CANDY STRIPE – pink‑white hybrid tea rose – McCummings
With its distinctive pink‑and‑cream striped blooms, CANDY STRIPE is a reliable hybrid tea rose that produces elegant, high‑centred flowers from early summer to autumn. Its remontant habit ensures continuous displays of large, double blooms that are ideal for cutting, while the strong, long‑lasting fragrance adds romantic charm around seating areas and entrances. The upright, moderately dense bush remains compact and balanced, fitting neatly into small beds, classic front gardens and mixed cottage borders. Own‑root plants settle steadily, building a durable framework that regenerates well after pruning and supports a long garden life. Once planted with reasonable moisture and feeding, it rewards you with dependable flowering and a tidy structure without complicated care; spent blooms are easily removed during occasional tidying. Its good disease resistance helps it stay fresh‑looking in typical British summers, even where the weather brings frequent showers and breezes.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front garden focal point |
The upright, compact habit and striking striped flowers create an immediate focal point by a gate, path or doorway without needing elaborate planting schemes. Reliable repeat flowering keeps the display going for visitors and passers‑by, ideal for the aesthetically minded beginner. |
| Cutting and vase use |
Large, high‑centred blooms on straight stems are classic exhibition‑style hybrid teas, opening slowly and lasting well once cut. The strong, lingering fragrance enhances indoor arrangements, giving regular bouquets from a small planting to delight the home‑focused gardener. |
| Small mixed border (cottage style) |
Its mid‑pink and cream‑white striping harmonises with perennials like lady’s mantle and low daylilies, bringing structure and height to a cottage‑style mix. Consistent repeat flowering between perennials keeps borders lively for the style‑conscious owner. |
| Compact rose bed in family gardens |
Moderate height and spread make spacing straightforward, while own‑root vigour builds a stable bush that responds well to different pruning approaches. Over roughly three seasons it progresses from root establishment to full ornamental impact, reassuring the time‑pressed householder. |
| Low‑maintenance classic rose display |
Good resistance to black spot and powdery mildew helps the foliage stay healthy with only occasional checks and standard spray or organic measures as needed. Light deadheading is usually the main task, suiting those seeking a graceful rose for the busy urban resident. |
| Sunny seating area or terrace edge |
The strong scent and eye‑catching bicolour blooms are most appreciated close to where you sit, such as beside a bench or patio. Regular flowering in a sunny spot offers fragrance and colour throughout summer for the comfort‑loving garden user. |
| Feature container in large pot |
Planted in a well‑drained container of at least 40–50 litres, this upright variety forms a neat, vertical accent with showy blooms at eye level. Own‑root resilience helps it cope with repotting and seasonal moves, valuable for the space‑limited balcony owner. |
| Wildlife‑friendly ornamental corner |
Open‑centred flowers with accessible stamens are attractive to bees, while the numerous orange‑red hips give autumn interest and support wildlife value later in the year, fitting neatly into family spaces for the nature‑aware garden planner. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage Stripe Accent – Combine with lady’s mantle and Mexican daisy at the front of a mixed border for a soft, romantic look with continuous colour – ideal for cottage‑garden enthusiasts.
- Elegant Entrance Pair – Plant two specimens flanking a path or gate, underplanted with low, muted perennials, to create a tidy, repeated focal point – suited to smart front‑garden owners.
- Scented Cutting Row – Arrange a short row in a sunny bed for reliable, perfumed stems to cut through summer – perfect for home florists and bouquet lovers.
- Patio Feature Pot – Grow a single plant in a large terracotta container with good drainage to highlight its striped blooms at seating height – excellent for terrace and balcony gardeners.
- Family Corner Mix – Blend with low daylilies and informal grasses around a sitting area so children and adults can enjoy scent, colour and visiting bees – great for relaxed family gardeners.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, trade name CANDY STRIPE (McCummings); ARS exhibition name Candy Stripe; collection: hybrid tea rose; commercial type and group: hybrid tea. |
| Origin and breeding |
Sport of ‘Pink Peace’, bred by Edward McCummings in the USA, 1962; introduced and distributed by Conard‑Pyle in 1963 as a distinctive pink‑and‑white striped hybrid tea. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright bush 80–110 cm high and 60–85 cm wide, moderately thorny, with moderately dense, matte dark green foliage; forms a tidy, vertical structure suitable for beds and specimen planting. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, double, high‑centred blooms with 26–39 petals, solitary on stems; classic exhibition‑style hybrid tea form, ideal for cutting and display, with remontant, abundant repeat flowering through the season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Mid‑pink petals irregularly striped cream‑white (RHS 62B, 155C); colour lightens slightly as blooms open, striping remains clear in cooler weather, giving good overall colour retention and ornamental effect. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, long‑lasting scent of classic rose character; fragrance best in full sun with adequate moisture and feeding, making it well suited for planting near paths, seating areas and entrances. |
| Hip characteristics |
Produces numerous small spherical hips, 8–12 mm in diameter, orange‑red (RHS 037A); offer autumn and early winter decorative interest and additional wildlife value if spent flowers are not removed. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to about −21 to −18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b); good resistance to powdery mildew and black spot, moderate rust susceptibility; copes with heat if watered regularly during extended dry spells. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in sunny, well‑drained soil; moderate care with deadheading and occasional pest and disease checks; recommended spacing 40–75 cm depending on use, with 4.2–4.8 plants/m² for mass planting. |
CANDY STRIPE offers striking striped blooms, strong fragrance and reliable repeat flowering on a long‑lived own‑root plant that settles steadily into family gardens, making it a thoughtful choice if you would like classic roses without complex care.
