Grandiflora
Queen Elizabeth
Pink · repeat-blooming · Zones 5-9
Grandiflora Rose
Gold Medal
Deep gold blooms.
Gold Medal is a grandiflora rose in yellow that earns its place through season-long bloom and rich scent. Below you'll find a full profile of Gold Medal — its characteristics, how to grow it, where to use it in the garden, and answers to the questions gardeners ask most.
About Gold Medal
Grouped among the grandiflora roses, Gold Medal shows the hallmarks of the class: 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, Gold Medal is yellow and fills the plant with bloom in wave after wave, carrying a moderate, clearly noticeable fragrance. It is hardy across USDA zones 6-9, so it suits a wide range of gardens with the right seasonal care.
Characteristics and form
Gold Medal 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 Gold Medal 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 Gold Medal
Plant Gold Medal 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). Gold Medal blooms in repeated flushes from late spring until the first frost. Deadhead spent flowers to bring on the next wave.
Where to use Gold Medal in the garden
Gold Medal 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.
Gold Medal — frequently asked questions
How big does Gold Medal get?
Gold Medal 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 Gold Medal fragrant?
Yes — Gold Medal has a moderate, clearly noticeable fragrance, and scent is one of the reasons to grow it.
Does Gold Medal bloom more than once a season?
Yes. Gold Medal 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 Gold Medal grow in?
Gold Medal is hardy in USDA zones 6-9. That range describes the winter cold it can survive; gardeners colder than zone 6 should give it winter protection or grow it in a movable container.
Is Gold Medal easy to grow?
Treat it much like a hybrid tea, watching for black spot in humid climates. Give Gold Medal 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 Gold Medal?
Prune Gold Medal 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.