GRAND MOGUL – cream-white tea-hybrid rose – Delbard-Chabert
With its upright, elegant habit and classic, high-centred blooms, GRAND MOGUL brings a sense of grandeur to smaller British gardens without demanding complex care. The warm cream-white flowers, flushed softly with buttery yellow, repeat generously through the season for dependable flowering in beds, borders and cutting areas. Medium maintenance needs and reliable health make it a reassuringly practical choice if you would like a refined hybrid tea look but prefer simple, routine tasks. As an own-root shrub it matures steadily, offering long-term stability and graceful renewal of stems over the years, ideal where winds and heavy soils call for good anchoring and a robust root system. Well-scented blooms provide classic rose fragrance for cutting, while its glossy mid-green foliage supports clear, formal structure in both traditional and contemporary front gardens. Given reasonable moisture and feeding, you can look forward to a natural rhythm of roots in the first year, vigorous shoots in the second and full ornamental impact from around the third year onwards.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front garden focal shrub |
The upright, tidy habit and high-centred, exhibition-type blooms make GRAND MOGUL a strong visual anchor near the front door or along a path, offering structure without overpowering a small space and rewarding aesthetics-focused beginners |
| Small rose bed of 3–5 plants |
Planted in a group at the recommended spacing, this variety forms a balanced, medium-height bed, with repeat flushes of cream-white flowers giving reliable seasonal colour and straightforward deadheading routines for busy family gardeners |
| Mixed cottage-style border |
The soft ivory and buttery-yellow tones blend easily with perennials such as lady’s mantle and dwarf coral bells, adding refined blooms and fragrance without overshadowing companions, suiting informal cottage-garden owners |
| Cutting corner or cutting row |
High-centred, pointed buds on straight stems make GRAND MOGUL well suited to cutting for the house, providing a steady supply of classic, medium-sized blooms with a traditional rose scent for home flower arrangers |
| Near-terrace seating area |
The medium-strength fragrance and repeat-blooming character mean that positioning a plant close to a patio or bench gives months of scented enjoyment with modest upkeep, appealing to relaxation-focused homeowners |
| Own-root long-term feature |
As an own-root rose it gradually builds a resilient, well-balanced framework that can regenerate from the base after pruning or weather damage, supporting long-lived, stable displays appreciated by long-term planners |
| Sunny, well-prepared clay border |
In heavier UK soils with improved drainage, its moderate vigour and root-building capacity allow it to settle securely and cope with wet and wind, given reasonable watering in long dry spells, reassuring cautious beginners |
| Formal pair by path or gateway |
Planting a matching pair creates a symmetrical, welcoming entrance; the upright habit and glossy foliage hold their shape well, with predictable height and width that remain manageable for low-maintenance front-garden owners |
Styling ideas
- Classic front-step duo – flank a path or doorstep with two GRAND MOGUL shrubs underplanted with Alchemilla mollis for a soft froth of lime green – for homeowners who enjoy calm, traditional entrances
- Cottage mix ribbon – weave single plants into a border of foxgloves, dwarf Heuchera and Gypsophila repens ‘Knuddel’ for airy, romantic texture – for fans of relaxed cottage-style planting
- Cutting strip – align several bushes in a sunny side bed with easy annuals such as cosmos for a steady supply of cut blooms – for those who like bringing garden flowers indoors
- Formal pocket bed – create a small rectangular bed of three to five bushes edged with low box or dwarf lavender – for gardeners seeking clear structure in compact spaces
- Patio-view feature – position a single shrub where it can be seen from kitchen or seating windows, paired with soft grasses for movement – for busy urban gardeners wanting impact from indoors
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
GRAND MOGUL hybrid tea rose, exhibition tea hybrid; current trade and ARS exhibition name GRAND MOGUL, from the Hybrid Tea group and commercial type hybrid tea rose. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by André Delbard-Chabert in France from ‘Sultane’ × ‘Chic Parisien’, introduced by Delbard / Georges Delbard SA in 1965 and registered in the same year. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright, medium-tall bush 100–140 cm high and 65–95 cm wide, with moderately dense, glossy mid-green foliage and moderate prickliness, forming a well-defined, elegant shrub. |
| Flower morphology |
Medium-sized, double blooms with 26–39 petals, solitary, high-centred and pointed in classic cut-rose style, remontant with a generous second flush in favourable conditions. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Soft ivory and cream-white petals with buttery-yellow tones in the centre on opening, fading towards almost pure white with a slight greenish tinge at the outer edges as blooms mature. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Medium-strength, classic rose fragrance with a well-scented character suitable for cutting and close-up garden enjoyment, though primarily grown as an ornamental rather than for perfumery. |
| Hip characteristics |
Rose-hip formation is generally low due to the fully double flowers, though small spherical orange-red hips 8–12 mm across may appear occasionally late in the season. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately -21 to -18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b), with good resistance to powdery mildew and black spot, moderate rust susceptibility, and moderate heat and drought tolerance. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in sunny, well-drained beds or borders; medium maintenance with routine deadheading and occasional pest and disease checks; spacing 50–90 cm depending on hedging, mass planting or specimen use. |
GRAND MOGUL offers refined cream-white blooms for cutting, steady repeat flowering and a resilient own-root structure that matures gracefully over time, making it a thoughtful choice if you value dependable, long-lived roses.
