Rosa

Rosa

(row' zah)

Common name: Rose

Family: Rosaceae, Rose

Height x width: varies as noted

Growth rate: moderate to fast

Foliage: alternate, usually odd pinnate, leaflets toothed

Flowers: early summer to early fall depending on species and cultivar as noted; either once blooming, reblooming once or more after initial bloom (recurrent), or continuously blooming (everbloom); white, pink, red, yellow, orange, purplish with shades and combinations; single or double as noted; variously shaped

Hardiness: zones 3-7 to 9 as noted

Soil: well-drained, some species prefer sandy

Light: sun

Pests and Problems: bacterial leaf spot and crown gall, rose anthracnose, black mold, black spot (often serious), boytrytis blight, powdery mildew (often serious), other fungal leaf spots, fungal stem cankers, mosaic and streak viruses, aphids, asiatic garden and Japanese beetles (often serious), rose budworm, raspberry cane borer, rose chafer, rose curculio, stem girdler, rose leafhopper, leaf roller, rose midge, scles, rose slug, thrips, fall webworm, two-spotted mite, nematodes; often species vary in susceptibility to disease, as do cultivars depending on their parentage

Landscape habit, uses: borders usually planted solely to roses, containers and raised beds, massing, edging for low selections, hedges or along walls, along fences or trellises for climbing

Other interest: roses are native to most parts of the world, depending on species; they are one of the oldest cultivated groups of plants, being first mentioned in 2300 BC; over the centuries they have been used herbally as well as ornamentally, with much lore developing around them; with such a large group and so much breeding over the centuries, this genus stands alone in ornamentals as one of the most complex with thousands of cultivars

Other culture: culture will vary with species, however generally:

• modern hybrids often respond to high fertility, although many species and shrub varieties tolerate low fertility; special rose fertilizers can generally be purchased

• although roses require well-drained soil, adequate water should be provided especially for hybrids

• pruning should be done to remove diseased areas, to remove spent blooms particularly on hybrid teas, after winter for winter injury, to shape a plant, to leave all but prime buds for exhibiting, or to give hybrid teas a break from blooming in warm climates

• roses are also one of the most susceptible ornamentals to the most pests and diseases, with some control from selection of resistant varieties, and otherwise an intensive IPM or control program

• roses generally do not need staking, allowing them to grow into a shrub of their natural form

• climbing roses may need affixing to a support

• marginally hardy varieties may need some winter protection in the north

Propagation: most can be produced from cuttings, although many cultivars are commercially budded onto a vigorous rootstock to shorten production time and to increase vigor, seeds are generally only used in breeding

Classification:

Although there are various classification schemes for roses, each reference and rosarian seeming to have a different version, the following classes are fairly inclusive and basic to most classification systems. Before about 1980, seven classes were generally recognized including hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, miniatures, climbers, old-fashioned and shrub roses. Since then the old-fashioned and shrub categories have been further defined. The year 1867 has also generally been agreed as the division between modern and old garden roses, being the year of the introduction of what many consider the first hybrid tea 'La France'. Using this date, and the new classes, roses may generally be grouped as:

Old Garden roses (15 classes, before 1867)	Modern roses (10 classes, since 1867)
Species	Hybrid tea
Gallica	Floribunda
Alba	Grandiflora
Damask	Miniature
Centifolia	Polyantha
Moss	Climbing
China	Shrub
Hybrid China	Hybrid Musk
Tea	Eglantine hybrids
Noisette	Rugosa hybrids
Hybrid Noisette
Bourbon
Hybrid Bourbon
Portland
Hybrid perpetual

Those rose classes most often found in typical garden centers and nurseries include the hybrid tea, floribunda, grandiflora, miniature and climber. The other "shrub" and species types are becoming increasingly available and may be grouped with shrubs in nurseries. Some of the modern shrub series and rugosa types are probably the most often found of these latter classes.

