting open shape, perfect in Depression Glass vases. She was used to great effect by Ralph Moore to create his beautiful Pink Powderpuff and Vintage Visalia. Irish Elegance for the same reasons and its graceful plant, layered and nicely architectural. It "dances" in the breeze like a well grown Iceberg does. Flame of Love because it is beautiful and because it represents a long search successfully accomplished, and it's the last Forest Hieatt rose around. Cecil, with his clear, clean yellow, long, elegant buds, beautiful sepals and brilliant, bright, deep green foliage and wood; and, and...Kim

Madame Abel Chatenay, 1894. Beautiful round bush shape, beautiful salmon pink old-style blooms with lots of petals, healthy. Here's a link to a post I did on this rose.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

Perfect Sherry! It's what I've been saying, grow what is HAPPY where you are, work with Nature, sit back and enjoy the show! Very nice! Thank you. Kim

This is not an area I've done a lot of research in (i.e., getting and growing HTs), but I can propose another Tea-like oldy but goody: 'Mme. Jules Bouche'. This is from the early years of the twentieth century, a sturdy plant of branching, twiggy growth, with dark foliage, red when young, and shapely blooms, silky, white with a touch of honey in the center, Tea-scented. MJB is a tough, healthy, beautiful variety that is apparently grown all over Italy as a pass-along plant; I got mine from cuttings begged from a neighbor, and have seen it here and there in gardens in this area. Highly recommended.
Melissa

Dainty Bess, tough as nails, hardy to the tips, disease free in our dry climate, and so delicately elegant when she blooms, which is often. The wine colored stamens really set this rose apart from other singles. I love Frederic Mistral, but hate his thrips problems. Diane

My definite favorite HTs are very old - but they are HTs:Cl Mme Caroline Testout, and Cl Crimson Glory. MCT is so old that the bloom form is globular - which is why I love her! Huge round blowsy roses - could be out of one of those old Dutch paintings...

Cl Crimson Glory is a dark, dark, red - very velvety. It is also VERY fragrant - I have to smell it every time I walk by it.

Jackie

If Yves Piaget is a hybrid tea that would be my favorite, with huge, peony-like ruffled flowers and silvery pink color as the flowers age. Other than this class of modern French roses, most modern hybrid teas (and most floribundas, Bolero and Angel Face being exceptions) are just one big yawn for me. I do have a baby La France, the first hybrid tea, and look forward to seeing it bloom with great anticipation.

I can't recall at the moment whether Julio Iglesias is a hybrid tea or a floribunda (I suspect the latter), but I love this striped rose and its wonderful fragrance.

Ingrid

I agree about Dainty Bess. I have the climbing version and she is just getting large enough to reach the top of the fence. She has some of the healthiest foliage in my yard. I also have to agree about Madame Caroline Testout, although I don't grow it. I've seen it several times at the Sac City Cemetery and I always tell myself that I SHOULD grow it.
Also, the Sac City Cemetery gave me the inspiration to grow Blue Girl. She has big lavender blooms that smell citrusy/heavenly.

But the next HT I'd like to get is also an inspiration from Sacramento: Lady Waterlow. She is older too, bred in France in 1902. At the cemetery, she gleams at the top of the rise right next to a mausoleum. To me she is very striking with large salmony pink blooms.

Annabeth

I want to plant Lady Waterlow in my garden, too. I have been looking for it after admiring it in England.

Rosefolly

I plant only Bourbons (since, BS and all, they are my faves), BUT, I inherited a Mr. Lincoln HT, though, and Ill tell you - hes Amazing, nearly 9 feet tall and throwing massive deep red blooms from tornado season through Autumn droughts. He must be ancient with HUGE 3 inch diam canes that are still going strong.

Lady Waterlow and Lady Forteviot are both stellar performers in my garden and would top my previous list of HT's, but mine are both Climbing HT's. They are both splendid.

