Roots and Routes

Rosa ‘John F. Kennedy’

• Introduced Jackson and Perkins in 1965
• Created by Eugene Boerner
• Class: Hybrid Tea
• Pure white
• Distinct licorice fragrance
• Parentage: unnamed seedling and White Queen

The John F. Kennedy rose produces very large, elegant, high-centered white blooms in the classic hybrid tea form. It delights the senses not only with its exquisite blooms; it also carries a strong fragrance that many all-white roses lack.

Developed by American breeder Eugene Boerner, the John F. Kennedy rose was introduced in 1965 as a tribute to the beloved fallen U.S. president.

John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, is remembered for his youthful optimism, eloquence, and call to public service. After his assassination in 1963, many prominent places were renamed in his honor, including New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. With its stately white blooms, the John F. Kennedy rose remains another enduring tribute to his memory.