David Austin Rose Queen of Sweden - 20cm Pot

Botanical Name: (Austiger) English Shrub Rose.

Queen of Sweden™  is an elegant English shrub rose bred by David Austin, admired for its delicate soft pink flowers, beautifully formed blooms and lovely myrrh fragrance. With its upright growth habit and refined appearance, this rose is particularly well suited to formal gardens, mixed borders and romantic cottage-style planting.

The flowers begin as small, exquisite buds with soft apricot-pink colouring, gradually opening into beautifully shaped, half-enclosed cups. As the blooms mature, they develop into wide, shallow, upward-facing cups of pure soft pink, creating a graceful and remarkably uniform display.

One of the most distinctive features of Queen of Sweden™ is its neat, upright flowering habit. Unlike some English shrub roses with arching branches, this variety produces flowers that face upwards, allowing their delicate colour and elegant form to be appreciated throughout the garden.

The medium-sized blooms carry a lovely medium-strength myrrh fragrance, adding another appealing feature to this beautiful rose. Its attractive flowers are also suitable for cutting and bringing indoors.

Queen of Sweden™ is a repeat-flowering rose, producing further flushes of flowers throughout the growing season. Its combination of soft colouring, fragrance and structured growth makes it a versatile choice for both traditional and contemporary gardens.

With its bushy yet upright form, this variety is particularly effective when planted in groups to create a soft pink flowering hedge or rose border. It also combines beautifully with flowering perennials, ornamental grasses and other roses in mixed garden beds.

Introduced by David Austin in 2004, Queen of Sweden™ was named to commemorate the Treaty of Friendship and Commerce between Sweden and Great Britain.

In Melbourne gardens, this rose performs well in a sunny position with fertile, well-drained soil. It can also tolerate partial sunlight, making it a useful choice for garden areas that do not receive full sun throughout the day.

Mature size: Approximately 1.25–1.75 metres tall and 1–1.5 metres wide, depending on growing conditions and pruning.

Care & Growing Tips
Queen of Sweden™ grows best in a sunny to partially shaded position, ideally receiving at least four to six hours of direct sunlight daily for reliable flowering. Plant in fertile, well-drained soil enriched with compost or organic matter. Although adaptable to a range of soil types, good drainage and soil preparation will encourage healthy growth and flowering.

Water regularly during establishment, then deeply during extended dry periods, particularly throughout Melbourne's warmer months. Apply organic mulch around the base to help retain moisture, regulate soil temperature and suppress weeds, keeping mulch clear of the main stems.

Feed established roses with a suitable rose fertiliser from late August, following the Rose Society of Victoria's seasonal recommendations for Melbourne. Continue feeding as directed throughout the growing season to support healthy foliage and repeat flowering. For newly planted bare-root roses, delay fertilising until late November or early December to allow the root system to establish.

Prune established plants during July in Melbourne, or August in colder, frost-prone areas. Remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then shape the shrub to maintain its naturally upright, bushy form. When growing Queen of Sweden™ as a flowering hedge, prune plants evenly to encourage dense, balanced growth. Remove spent flowers regularly during the growing season to encourage further blooms.

Maintain good airflow around the plant and remove fallen rose leaves and debris during winter to help reduce fungal problems. Monitor for common rose pests and diseases, including aphids, black spot and powdery mildew, particularly during periods of active growth.

For cut flowers, harvest blooms when the buds are beginning to open and place stems into fresh water promptly. The rose's naturally upward-facing flowers and elegant cup shape make it particularly attractive in simple floral arrangements.

Ideal for
— David Austin English rose collections
— Traditional cottage gardens
— Soft pink flowering hedges
— Formal rose borders
— Mixed flowering garden beds
— Romantic garden designs
— Cut flowers and indoor arrangements
— Fragrant rose gardens
— Planting alongside flowering perennials
— Traditional and contemporary landscapes
— Upright shrub rose displays
— Soft pink and pastel-themed gardens
— Gardeners wanting repeat-flowering roses
— Sunny to partially shaded garden positions
— Melbourne gardens with well-drained soil
— Creating elegant, structured flowering borders