Susan

OK like this: Abraham Lincoln, Double Delight, Gemini, Zeus, ... ok thats about it. Ooops almost forgot Oklahoma. The bush is almost as great at the musical.
Jeannie

luxrosa, great taste! I wish Lemon Spice could have come from something other than "Hell and Trouble" as it would likely have been a better plant. Otherwise, she's a very long-time favorite. If you love Lemon Spice (and who couldn't?), try David Armstrong's two others of that vintage: Sweet Afton and Touch of Venus. I fell in love with the bed of Touch of Venus at Rose Hills twenty-five plus years ago when it had the value of being an actual older rose archive. Fortunately, Muriel Humenick at Rose Acres had it (WONDERFUL rose source and cherished friend). Sweet Afton is as huge as your hand and packed with tremendous fragrance. Those enormous shell pink, translucent petals in the long, tapered bud are simply gorgeous. There aren't a ton of them, so it does open out flat. All the better to release that heavenly scent! Another miracle out of the amazing Swim cross of Charlotte Armstrong and Signora. Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: Sweet Afton

Interesting to see which "modern" roses the "Antiquies" like. Especially since most of the HTs listed here are pretty old varieties. I don't think I saw anything here that was bred in THIS century. And even though I have a pretty eclectic rose garden, with OGRs, shrubs, polys, minis, flories, and HTs I would probably pick my older varieties of HTs as well. Peace, Garden Party, Hondo, Grenada and maybe Folklore. Some are more disease prone than others but they all give me abundant, huge blooms. So what's not to like about that?

Oh, I love this thread--more, please!

rootygirl, take a look at Lal. The comment on HMF is the breeder named it that because it was his pet name for his wife. I think we can all understand, you don't name junk for your wife! LOL! It's a great old HT, vigourous, healthy (for its time) and nicely fragrant. Saturnia is a Pernetiana. Dark green foliage, quite dense for the type, large flowers in (when it's happy) bright, deep red with yellow petal bases. As with many of them, often it can be lighter shades of what it's supposed to be, but beautiful none the less.

Banner is a sport of a Charlotte Armstrong sport and has always reminded me of a large, striped camellia. The flowers are much larger than you'd expect the very thin stems to be able to support, but they do.

Kardinal (1933) is a huskier old, quite dark red HT, particularly when the weather is cooler as in very early spring or late fall and has a fair amount of scent to it. In colder times, its buds can be as black as Taboo's, showing a brighter red inside as they open. I'd always imagined a vase of these on Countess Dracula's dressing table, her eyes fixed upon them in a far away gaze, her heart pounding in her chest! LOL! It's a nice one for cutting, too. Killarney is a lovely old medium pink HT with a beautiful fragrance. It's only for arid areas with little disease pressure as it is susceptible to everything. The elegant buds and scented flowers make it worth it, if you can live with the fungi.

Lissy Horstmann had rather large, medium red flowers with a strong fragrance. She mildewed like all fragrant reds do, but when the weather was warm and dry, that went away. Will Rogers was a very dark, nearly dull red, with an intense fragrance. Even without the connection to the famous personality for whom it was named, I believe this would have survived just because of the intensely fragrant, dark flower. Of course, he mildewed, but there is that genetic link between the dark garnet, velvet petal with heavy Damask fragrance and mildew and weak peduncles. The breeder who breaks that link will live quite well for a very long time! It's just the admission price for those nearly black, Damask scented flowers. Kim

I am partial to HT's. I love to be able to go out and cut my own bouquets to give to friends and family.
Here is my list of best cutting roses in my garden.
1. Perfect Moment
2. Oregold
3. Gemini
4. Just Joey
5. Whisper
6. Nancy Reagan
7. Hot Cocoa
8. Mr. Lincoln
9. Purple Passion

10. Fame

Daun - does perfect moment stay deep colored for you in z9, or fade out? I've seen two in bloom at nurseries, and the color was much paler than the photos I've seen. Also I've been close to buying Oregold a number of times, but only saw her with buds, and wasn't sure she had stand out qualities. Sounds like you think she's worth while. What a wonderful thread. From an antique rose wannabe, it's valuable seeing the HTs you authentic rosearians think are quality roses.

I guess this is the time/place for me to once again praise my only HT, "Betty", from 1905. Warm pink blended with cream, and very Tea-like. I also love "Climbing Peace" and "Oklahoma".

Laura

Only 3 of my 30-some roses are HTs, but 2 of the 3 are keepers.

1) Mme. Jules Bouche
2) Firefighter/Hacienda

If anyone in the San Jose/Santa Clara area wants an Alec's Red... free rose! ;-)

harmony - Perfect Moment holds the amazing color once it is cut and in the vase, on the bush the bloom fades and turns a muted blush, yellow color. Awesome cut rose! I have plenty of antique roses, for cutting roses, modern HTS are my vase super stars.

