Roses are one of the most classic garden plants that will always be popular. But the Rosa genus has more than 300 species and several thousand kinds made over the years. Where do you start? How can you choose a rose bush for your garden and landscaping when there are so many different kinds?
Each type of rose has its traits and features that make it special. Some roses have beautiful blooms that keep a garden looking nice from spring to fall, while others are easy to take care of and have rambling stems that look like canes.
Three Main Rose Categories
Old Garden Roses
Old Garden Roses have existed since 1867 and are frequently called “antique” and “historic” roses. In contrast to Modern Roses, double-flowered flowers bloom only once per season and have a very potent smell. Because they are a time-tested variety, Old Garden Roses have evolved to be exceptionally tough and disease-resistant.
Wild Flowers
Wild Roses, also known as “species roses,” are considered the wildflower form of a rose. Nevertheless, they lack the cross-breeding history and hybridization of other current varieties. Typically, wild roses have a solitary flower with five petals. The easiest way to identify a Wild Rose is by its color, which is nearly always pink! Crimson or white Wild Roses are extremely rare. A yellow Wild Rose is extremely uncommon.
Modern Garden Roses
Old Garden Roses were bred until 1867, when modern roses replaced them. As stated previously, there are distinct differences between the two. Whereas Traditional Garden Roses bloom only once every year, Modern Roses bloom continuously and produce larger flowers. Florists and homeowners will appreciate the prolonged vase life of Modern Roses. The sole disadvantage of these Modern Roses is that they lack a strong, heady aroma and are less disease-resistant and hardy.
Specific Varieties
Climbing Roses
“climbing roses” is used more as a descriptor than a classification system. This means that grandiflora and floribunda climbing roses are not out of the question. Climbing roses, despite their name, aren’t as effective at climbing as vines. Strong and straight (occasionally arching) canes allow these roses, frequently called “rambling,” to be trained with the correct framework. Most climbing roses can bloom multiple times and produce huge flowers each time.
Hybrid Tea Roses
The category of roses known as hybrid tea roses is one of the most popular, and it is not difficult to comprehend why this is the case. The hybrid tea rose produces a breathtaking display in whatever garden Consistently, new hybrids displace older hybrids that have become obsolete.
Grandiflora Roses
The grandiflora rose was made in the last century. It is a subgroup of hybrid tea roses with floribunda traits. Grandifloras are the best of both worlds. They have elegant, showy blooms that grow in clusters like hybrid tea roses, and they keep growing all the time like floribundas. Also, there are three to five blooms in each cluster.
Floribunda Roses
The floribunda class of roses is yet another popular type of rose. A floribunda rose, like a Grandiflora, will produce a huge cluster of flowers simultaneously. Because of this feature, it will continuously bloom for considerably longer than the six to seven-week hybrid tea or Grandiflora roses cycle. Floribundas are not only much simpler to care for, but they also provide an almost entirely hands-free experience.
Flowers of the polyantha species
The polyantha rose plant is shorter and has fewer blooms than the floribunda rose plant. Nonetheless, the two types of roses are very similar. Polyantha is an excellent choice for hedging and edging, even though it may not be appropriate for some backyard environments. It is common to discover these rose bushes covered with clusters of their little blooms.
Their prolific bloom lasts from spring through fall, so finding them in this state at any given time is possible. Polyantha roses are also available in various tones and hues, including bright white, charming soft pink, and vibrant red.
Because polyantha roses are resistant to disease and require little maintenance, they have remained a favourite choice among amateur gardeners and horticulturists. Polyantha roses are hardy roses.
Miniature Roses
The miniature or mini floral rose is typically shorter and somewhat more compact than its hybrid tea or Grandiflora ancestors. The height of a miniature rose can range from 15 to 30 inches, while the blooms of a mini flora rose are between those of a floribunda and a miniature rose. Miniature roses can grow anywhere from 15 to 30 inches.
Shrub roses
Shrub roses spread five to 15 feet in all directions. Shrub roses are cold and hardy. Their blossoms are very abundant. David Austin English Rose is a shrub rose subcategory.
Groundcover Roses
Groundcover roses, often known as “landscape” roses, are a rose variety bred to be low-maintenance and gorgeous. Groundcover roses, which grow no taller than three feet, fill spaces well. Groundcover roses are disease- and pest-resistant and bloom year-round. These are the greatest low-maintenance roses for beginners.
Alba Roses
Alba roses are hybrids with tall, beautiful bushes and cool-tone blue-green foliage. Its delicate pink and white blossoms appear in late spring/early summer. Alba roses are disease-resistant and easy to cultivate in shade and chilly areas.
Bourbon Roses
Bourbon roses, a hybrid between China and Damask roses, were brought to France on the Île Bourbon in 1817. Bourbon roses have large blooms in white, pink, and red colors. Bourbon blossoms smell like the drink but not as intense. Train a Bourbon rose bush to climb a trellis and blossom all season.
China Roses
China roses, more exotic, were brought to the West in the late 18th century. Hybridization has helped this thorny rose. China roses are compact, bushy, and fragrant, with blooms in vibrant reds, gentle pinks, and cheerful yellows.
This hybrid rose’s disease tolerance and summer-to-fall blooming are its main benefits. China roses need protection in cooler climates because their silky petals are sensitive. These miniature roses grow best in small containers that can be brought indoors at the end of summer.
Damask Roses
Damask roses are ancient, perhaps Biblical, since they are so ancient. The Summer and Autumn Damask bloom in summer and autumn. Fall Damask, also known as the four seasons, blooms throughout summer and fall. Damask roses range from dazzling silvery whites to rich pinks. Damask roses, like centifolia roses, produce a fragrant essential oil used in perfumes and other scented products.
Gallica Roses
Gallica roses are ancient, like Damask roses. Several variations were in the 12th century. Gallicas, also known as French or Provins roses, have a wonderful aroma used in perfumes. This rose’s petals are antibacterial, astringent, and tonic.
Gallica roses come in pinks, reds, purples, and two-tone white stripes. Regrettably, their gorgeously layered, tightly clustered blooms only appear once in summer. Gallicas, a hardier Old Garden Rose, tolerates shade and frost.
Conclusion
There are so many kinds of roses that it can be hard to choose. But once you get to know the different shapes of the flowers, the lengths of the canes, and, if you have a good nose, the wonderful smells of each variety, you can tell them apart.
If you have never grown roses before, look through our Roses for Beginners collection and choose a variety that is easy to care for. Then, get a few supplies like specially-made fertilizers and all-natural pest control to get started.
Soon, your rose bush will have many roses you can cut to make a bouquet and fill your home with a lovely scent.
