You buy Loves Me, Loves Me Not™ Tea Rose for one reason: unbelievably full blooms. Each deep pink flower can hit about 5 inches across with a petal count in the 150–250 range. The strong lilac-and-pineapple fragrance begs for cuttings to be taken and enjoyed indoors. It grows upright and bushy, reaching up to about 5 feet tall and 2–3 feet wide, so it has presence without needing a huge bed. Compared with many high-petal hybrid teas, Loves Me, Loves Me Not™ is known for sturdier necks that keep the blooms presentable on the plant. We like it near a walkway or patio edge where you’ll catch the scent daily.
The glossy, dark green foliage stays handsome through the season. As a modern Meilland® introduction, Rosa ‘Meicatess’ was bred for garden performance, reblooming in flushes from spring into fall in the right conditions. It is a natural fit for cutting gardens, mixed borders that need a vertical accent, and large containers where you need instant drama. If you’ve been disappointed by hybrid teas that look great for two weeks and then fade, give this one a try.
Loves Me, Loves Me Not™ Tea Rose Care
Plant Loves Me, Loves Me Not™ in full sun, with 6–8 hours of direct light to keep blooms coming and foliage dry. This tea rose prefers fertile, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter and a slightly acidic pH around 6.0–6.5. Avoid low spots that hold water, since roses hate wet feet.
Water deeply once or twice a week during establishment. Afterward, adjust water based on heat and rainfall, letting the top couple inches of soil dry slightly between soakings. Feed with a rose fertilizer in early spring when growth starts, and every 4–6 weeks through mid-summer; stop feeding in late summer so new growth can harden before cold weather. In winter Loves Me, Loves Me Not™ goes dormant, dropping leaves and returning strongly as temperatures warm.
Deadhead back to a strong set of leaves to encourage repeat bloom and keep the plant tidy for cutting. Prune in late winter or early spring, removing dead or crossing canes and opening the center to improve airflow. To promote longer stems, prune slightly harder in spring, which results in fewer, stronger shoots with larger flowers.
Loves Me, Loves Me Not™ Tea Rose Spacing
Space plants about 30–36 inches apart so the branches can fill out while staying well ventilated. For containers, choose a pot roughly 20–24 inches wide with excellent drainage, since a 4–5 foot rose needs substantial soil volume to bloom well. In the landscape, pair Loves Me, Loves Me Not™ with hardy geraniums for a long season of blue-toned contrast and dianthus nearby to keep pollinators moving through the bed even between rose flushes. In containers, underplant with alyssum for a soft edge and marigolds to keep color running while the rose cycles through its blooms.
