Rose Starlet Beauty Lizzy

'Starlet Beauty Lizzy' is one of those modern roses that solves several old garden problems at once: it brings the charm of a climbing rose to smaller spaces, flowers with notable generosity, and does so in a warm yellow palette that remains bright rather than brash. Within the modern Mini-climber class it is especially valued for its flexible habit, its suitability for trellises and containers, and the unusual fact that it may also be used effectively as a low unsupported shrub or groundcover-like rose. It offers to the gardeners repeat bloom, manageable scale, and an ornamental effect that suits both intimate urban gardens and more expansive landscape planting.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

'Starlet Beauty Lizzy' is not a full-sized pillar or large-climbing rose in the traditional sense; rather, it belongs to the comparatively recent Starlet or Starlet Beauty group developed by Rosen Tantau to occupy the space between compact Shrub roses and the larger, more demanding repeat-flowering climbers. Rosen Tantau describes the whole Starlet group as Miniature climbers reaching roughly 1.5 to 2 m, densely furnished, repeatedly flowering, and especially suitable for tubs, terraces, smaller supports, and privacy planting at human scale.

What distinguishes 'Lizzy' within that class is the combination of a warm, summery yellow flower, red-marked buds, and a habit that is both bushy and pliant. The growth character is dense and the plant forms a profuse summer display, the stems are flexible and have slightly drooping or cascading shape when the rose is not rigidly trained. That habit enables gardeners to form it in some climates as a Mini climber, or also as a landscape rose or even a groundcover shrub as it forms low, mounded plants.

Many gardeners want the romantic Climbing rose but do not have the wall height, pruning confidence, or winter mildness that traditional climbers demand. 'Starlet Beauty Lizzy' answers that need elegantly: it remains small enough for a modest obelisk, fan, fence panel, or large pot, yet it also produces enough bloom and enough fresh shoots to read as a true decorative climber. The yellow coloration broadens its usefulness further. In supported culture it lights a trellis with a soft but vivid tone; in freer culture it makes a warm, luminous shrub that sits well among silver foliage, blue perennials, and dark evergreens. For collectors, it is also one of the key yellow varieties in the Starlet Beauty collection.

FLOWERING

'Starlet Beauty Lizzy' is a repeat-flowering rose, with flushes continuing through the season and this usually means a first main flush in late spring or early summer, followed by repeated flushes through summer and into autumn as this rose was bred to maintain a prolonged ornamental display. The strength of the flowering appears to be one of the cultivar’s principal virtues. Its flowers appear all summer in intoxicating profusion, and its great abundance of flowers makes it suitable for creating a flowering screen. The rose seems to build its display by producing many flowering laterals and by carrying the blooms in clusters, so that the effect is brighter and more continuous than the modest size of the individual blooms might suggest.

Flower bud:

The flower buds have a broadly ovate shape with pointed tip, the receptacle is pitcher shaped, medium green and has smooth surface; the peduncle is rather long, stiff and rather strong, medium green with slight reddish tint and has slightly hairy and prickly surface. The sepals have lanceolate shape, they tightly wrap the petals before opening, have medium green colour; there are 3 lightly appendaged sepals and 2 unappendaged sepals with grayish hairy edges. When the bud starts to open, red highlights or red marks on the orange yellow petals are visible, sometimes with a pink or reddish smudge on the outer surfaces. The bud begins warmer and more tinted than the fully open flower, giving the plant a lively two-stage effect: colored points at the cluster tips, followed by fully expanded yellow flowers. During the opening the bud has “Tea rose” appearances, very similar to the high-centered shape of the Hybrid Teas. Because the flowers are borne in clusters, the red-marked buds often remain visible alongside just opened yellow blooms, adding depth and movement to the display.

Bloom:

The individual flowers of the rose 'Starlet Rose Lizzy' are medium-sized, usually about 4 to 6 cm (1.5 to 2.4 inches) in diameter, though under good growing conditions and in temperate climates they can be larger to around 7 cm (2.8 inches). This range is perfectly intelligible for a Mini climber: the flowers are not oversized, but they are large enough to be seen clearly at close and middle distance, especially because they are gathered in clusters and are double. The flowers appear in small clusters of about 5 to 7 flowers per cluster; sometimes the blooms may occur singly, but mostly they are produced in clusters, on reasonably strong peduncles.