• Hybrid Teas--these were developed first in the late 19th century from hybrid perpetuals and China teas and consisted of whites, pinks, and reds in elegant, long-stemed blooms; in the late 1800's Joseph Pernet-Dicher incorporated yellow for the first time from Persian Yellow (R. foetida persiana) and for a while these hybrids were called "pernetianas"; with the yellow also came susceptibility to black spot disease; this is the most popular class of roses with the most hybrids; one of the least hardy classes; considered the "rose of the century", 'Peace' is in this class

• Floribunda--developed first in the earl 20th century from polyantha and hybrid tea crosses, these resulted in relatively more hardiness than hybrid teas, repeat flowering, and as the breeding progressed many blooms-- the main feature of this class

• Grandiflora--first bred in 1954, the goal was and still is for roses with the blooms an stem length of the hybrid teas and the floribunda hardiness and clustered flowers; relatively few exist in this group to date

• Miniatures--this class has largely been developed in the last half of this century from most other classes; they are characterized by a low or sprawling habit 3-18" tall, small buds and foliage, thin canes and hardier than hybrid teas

• Climbing--they actually do not climb with tendrils or attachments as do vines, but rather have long canes which either arch or must be affixed to a support, so sometimes are merely refered to as long cane roses. One strict system classifies them as "climbers" if they have rigid, upright thick canes and "ramblers" if they have thin canes relative to their length which are flexible enough to be wrapped around a support. Another system classifies them as:

• hybrid bracteatas--seldom seen in commerce, require much space

• hybrid giganteas--tender being almost evergreen in warm climates

• climbing hybrid teas--similar to hybrid teas only with long canes, often sports

• kordesii climbers--named after famous 20th century breeder Wilhelm Kordes, a new species of medium size and upright pillar type

• large-flowered climbers--those with medium to large flowers that don't fall into other groups

• hybrid wichuraiana--once blooming, large with canes to 20', fragrant, from same species

• ramblers--long canes, once blooming late, susceptible to powdery mildew, many from multiflora

• Species--natural wild roses, native throughout the northern hemisphere, generally considered to have about 200 species although this is debated; flowers are single, have 5 petals, produce self-pollinated hips and seedlings closely resembling the parents; the several species included here are either showy or important parents of hybrids and are the most seen in U.S. commerce.

Species, Common Name	flowers	habit, other, cold hardiness
banksiae 'Lutea', Yellow Lady Banks R.	yellow, double, very early	20-30', disease free, zone 7
banksiae var. banksiae	white, double, violet scent	zone 7
blanda, Smooth/Meadow Rose	deep pink	similar to canina, zone 3
canina, Dog Rose	pale pink, small, early	tall, red hips, zone 3
carolina, Pasture Rose	pink, single, fragrant, mid	bright red hips, zone 4
foetida 'Bicolor', Austrian Copper	orange-red, yellow reverse	single, early, fragrant, zone 4
foetida 'Persiana', Persian Yellow	yellow, semidouble, early	parent of hybrids, zone 4
gallica 'Officinalis', Apothecary's Rose	light red, semidouble, large	early, fragrant, old, zone 3
gallica 'Versicolor', Rosa Mundi	red and white striped	oldest striped rose, zone 3
*glauca	light pink, early, fragrant	reddish leaves, zone 3
hugonis:xanthina hugonis
laevigata, Cherokee Rose	white, single, early, fragrant	arching 6-20', zone 7
multiflora	white clusters, many	honey scent, hedge, zone 4
multiflora 'Grevillei', Seven Sisters R.	pink/lilac/red, large clusters	double, Victorian, zone 4
nutkana	lilac pink, single	gray-green foliage, zone 4
pimpinellifolia, Scotch Briar	creamy white, single, early	black hips, suckers, zone 4
*rubiginosa, Sweet Briar	pink, small, once bloom	tall, foliage scented, zone 4
rubrifolia: glauca
*rugosa	mauve pink, fragrant, single	everbloom, thorny, zone 3
*rugosa 'Alba'	white	as above
*rugosa 'Rubra'	deep pink	as above
setigera, Prairie Rose	pink fading, clusters	arching, red hips, zone 4
virginiana	pink, single, fragrant, mid	orange hips, upright, zone 3
wichuraiana, Memorial Rose	white, small, early summer	prostrate long canes, zone 5
woodsii, Western Wild Rose	pink or white, single	upright, zone 4
xanthina f. hugonis, Father Hugo's Rose	primrose yellow, many	thorny, ferny, red hips, zone 4

• Old Garden--these consist of several classes, generally derived from a particular species, and which were established prior to 1867-- the introduction of one of the first hybrid teas 'La France' and designated by the American Rose Society as the dividing line between old and modern.

