Grandiflora
Queen Elizabeth
Pink · repeat-blooming · Zones 5-9
Grandiflora Rose
Cherry Parfait
White edged red.
The Cherry Parfait is a red/white grandiflora rose valued for its reliable repeat flowering and clean, dependable habit. Below you'll find a full profile of Cherry Parfait — its characteristics, how to grow it, where to use it in the garden, and answers to the questions gardeners ask most.
About Cherry Parfait
Cherry Parfait belongs to the grandiflora roses, a class defined by shapely, high-centered blooms in small clusters. Its height and clustered, hybrid-tea-style blooms make the grandiflora a natural choice for the back of a border or a flowering screen.
In flower, Cherry Parfait is red/white and fills the plant with bloom in wave after wave, carrying a light, pleasant fragrance. It is hardy across USDA zones 5-9, so it suits a wide range of gardens with the right seasonal care.
Characteristics and form
Cherry Parfait makes tall, upright, vigorous bush, typically around 4 to 6 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. The blooms are shapely, high-centered blooms in small clusters, large in size, set against semi-glossy green foliage. Knowing a rose's habit and mature size is the key to placing it well: give Cherry Parfait room to reach its full spread without crowding its neighbors, which also keeps air moving through the plant and disease at bay.
How to grow Cherry Parfait
Plant Cherry Parfait where it will get at least six hours of direct sun a day in fertile, well-drained soil with good air movement around it. In cold climates, set the graft union — the swollen knob where the variety joins the rootstock — at or just below the soil line; in mild climates, keep it at soil level. Once planted, water deeply and less often to encourage deep, drought-resistant roots.
- Light: Full sun, six hours or more; morning sun is best because it dries dew early and limits disease.
- Soil: Rich and well-drained, slightly acidic at about pH 6.0–6.5. Improve heavy or sandy soil with plenty of compost before planting.
- Water: Deep, infrequent soakings at the base rather than frequent light sprinkling; more in heat, sandy soil, or containers.
- Feeding: A balanced rose fertilizer in early spring, repeated after the first flush to fuel the next.
- Pruning: Prune it in late winter to an open, outward-facing framework, then deadhead through the season.
Bloom habit: Repeat (recurrent). Cherry Parfait blooms in repeated flushes from late spring until the first frost. Deadhead spent flowers to bring on the next wave.
Where to use Cherry Parfait in the garden
Cherry Parfait suits the back of borders, flowering screens, and cutting. Set it at the back of a bed where its height is an asset, fronted by shorter roses or perennials. For more ideas, see our guide to companion plants for roses.
Common problems and care
Treat it much like a hybrid tea, watching for black spot in humid climates. Watch for the usual rose troubles — black spot, powdery mildew, and aphids — and head them off with good air flow, base watering, and a tidy autumn clean-up. See our full guide to rose diseases and pests for identification and treatment.
Cherry Parfait — frequently asked questions
How big does Cherry Parfait get?
Cherry Parfait typically grows about 4 to 6 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, forming a tall, upright, vigorous bush. Its final size depends on your climate and how you prune it.
Is Cherry Parfait fragrant?
Cherry Parfait has a light, pleasant fragrance; it is grown more for its red/white color and habit than for perfume.
Does Cherry Parfait bloom more than once a season?
Yes. Cherry Parfait is a repeat-blooming rose that blooms in repeated flushes from late spring until the first frost, especially if it is deadheaded and fed through the summer.
What hardiness zones does Cherry Parfait grow in?
Cherry Parfait is hardy in USDA zones 5-9. That range describes the winter cold it can survive; gardeners colder than zone 5 should give it winter protection or grow it in a movable container.
Is Cherry Parfait easy to grow?
Treat it much like a hybrid tea, watching for black spot in humid climates. Give Cherry Parfait full sun, well-drained soil, and the ordinary seasonal care any rose appreciates, and it is a straightforward rose to grow.
How and when should I prune Cherry Parfait?
Prune Cherry Parfait in late winter to an open, outward-facing framework, then deadhead through the season — see our step-by-step guide to pruning roses for the full method.