tea rose
Noun: 1. A type of hybrid rose: A tea rose is any of several cultivated varieties of hybrid bush roses. These roses are descended from a specific Chinese rose species (Rosa × odorata) known for its fragrance reminiscent of tea leaves. Tea roses typically have large, well-formed blooms in shades of pink, yellow, or creamy white.
The term "tea rose" is used to classify and describe a specific group of garden roses known for their form, color, and historical lineage. * As a common noun: "She planted a tea rose by the garden gate." * As a proper noun in cultivar names: "The 'Lady Hillingdon' tea rose is a famous yellow variety."
- The delicate fragrance of the tea rose filled the afternoon air.
- Modern hybrid tea roses were developed by crossing hybrid perpetuals with old tea roses.
- He gave her a bouquet featuring a single, perfect tea rose.
- Historical Context: In rose classification, "tea rose" often refers specifically to the class of roses predominant in the 19th century before the development of the modern "Hybrid Tea" rose. The modern Hybrid Tea rose is a distinct class that inherited certain traits from the old tea roses.
- "Tea-scented": This descriptor is key to the origin of the name. The fragrance of the original Chinese parent rose was likened by European growers to the scent of black tea leaves.
- Hybrid Tea Rose (n.): The modern class of roses, the most popular garden rose today, characterized by one large, classic-shaped bloom per stem. It is a descendant of the tea rose.
- Rosa × odorata (n.): The Latin botanical name for the original tea-scented Chinese rose species that is the ancestor of all tea roses.
- Rosa × odorata (scientific name)
- Old tea rose (to distinguish from modern hybrid teas)
The term "tea rose" has two primary related meanings: 1. The original group of roses introduced from China in the 19th century. 2. More broadly, any rose belonging to the class directly derived from those original imports, known for their elegant, often nodding blooms and tea-like fragrance. It is important to distinguish this from the modern "Hybrid Tea" rose, which is a different, though related, classification.
- any of several hybrid bush roses derived from a tea-scented Chinese rose with pink or yellow flowers