• Albas--tall and upright, soft and downy foliage, thorny canes, fragrant, white and pale pink flowers once-blooming, originally from alba

• Bourbons--from borboniana, a natural hybrid of China and damask from the Isle of Bourbon (now Reunion Island), moderately hardy with better shape than Chinas and more recurrent bloom than damasks; hybrid Bourbons may be listed as a separate class

• Centifolia--popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, these were believed developed in Holland during the 17th and 18th centuries, double and once-blooming, the inner petals are often packed into a button, intensely fragrant, thorny and long canes have sparse foliage

• China, Tea--these repeat bloomers, not reliably hardy, were collected by European explorers from China in the late 1700s and early 1800s; the Chinas have smooth stems and leaves, were originally dwarf, and have loosely cup-shaped blooms; the tea-scented China roses or Teas have glossy leaves and few thorns, and when crossed with hybrid perpetuals led to the modern hybrid teas; hybrid China roses may be listed as a separate class

• Damask--ancient hybrids of damascena and gallicas, these were forced indoors out of season by the Romans, and preserved in monasteries for medicinal use through the Dark Ages; intensely fragrant flowers are in tight clusters of 3 to 5, so tight that blooms sometimes do not open; most are quite thorny

• Gallica--many dark colors with yellow or gold stamens, these ancient hybrids were also cultivated by the Romans; once blooming, fragrant, upright, and attractive hips after flowering

• Hybrid Perpetuals--most popular in the mid 19th century, these hybrids largely of teas, Bourbons and Portlands were grown through the 1920s; original hybrids resembled old garden ones with tightly packed petals, later followed by more open and quite large flowers, and most recently resembling its offspring the hybrid teas

• Hybrid Spinosissimas--similar to but more ancient than their shrub rose kin, these are also known as Scotch, burnet or pimpinellifolia roses; ferny, low and good flowering

• Moss--a group of sports either from the centifolias or the damask perpetuals, the former having heavy green moss on the calyx and stems, the latter having brown moss and reblooming in the fall; popular during the Victorian era, the pine-scented buds yield intensely fragrant and fully double flowers with tightly packed petals

• Noisette--developed by a nurseryman named Noisette in France from an American repeat-blooming climber hybrid of China and musk roses; lacking winter hardiness, they were popular in warm climates during the first half of the 19th century; hybrid Noisettes ma be listed as a separate class

• Portland--also called damask perpetuals, they descend from the autumn damask, gallica and China roses; some of the original repeat-blooming hybrids, they were popular during the mid 19th century; rounded with smooth stems and foliage, the fully double petals are fragrant and with the outer petals curving inward form fluffy balls

• Shrub, older hybrids--this catch-all group includes those not found in the old garden group being derived since 1867, but most of which date to the late 1800s and early 1900s and are often lumped under modern roses:

• hybrid eglantines--these upright, tree-like hybrids were developed in the late 1800s by Lord Penzance and often contain eglanteria and foetida, the latter imparting susceptibility to black spot disease

• hybrid musk--these generally repeat bloomers are more similar to their multiflora than their moschata or musk parents; they resemble large versions of multifloras and date from this century

• hybrid spinosissimas--these are modern hybrids being upright, arching, rather open, early to bloom with large, sweetly fragrant and mostly single flowers

• polyanthas--from the Greek for "many-flowered", these dwarf forms of climbing and rambling roses are some of the latest to bloom often going until frost, they are reliable shrubs but have been largely superseded by their offspring the floribundas, originally they came from multiflora and chinensis parents

• Shrub, rugosa--this subcategory of shrubs roses is listed here separately as so many current selections of the 20th century derive from this species described above, in addition rugosa species have bright red and edible hips rich in vitamin C

• Shrub, modern hybrids--this catch-all group includes the most recent hybrids since 1867, often part of a series, which are not listed under other classes; the series include that of Dr. Buck of zone 4 in Iowa, the David Austin English roses, Meidiland landscape roses from France, Carefree series also from Meidiland, the Explorer and Parkland series from Ontario and Manitoba respectively in Canada and bred for hardiness, and the Kordesii hybrids from Wilhelm Kordes in Germany.

Cultivars:

The following are only those listed by many U.S. sources, or highly recommended by rosarians and in rose references. Often these recommendations may be subjective, and not include worthy cultivars highly recommended by others or for other specific climates.