In form, the blooms are double, lush, and long-lasting. When the buds just start to open they resemble the high-centered form of the Hybrid Teas, but the form of the flowers quickly changes to cupped and then opens more broadly into a very double, somewhat flattened form. The visual effect is of a modern decorative flower, cleanly formed and cheerful.

The color is bright, warm yellow, or sunny yellow or even golden yellow; The colour is not monochrome, but very complicated and transitions throughout the life of the flowers through different shades and tone, appearing at different stages, becoming orange-yellow or yellow with amber undertones as the flower matures. This variability is consistent with a bloom whose red-flushed buds open to warm yellow and then may deepen toward golden or apricot-yellow in heat or with age. The French market name ‘Xcellence de Frontignan’ explicitly associates the flower with the yellow-to-amber coloration of Muscat de Frontignan wine, and is described as a progression from pale yellow toward more orange and amber tones at maturity. The flowers appear warm yellow first, and seldom as cold lemon, and its tonal development is part of its charm.

Petals:

The flowers of this rose normally have about 30 to 35 petals, enough to give the flower a fully double character without the heavy, congested architecture of some old-fashioned modern roses. The petals appear to be sufficiently numerous to conceal the reproductive center in most fully open flowers, and the blooms are repeatedly described as long-lasting, which implies the petals have a rather firm and thick substance. As in many modern roses, petal count may vary somewhat with season and culture, but rose 'Lizzy' firmly placed in the medium to very double range. The petals maintain a reasonably stable color in the garden, though the flower as a whole may warm from bright yellow toward richer golden or amber-inflected tones as it matures.

Fragrance:

The fragrance is present in flowers of 'Starlet Beauty Lizzy', but it is not the principal selling point of the rose; it is light, delicate and faintly spicy. Gardeners seeking a strongly perfumed yellow climber should not choose it for scent alone.

PLANT

As a plant, 'Starlet Beauty Lizzy' sits in an interesting intermediate position between compact climber, free-standing shrub, and unsupported landscape rose. It belongs to the Modern shrub rose class and is most consistently classified by the breeder and by the RHS as a Climbing rose of the Mini-climber subclass. It has a Mini climber growth character; the mature and well-established plants of this rose commonly reach the height of about 150 to 200 cm (about 5 to 6.5 ft), with a width around 50 to 100 cm (1.7 to 3.3 ft) depending on pruning, support, and the degree to which the shoots are spread or allowed to arch. In unsupported or landscape-style planting, it is often staying nearer 80 to 100 cm high (2.6 to 3.3 ft) with a broader, softer spread. Both habits are credible, and such dimensions are largely a question of training. Tie long basal shoots to a trellis, wire frame, pillar, or fan and the rose behaves as a small climber; let those shoots arc and lace over one another and the plant becomes a low, broad, flower-rich mound.

That dual nature gives the cultivar unusual ornamental breadth. It is suitable for trellises, arches of modest scale, rose pillars, fence panels, and large pots or tubs, but it is also recommended for hedges, border backs, embankments, mass planting, and even rocky or dryish landscapes once established. The rose’s best use in small gardens may well be as a carefully trained fan against a wall or screen, where the flowering laterals can be shown off to best effect. In more informal planting, it can be allowed to tumble forward, softening retaining walls, bed edges, or slopes. Its groundcover potential should not be dismissed as a marketing flourish; it is a genuine design clue to the architecture of the plant.

For culture, the plant should be given the same thoughtful siting as any repeat-flowering climber: good light, moving air, and soil that is fertile but free-draining. The new canes should be trained outward and as near to horizontal as possible in order to stimulate flowering laterals. Young plants should initially be pruned sparingly, with the main effort directed toward arranging the framework rather than cutting it back hard. Once the support is filled, routine maintenance consists of removing dead or weak wood, tying in young replacement shoots, and shortening flowered side growth to encourage the next flush. On a rose such as 'Lizzy', which depends heavily on clustered lateral flowering, that training makes a very visible difference to performance.

