ROSE / Rosa 'Lorraine Lee'

Hybrid Tea Rose

Botanical Name: ROSE / Rosa 'Lorraine Lee'
Family: Rosaceae
Origin: Horticultural hybrid (Australia)
Plant Type: Evergreen shrub

Overview

An iconic Australian-bred rose famed for flowering through winter—perfect for Adelaide and South Australian gardens that crave colour in the cooler months. ‘Lorraine Lee’ bears clusters of warm salmon-pink blooms with a gentle tea scent on a neat, upright shrub. Tough and reliable in our Mediterranean climate, it delivers repeat flushes with minimal fuss.

Key Features

• Mature Size: 1.5-3 m H x 1-2 m W
• Growth Rate: 30-60 cm per year under good conditions
• Foliage: Glossy mid-green; new growth flushed bronze (fresh spring tint)
• Flowers: Soft salmon-pink, double, lightly fragrant; repeat-flowering with a strong winter display
  
• Seasonal Interest: Unusual winter blooms plus successive flushes spring–autumn; tidy winter framework
• Wildlife Value: Good for pollinators—nectar and pollen for bees and beneficial insects
• Tolerance: Sun-loving; Heat-Tolerant with summer mulch; Drought-Tolerant once established; Light Frost Hardy; Wind-Tolerant with protection; Coastal-Tolerant in sheltered sites; avoid waterlogging (improved soils can make it Clay-Tolerant)
• Planting Density: Shrub borders: 1 plant per metre (dense) or 1 per 1.5 m for a looser effect
• Pet Friendly: Generally non-toxic to cats and dogs; thorns present

Where It Works Best

• Sunlight: Full sun (≥6 hours) to light part shade
• Soil: Well-drained loam, sandy loam or improved clay loam
• Water Needs: Establishment: 2 deep soaks/week for 8-12 weeks. Established: deep soak every 10-14 days in summer; monthly in winter if dry.
• Maintenance: Mulch in spring; deadhead to encourage repeats; major prune in mid–late summer to set up winter flowers, then only a light tidy after winter; fertilise in early spring and after main flushes
• Lifespan: 15-25 years
• Climate Zones: Suited to temperate and Mediterranean SA gardens, including coastal areas
• Soil pH: Slightly acidic to neutral

Landscape & Design Ideas

• Winter wow near entrances, windows or patios where blooms can be enjoyed during cooler months
• Low, colourful hedge or backdrop to mixed borders with lavender, salvia and catmint
• Feature in large pots for year-round structure and extended blooming on sunny courtyards

Why You Will Love It

Few roses flower so freely through Adelaide’s winters—‘Lorraine Lee’ keeps the colour coming when most gardens are quiet. Easy-care, gently fragrant and generous with repeat blooms, it’s a dependable, feel-good shrub for borders, hedges and feature pots across South Australia.