Cultivar	species/class	flowers	other
'Abraham Darby'	shrub (Austin)	apricot, large, fragrant	tall, spreading
'Adelaide Hoodless'	shrub (Parkland)	red, small, clusters	spreading, once blooming
'Agnes'	shrub, rugosa	amber gold, double	fragrant, no hips
'Alba Meidiland'	shrub (Meilland)	white, double	spreading, on own roots
'Alfred de Dalmas'	old, moss	creamy pink, double	recurrent, fragrant
'All That Jazz'	shrub, modern	coral salmon semi-dbl	fragrant, upright, AARS
'Amber Queen'	floribunda	amber yellow, double	fragrant, low, AARS
'America'	climbing	pink, white center	large clusters
'Angel Face'	floribunda	lavender edged red	fragrant, ruffled, AARS
'Baronne Prevost'	old, hy. perpetual	deep rose, double, flat	fragrant, vigorous rebloom
'Belle Poitevine'	shrub, rugosa	lavender pink, fragrant	semi-double, recurrent
'Betty Prior'	floribunda	deep pink, spicy scent	everbloom, a classic
'Blanc Double de Coubert'	shrub, rugosa	white, double, fragrant	recurrent
'Blaze'	climber	bright red clusters	recurrent, dark foliage
'Blush Noisette'	old, noisette	blush white clusters	double, recurrent, fragrant
*'Bonica'	shrub (Meilland)	pink, good hips	tall, upright, everbloom
'Carefree Beauty'	shrub (Buck)	pink, large, clusters	tall, arching, everbloom
'Carefree Wonder'	shrub (Meilland)	pink/white clusters	upright, everbloom
'Champlain'	shrub (Explorer)	velvet red, semidouble	everblooms, zone 5, low
'Chicago Peace'	hybrid tea	pink, yellow, apricot	fragrant, disease resistant
'Chrysler Imperial'	hybrid tea	dark red, fragrant	2-3', 1953 AARS award
'Cinderella'	miniature	white, tiny pompoms	spicy fragrant, upright
'Complicata'	old, gallica	pale pink, cupped	orange hips, upright
'Crimson Glory'	hybrid tea	velvet red, fragrant	spreading, disease resistant
'Cuthbert Grant'	shrub (Parkland)	wine red, recurrent	zone 3, low
'David Thompson'	shrub (Explorer)	red, double, large	fragrant, upright
'Don Juan'	climber	dark red, double	fragrant, upright
'Double Delight'	hybrid tea	red/white, fragrant	2-3', 1977 AARS award
*'Europeana'	floribunda	red	hardy, disease resistant
'Eutin'	floribunda	red, double, clusters	3', good hedge
*'F.J. Grootendorst'	shrub, rugosa	dark pink clusters	double, recurrent
'Fair Bianca'	shrub (Austin)	white, double, fragrant	everbloom, small
'Fantin Latour'	old, centifolia	soft pink, double, large	fragrant
'Felicia'	shrub, musk	silver pink clusters	double, recurrent
'First Prize'	hybrid tea	pink/ivory, double	fragrant, good cut, AARS
'Flower Carpet'	shrub (German)	rose pink, double	everbloom, low, recent
'Fragrant Cloud'	hybrid tea	coral red, double	very fragrant, awards
'Frau Karl Druschki'	old, hy. perpetual	white, large	one of best white roses
'Fruhlingsgold'	shrub, spinnos.	yellow, single, early	arching, vigorous, hardy
'Garden Party'	hybrid tea	white, pink edge	double, fragrant
'Gene Boerner'	floribunda	pink, double, repeats	hybrid tea type, AARS
*'Golden Showers'	climber	yellow, fragrant	recurrent, 1957 AARS
'Graham Thomas'	shrub (Austin)	yellow, cupped	upright, not hardy
*'Hansa'	shrub, rugosa	crimson purple, large	fragrant, recurrent, red hips
'Harrison's Yellow'	old, spinoss.	yellow, double, early	arching, hardy
'Hebe's Lip'	shrub, eglanteria	white, red margins	semidouble, early, fragrant
'Henry Hudson'	shrub (Explorer)	white lavender blushed	recurrent, semidouble, low
'Henry Kelsey'	climbing	red, semidouble	recurrent, hardy, arching
'Heritage'	shrub (Austin)	pink, cupped, reflexed	fragrant, low, dense, dark
'Iceberg'	floribunda	white, fragrant	2-3'
'Jens Munk'	shrub (Explorer)	pink, double, fragrant	recurrent, upright, dense