Foliage:

The foliage is medium sized, glossy and healthy, with color ranging from bright or medium to dark green, sufficiently attractive to serve as an effective foil for the yellow flowers. Such minor variation is unsurprising, since leaf tone depends on light, nutrition, and the maturity of the flush. On this cultivar the leaves are not merely background; the contrast between glossy green foliage and warm yellow clustered bloom is one of the main reasons the plant reads so cleanly at a distance. There is an abundant quantity of the foliage on the plants of this rose variety.

Leaflets:

The average medium sized leaf in the middle of the flowering stem typically varies from 5 to 7 leaflets, including the terminal leaflet. The leaflets are medium to small sized, have oval shape with pointed base and tip; the edges of the leaflets are serrated, the type of serration is single and medium to large. The leaflet texture appears firm enough to resist weathering well, and the glossy surface contributes to the impression of good health that many observers have recorded.

Wood:

The plants of this rose have vigorous or luxuriant growth, the plant produces many basal shoots, and they are flexible, somewhat arching or drooping in structure. In the Starlet group as a whole, Rosen Tantau stresses abundant basal shoots, and that group character is highly relevant here. Rose 'Starlet Beauty Lizzy' can be trained upright, but its natural line is softer, which is why it lends itself so well to fan training, cascading from containers, or broad, unsupported use as a landscape rose. Well-grown plants should readily furnish themselves, and their density is one reason the cultivar is useful for screening and low privacy plantings.

Prickles:

There is a normal quantity of the prickles observed on the main canes and on the laterals from the main canes of the rose variety under normal growing conditions. The pruckles are rather large in size, have broad based shape slightly hooked downward; the young prickles have medium green with purplish shade colour and later mature to purplish gray.Normal precautions should still be observed when tying in young shoots, especially because their flexibility encourages hands-on manipulation along supports.

Small prickles:

On the main canes and on the laterals from the main canes of the rose variety 'Lizzy' the small pickles are not observed.

Disease resistance and stress tolerance:

Disease resistance is one of the stronger qualities of the rose. Rose variety 'Lizzy' is rated as resistant to black spot and very resistant to powdery mildew, and the resistance to rust and botrytis is good. The foliage of this rose is very healthy, and generally rain resistance is rates as good to very good; and widely this rose is regarded as a low-maintenance, disease-resistant rose for mass planting. That does not make it immune, and no cultivar should be treated as such; the 'Starlet Beauty Lizzy' is a comparatively healthy modern garden rose, especially against powdery mildew, with above-average field reliability for its class; however its good innate health should be supported by sound agriculture and not used as a reason to neglect it.

In terms of winter hardiness, this rose is recommended for growing in climates similar to around USDA Zone 6 to 9, which aligns with the general experience of many modern repeat-flowering climbers: acceptable in temperate climates, but requiring winter protection in colder continental winters. In colder Zone 6 gardens and especially into Zone 5 exposures, winter protection of the bud union and canes is prudent. For climbers it is recommended either wrapping tied canes or removing and laying them down in very cold districts, since much of the rose’s flowering depends on preserving framework wood. In hot climates, the repeat-flowering habit suggests good summer performance, but yellow blooms generally keep better colour and substance when the plant is reasonably well watered and not allowed to bake in reflected heat.

The breeder code 'RT 10-553' appears to be a trial or breeding number used during evaluation.

'Lizzy' is the short commercial name recognized by the RHS, and 'Starlet Rose Lizzy' or 'Starlet Beauty Lizzy' are expanded sales names used to connect the rose to the Starlet Beauty Mini-climber collection.

The French synonym ‘Xcellence de Frontignan’ is more than a simple translation: local Frontignan sources explain that it was chosen in reference to the famous Muscat vineyards of Frontignan, edited or branded in 2015 through Franck Reuter and Edirose, and officially presented to the public in 2016 during the Muscat festival, whose golden wine colors echo the flower’s yellow-to-amber tonal range. In French promotion, the name therefore functions as a territorial and cultural branding choice, linking the rose to place, wine, and regional identity.

