Opening Night™ Potted Rose Bush

About Opening Night™ Potted Rose Bush

Rosa ‘JAColber’ — Opening Night™
🧬 Breeder: Keith W. Zary
🌹 Introduced by: Jackson & Perkins®
🌹 A dazzling Hybrid Tea rose with brilliant true-red blooms, classic exhibition form, and award-winning performance.

Opening Night™ is a spectacular Hybrid Tea rose that has earned its place among the finest modern red roses. Bred by Keith W. Zary and introduced by Jackson & Perkins®, this variety features large, velvety true-red blooms that glow with remarkable brightness while maintaining their rich color throughout the season. Elegant, pointed buds slowly unfurl into perfectly formed, high-centered flowers, making every bloom worthy of center stage.

Introduced in 1998, Opening Night™ quickly made history as the first true red Hybrid Tea rose in 14 years to receive the prestigious All-America Rose Selections (AARS) award. Its combination of exceptional bloom quality, reliable repeat flowering, and outstanding garden performance has made it a favorite among both rose exhibitors and home gardeners.

💐 Plant & Flower Traits

🌹 Rose Type: Hybrid Tea
🎨 Color: Brilliant, true deep red
🌸 Bloom Form: Large, fully double, high-centered exhibition blooms
🌼 Petal Count: Approximately 25–30 petals
📏 Bloom Size: Approximately 5 inches
🌼 Fragrance: Light, sweet fragrance
🔁 Flowering Habit: Repeat blooming from late spring through fall
🌿 Foliage: Glossy, deep green foliage that beautifully complements the vivid blooms
✂️ Cut Flower Use: Exceptional — long, sturdy stems make outstanding cut flowers

🏡 Growth & Garden Habits

🌱 Growth Habit: Medium-tall, upright shrub with a slightly spreading habit
↕️ Height: Approximately 4–5 ft
↔️ Width: Approximately 3–4 ft
☀️ Light Requirements: Full sun
❄️ Hardiness: USDA Zones 5–10
🌿 Garden Use: Cutting gardens, formal rose beds, specimen plantings, and classic landscape borders

💛 Why Grace Rose Farm Loves It

Opening Night™ is everything a classic red Hybrid Tea should be—bold, elegant, and unforgettable. The luminous red blooms seem to glow against the dark green foliage, while the long stems make this rose equally at home in the garden or arranged in a vase. Its award-winning heritage and timeless beauty ensure that every flush of flowers feels like the opening scene of a spectacular performance.

🌿 Growing & Care Recommendations

Planting Site: Full sun with fertile, well-drained soil
Spacing: Allow approximately 3 feet for mature growth and good air circulation
Watering: Water deeply and consistently during establishment and periods of active growth
Pruning: Prune in early spring to encourage vigorous new flowering stems and maintain its classic Hybrid Tea form
Maintenance: Moderate — a dependable, repeat-blooming rose that rewards gardeners with exhibition-quality flowers throughout the season.