'John F. Kennedy'	hybrid tea	white, green center	double, fragrant
'Joseph's Coat'	climbing	red/yellow/orange	fragrant, 10'
'King's Ransom'	hybrid tea	deep yellow, double	fragrant, AARS
'Konigen von Danemark'	old, alba	rose pink, button eye	fragrant,Queen of Denmark
'La Ville de Bruxelles'	old, china	pink, double, large	midseason, fragrant, hardy
'Maiden's Blush'	old, alba	blush pink, double	fragrant, 15th century
'Margo Koster'	shrub, polyantha	coral, cupped, clusters	late, fragrant, dwarf
'Martin Frobisher'	shrub (Explorer)	pale pink, fragrant	tall, everbloom
'Minnie Pearl'	miniature	pink, fragrant	hybrid tea type
'Miss All-American Beauty'	hybrid tea	deep pink, double	fragrant, AARS
*'Mister Lincoln'	hybrid tea	dark red, fragrant	5-6', 1964 AARS award
'Mme Hardy'	old, damask	white, fragrant	once bloom
'Mme Isaac Periere'	old, bourbon	magenta-pink, large	fragrant, recurrent, 7'
'Morden Blush'	shrub (Parkland)	pink, long bloom	short
'Morden Centennial'	shrub (Parkland)	yellow, double	fragrant, recurrent, low
*'Nearly Wild'	shrub, modern	rose pink, single	fragrant, recurrent, hardy
'New Dawn'	climber	pearl pink, double	recurrent
'Old Blush'	old, china	pink, double	everbloom, upright
'Olympiad'	hybrid tea	red, double, fragrant	good cut, AARS award
'Oregold'	hybrid tea	deep yellow, double	fragrant, AARS
'Othello'	shrub (Austin)	red, double, large	fragrant
'Pascali'	hybrid tea	creamy white	disease resistant, best white
*'Peace'	hybrid tea	yellow edged pink	double, fragrant, popular
'Perfume Delight'	hybrid tea	deep pink, double	fragrance variable, AARS
'Perle d'Or'	shrub, polyantha	golden apricot	delicate starburst flowers
*'Pink Grootendorst'	shrub, rugosa	pink, double, clusters	recurrent
'Pink Meidiland'	shrub (Meilland)	deep pink, white eye	small foliage
'Pink Peace'	hybrid tea	deep pink, double	very fragrant, awards
*'Queen Elizabeth'	grandiflora	pink, fragrant	5-6', 1955 AARS, good cut
'Rainbow's End'	miniature	yellow/orange/red	hybrid tea type, fragrant
'Red Cascade'	miniature	bright red pompoms	sprawling climber type
'Red Meidiland'	shrub (Meilland)	red, white eye	spreading, recurrent, hardy
'Reine des Violettes'	old, hy. perpetual	velvet lilac purple	large, fragrant, recurrent
'Rose de Meaux'	old, centifolia	pink, small, fragrant	early bloom
'Rose de Rescht'	old, portland	fuchsia, large pompom	fragrant, recurrent
'Salet'	old, moss	rose pink, fragrant	recurrent, hardiest moss
*'Scarlet Meidiland'	shrub (Meilland)	red, small, clusters	spreading, fall rebloom
*'Sea Foam'	climber	creamy white clusters	double, fragrant, recurrent
'Sir Thomas Lipton'	shrub, rugosa	white, semidouble	fragrant, recurrent
'Sonia'	grandiflora	pink suffused coral	fragrant, good cut
'Souvenir de la Malmaison'	old, bourbon	soft pink, double, large	recurrent, 6-8'
'Stanwell Perpetual'	old, spinosiss.	pink, double, fragrant	recurrent, hardy
'Starina'	miniature	scarlet, fragrant	everbloom
'Sweet Chariot'	miniature	magenta pompoms	spreading, fragrant
*'The Fairy'	shrub, modern	bright pink clusters	everbloom, zone 4
*'Therese Bugnet'	shrub (Explorer)	pink, double, fragrant	recurrent, red fall/winter
'Tiffany'	hybrid tea	pink/yellow, fragrant	5', 1955 AARS award
'Tropicana'	hybrid tea	brilliant orange	5-6', 1963 AARS award
'Versicolor'	damascena	white-red, fragrant	York & Lancaster, pre 1550
*'White Meidiland'	shrub (Meilland)	white, full, large	spreading
'William Baffin'	climbing	bright pink, semidbl	everbloom, large, hardy

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Notes/pictures: