Julia Child Rose was named for the famous chef who loved cooking with butter. It is a hybrid floribunda shrub in the rose family (Rosaceae) bred in 2004 by Tom Carruth. and released by Weeks Wholesale Rose Grower, inc. In Australia, it was released as 'Soul Mate', and in the UK, it was released as 'Absolutely Fabulous'. Parentage is [(Voodoo x R. soulieana derivative) x Summerwine] x Top Notch The shrub grows 2-3 feet tall and wide with a compact, rounded form and can reach 5 feet tall in warmer climates. Plant in full sun in rich, fertile, well-drained soil with adequate moisture. Flowering will be at its best when a well-balanced fertilizer is applied in late winter or early spring, and again in early summer. Prune in late winter or early spring to remove old, dead or diseased canes and to shape. Sporting 26-40 ruffled petals, the fully double buttery yellow flowers bloom continuously from late spring into fall with a delicious licorice-clove scent. Deadheading will encourage additional blooms. The glossy green foliage provides a nice background for the yellow flowers. Stems have prickles. Julia Child Rose won the All-America Rose Selection in 2006. Also awarded the Best of the Best in 2010 and the Gold Star of the South Pacific in 2011. Use this shrub in a container, in the border, along walkways and in groups. Use in the pollinator, cutting or cottage gardens. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Good disease resistance. See pests of roses to the left. Deer will browse roses. More information on Rosa .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nichePhlox 'Wanda'Rosa Frida Kahlo™ 'WEKcifrabaun'Rosa Rise 'n' Shine 'MELcupag'
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Perennial; Rose; Shrub
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf value
Showy
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Very glossy green leaves
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Fragrant; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
The old-fashioned fully double-blooms, with 26-40 buttery yellow petals are 3-4 inches across. Its buds are pointed and full. Blooms nearly continuously spring through fall in small clusters.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer
Stem detail
Stems with prickles
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Australia
Wildlife value
Attracts butterflies.
Attracts
Butterflies
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Attracts Pollinators; Colorful; Easy to Grow; Fragrance; Textural