Floribunda
Iceberg
White · repeat-blooming · Zones 5-9
Floribunda Rose
Julia Child
Licorice-scented golden yellow.
A butter yellow member of the floribunda roses group, Julia Child is grown for its long succession of blooms and its fragrance. Below you'll find a full profile of Julia Child — its characteristics, how to grow it, where to use it in the garden, and answers to the questions gardeners ask most.
About Julia Child
As one of the floribunda roses, Julia Child carries the traits gardeners look for in the group — medium blooms carried in large clusters. Where a hybrid tea gives you one perfect flower, a floribunda gives you a whole trussful, which makes it the better choice for sheer garden color.
In flower, Julia Child is butter yellow and fills the plant with bloom in wave after wave, carrying a strong, carrying fragrance. It is hardy across USDA zones 5-11, so it suits a wide range of gardens with the right seasonal care.
Characteristics and form
Julia Child makes bushy, compact, well-branched plant, typically around 2.5 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. The blooms are medium blooms carried in large clusters, medium in size, set against glossy green foliage. Knowing a rose's habit and mature size is the key to placing it well: give Julia Child 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 Julia Child
Plant Julia Child 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). Julia Child blooms in repeated flushes from late spring until the first frost. Deadhead spent flowers to bring on the next wave.
Where to use Julia Child in the garden
Julia Child suits bedding, low hedges, mass plantings, and mixed borders. Mass several plants of one variety for a block of color, edged with catmint, salvia, or lavender. For more ideas, see our guide to companion plants for roses.
Common problems and care
Floribundas are generally hardier and more disease-tolerant than hybrid teas. 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.
Julia Child — frequently asked questions
How big does Julia Child get?
Julia Child typically grows about 2.5 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, forming a bushy, compact, well-branched plant. Its final size depends on your climate and how you prune it.
Is Julia Child fragrant?
Yes — Julia Child has a strong, carrying fragrance, and scent is one of the reasons to grow it.
Does Julia Child bloom more than once a season?
Yes. Julia Child 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 Julia Child grow in?
Julia Child is hardy in USDA zones 5-11. 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 Julia Child easy to grow?
Floribundas are generally hardier and more disease-tolerant than hybrid teas. Give Julia Child 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 Julia Child?
Prune Julia Child 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.