Pope John Paul II - my favorite rose.
Just Joey
Julie Newmar (Armstrong)
Veteran's Honor

Dang, I want 'Oklahoma'! It's hard to find here. A great older HT that hasn't been mentioned yet is 'Cl. Etoile de Hollande'. This is one of those very deep reds with powerful Damask scent, but less double than many. A strong, healthy, easy to root rose. I currently am trying to grow one as a shrub, and so far it's working fine. I wonder if many of the climbing sports aren't more in scale with the size of the often enormous blooms than the original bushes are? Also, I'll add my word of approval for 'Climbing Mrs. Herbert Stevens'. Great fragrant white blooms, lots of Tea character: lightness and elegance. Mine is half shrub, half gazebo climber, but would look great as just a freestanding shrub. I've not been able to propagate this (from cuttings).
I agree, it's very interesting to see what old rose lovers like in Hybrid Teas. For those who don't have the Vintage catalog, it lists a lot of Hybrid Teas, and is a marvelous source of rose information.
Melissa

The only Hybrid Tea Rose we still grow is a beauty named 'Gardens Of The World.' It's a Christiansen rose, I think. J&P introduced it, and dumped it after just a few years.
It can blackspot where that's a problem, but in my climate it's almost wholly disease-free.

But recently, we ran across another "Older Modern" rose which I've heard of for years, but had never actually seen. (It took us a while to ID it!).

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Despite its rather unfortunate name, this older climber is a beauty. The blooms open to striking red stamens, that really set it apart.
Bred by Dr. Walter E. Lammerts (U.S.,1956), it was int. in the U.S. by Germain's (Germain Seed & Plant Co.)

3 days later, en route home, we stopped to walk dogs at a rest stop above Visalia. Someone has planted alternating plants of R. banksia lutea and 'Golden Showers.' If they don't cut out the water or something, the place will be smashing in a few years.

Jeri

That's a righteous looking Golden Showers, Jeri! You see it all over the south Valley here. They use it like a tall yellow Iceberg as it flowers as heavily, as continually and tolerates almost as much shade. Fifty-plus years later, it's still an impressive plant! Kim

hmmm, only really like a couple of these and they tend to be from the large tranche of singles bred in the 20s and 30s. The Maids, Dainty, Dusky and Dairy, Mrs Oakley Fisher, Fashion, Lilac Charm and my all time climbing HT, Madame Gregoire Steachelin. Am also enjoying Meg.

I'm loving this topic, too!
While I love OGRs, I really, really love HTs.

iDixierose's short list of favorites
The darkest reds -- Oklahoma, Taboo, Dark Night, Black Baccara

The most fragrant -- Rouge Royale, Double Delight, Mr. Lincoln, Crimson Glory, Chrysler Imperial

Sentimental favorites -- Cl. Peace, Snowbird, Elizabeth Taylor, Pristine, First Prize

Kim -- Can you believe we both missed that plant, on earlier visits?

Jeri

Moonstone

Luxrosa, in re: Pernetianas - did you ever see the photo of 'Golden Sastago' on the Vintage website? It calls to me and calls to me...

Laura

Yes ma'am, I can believe it! Come over this way and I can show you many of them stuck here and there to add some color where none was before. Remarkable! Kim

I only have 4 hybrid teas and I like them all. The fact I still have them is to their credit because in the modern classes I like the floribundas more than hybrid tea. Mine are: Tiffany, St. Patrick, Neptune, and Queen Mary 2.

I'm wildly in love with CLIMBING LA FRANCE (sport of La France, discovered by Peter Henderson, 1893), which is hands down the most fragrant climbing rose growing on my property. The big, buxom blossoms are the most pleasing shade of pink and gracefully nod downward, something that I appreciate in a climber. The flower form is somewhere between an Old Garden Rose and a modern Hybrid Tea; at times globular with loose quartering, and at other times more starry shaped, but always full and lavish looking. The bright, emerald green canes and foliage look great next to the porcelain pink blossoms. Thorns are present but not nearly as bad as most large flowered climbers. The repeat bloom is good for a climber. About the only problem is black spot, which IS controllable with infrequent spraying. I've also read some reports of winter dieback but that has never been a problem in my zone 6b garden. I grow her own root against the Eastern side of my house.

Image of LA FRANCE by Labrea
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Here is a link that might be useful: Climbing La France at HelpMeFind Roses

I have to name several! Each, in its moment of perfection, is a rose to make one gasp and let the eye linger upon in pleasure.