'Starlet Beauty Lizzy' has an unusually strong award record for a compact modern climber. It was awarded with the Silver Medal at Baden-Baden in 2015, the Gold Medal at Monaco in 2016, and the TASPO Award in 2016.

The Orléans International Rose Competition also recorded RT 10 553 / ‘Lizzy', breeder Tantau, as the Silver Medal winner in the shrub category in 2016.

The breeder’s catalog also states that the Starlet mini-climber concept as a class won the TASPO distinction as “New Breed of the Year 2016”, so that accolade is best interpreted as applying to the Starlet/Starlet Beauty rose programme overall, even though it is often repeated in individual cultivar listings for 'Lizzy'.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘TAN10553’ / 'Lizzy' originated by Christian Evers in the nursery of Rosen Tantau and was introduced in Germany in 2015. The exact parentage of this rose was not disclosed to this date, and originated from the Tantau breeding programme as this rose belongs conceptually to the Starlet Beauty collection.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The horticultural background of ‘TAN10553’ / 'Starlet Beauty Lizzy' is the modern search for repeat-flowering climbers that are both manageable and broadly useful in domestic gardens. Traditional climbers often ask for space, patience, and substantial structures; patio roses, by contrast, may flower freely but rarely create the vertical romance gardeners seek. Rosen Tantau’s Starlet or Starlet Beauty Mini-climber series was conceived to occupy this middle ground. The breeder describes these roses as the “little sisters” of larger Climbers and old Ramblers, but with denser growth, medium-sized very double flowers, and a scale better suited to terraces, balconies, compact screens, and smaller garden architecture. Within that background, 'Lizzy' represents the warm yellow register of the line. It stands among sister cultivars that explore other colors and forms - pink in 'Eva', cherry-magenta in 'Lola', blue-violet tones in 'Melina', lemon-yellow in 'Elida', and yellow-orange in 'Carmen'. The significance of 'Lizzy' is that it offers a notably sunny, attractive yellow while preserving the basic Starlet virtues of compact climber scale, repeated flowering, and decorative leaf health.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

‘TAN10553’ / 'Starlet Beauty Lizzy' is a modern, compact climbing rose of clear practical value and considerable decorative charm. It combines the clustered generosity and manageable height of the Starlet Beauty group with a warm yellow flower color enlivened by red-tinted buds, a lightly spicy scent, and foliage that is widely praised for its health and gloss. For gardeners in temperate climates who want a yellow rose with repeat bloom, modern health, and strong design flexibility, it remains one of the more interesting introductions of its class as it incorporated the following unique combination of characteristics:

  warm yellow to golden-yellow double flowers, set off by buds marked with red on the reverse of the buds;

  Mini-climber growth habit when trained, yet with sufficient flexibility to serve also as a low landscape or groundcover-type rose;

  good repeat flowering in clusters through the growing season;

  glossy foliage with notably good resistance to mildew and generally strong overall leaf health;

  a light fragrance, often described as delicate or faintly spicy. The rose cultivar 'Starlet Beauty Lizzy' should be propagated vegetatively to preserve the clone, most appropriately by commercial budding or T-budding onto rootstock, or by rooted cuttings for own-root production.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS

Precise seed and pollen parent documentation for this cultivar was not disclosed, therefore, a formal parent-by-parent comparison cannot be made reliably.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

Among roses still broadly in commerce, the closest comparison is probably 'Starlet Beauty Elida', another yellow mini climber from Rosen Tantau. The two share the same basic class, the same general height of 150 to 200 cm, light fragrance, repeat bloom, and medium flower size in the 4 to 6 cm range. The difference lies in colour temperature and garden effect. 'Elida' is presented as a fresher, more lemon-yellow flower in abundant clusters, whereas 'Lizzy' is distinctly warmer and more summery, with red-marked buds and a bloom that can deepen toward gold or soft amber. 'Elida' reads as cleaner and brighter; 'Lizzy' is richer and more nuanced. In use, both are appropriate for trellises and containers, but 'Lizzy' has the more suitable habit to be used as a Groundcover or Landscape shrub when left unsupported, which may make it the better choice for gardeners wanting one rose to bridge vertical and spreading roles.

USDA 6

USDA Zone 6 - hardiness guide