'Better Times' is probably my favorite; the coloration and form of the flower, and the way the color of the foliage complements the flower's color, makes the opening of each blossom an event. Its sport-sibling 'Briarcliff' is splendid as well. The HMF photos don't really capture the purplish-blue tone of the magenta red of 'Better Times'; the wonderful moire effect of 'Briarcliff' can be detected in some of the HMF photos, though.

'Snowbird' is wonderful in every way.

'Peach Beauty' is impressively beautiful when opening and for a day or two after (it then gets forgivably blowsy).

'Marceline' has a perfection of form and elegance of coloration which is striking. The HMF pix don't quite capture it.

'Maman Lyly' is breathtaking in form, changing coloration, and fragrance.

'Chrysler Imperial' will always be my favorite red rose.

The various Radiances, eh (shrugs), I used to be enthusiastic about them; now, not so much. I like them because they're tough, and because the various colors of the varieties complement each other beautifully (I have them all next to each other). The much-praised fragrance is rather too citrusy for me (same, to my nose, with 'La France'). For me, the best of them is the original, 'Radiance', with its attractive contrast of colors; and the color of 'Mrs. Charles J. Bell' is particularly beautiful when beside magenta and purplish-red roses (mine is near a 'Pergolese'). But, I ramble...

I enjoy ALL my roses. My favorite HT's; Louise Estes, Crystalline, Moonstone.

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Leonies Appoline shoud be more in commerce nice fragrance beautiful shades of pink mauve lilac nice form not a great disease magnet. Of Course LaFrance is my favorite for all it's faults which is just BS I have a grafted one from pickering it puts on a better show than the puny own roots that I have watched struggle for ages before they put on any heft.
Lady Mary Fitwilliams is also a beauty but it explodes very quickly.
Helen Traubel theres a beauty you never see anymore,
Just Joey is delicious cheddar dream.

I also have Leonie's Appoline and adore the beautiful color and fragrance, but it's a young plant and the flowers are often not at their best. My own-root hybrid teas which are all very early ones are puny little plants for the most part but the flowers (two) that I've had on Souvenir de President Carnot have been wonderful, and my tiny plant of La France puts out big, beautiful and intensely fragrant blooms. I'm letting only one or two flowers bloom at a time in the hope that the bush will grow faster, but it is taking its time.

Ingrid

Some of my very favorite reds, gang.

Sun-scorching aside, I love Mister Lincoln.

I have never seen a climbing Peace, so I must defer for now.
Climbing ÃÂtoile de Hollande is, however, truly fabulous.

I have mixed feelings about the color vermillion, hence I list Fragrant Cloud meekly, but you may really like it; it is a great rose.

Thanks for the information about Sweet Afton, Kim. I had it, moved it, and we were never happy after that. The low rating on had me fooled.

Larry

Papa Meilland - but not in my backyard. I sniff every Papa M that comes my way. Love the velvery crimsom colour, and the fragrance is intoxicating, but the minute I step back I'm horrified by that eyesore of a bush.

Incidentally, I never ever pick a flower. I make love to them with my nose and go my way without hurting them. I've noticed people actually STARE at the weirdo who sniffs a flower and leaves it in peace. It wouldn't look weird at all if I picked, sniffed and tossed the flower away. Oh no, that would have been perfectly normal.

It may be old hat to you in the US but I lusted for Radiance after having seen it in Sangerhausen and the Gothenburg rosarium (where it is gone now). I now have my own, imported from Rogue Valley Roses (it's not available in Europe) and it answers all my expectations. It remains to be seen if it will like my climate after its first year. Other favorite HT's are Madame Caroline Testout, Sutter's Gold, Brown Velvet and Princesse.

Pure Poetry.

And Cactus Joe, I'd love it if you'd post some photos of the your most amazing Parade. I still have dreams of your Parade photos.
: )

Queen Elizabeth for color, beauty of flower, disease resistance, and her truly majestic size. The HT that created the class GF which are really still HTs, IMHO.

I second Madame Jules Bouche - exquisite flowers and the shrub is easy to grow, vigorous and never stops blooming. Unfortunately, the flowers are spoiled by misty conditions, so I gave mine away to a griend who lives inland where it's hotter and dryer. I also love Barcelona and two early apricot-hued teas Gruss an Coburg and Mrs. Oakley Fisher.