Which rose is right for me?

Roses have always been popular for landscaping. They are adaptable and provide color. Years ago, most rose enthusiasts preferred the hybrid tea types, such as ‘Mr. Lincoln’, ‘Chrysler Imperial’ or ‘Peace’. Most hybrid tea types had great aroma and the classical rose-shaped flowers.

When these cultivars were healthy, they could be breathtaking. However, these varieties are all quite susceptible to many diseases and insects. Spraying is a constant endeavor. So is pruning. Water management is critical, too.

Most gardeners today are into low management, so these types have fallen from favor and been replaced by what we commonly call “landscape roses”. The most popular type has been “Knock Out” cultivars. They are profuse bloomers and very tough and vigorous. They can get quite large, but they respond well to pruning. Furthermore, they aren’t susceptible to the diseases and insect pests that plague hybrid tea roses. There are numerous color choices, too.

The two largest drawbacks to “Knock Out” roses are that they have virtually no rose fragrance and they also possess extremely aggressive spines, which we often refer to as thorns. They will eat you up when you are pruning them.

“Drift” roses are another type of landscape rose and are much lower growing than “knock outs”. They have more of a spreading growth habit. Most cultivars can be maintained at less than 40 inches. They also have less aggressive spines. Generally, they also require less pruning, and several drift cultivars are quite fragrant.

A less commonly used landscape rose is the miniature rose. These are often grown in containers. They have fewer disease and insect problems than hybrid tea types but more than drift or knock out cultivars.

One of my favorite rose types is the “rugosa” rose. They are an old-fashioned rose that is very hardy and easy to grow. They can tolerate poorer soil with a lower pH than any other type of rose. They even tolerate more shade than other rose types.

Rugosa roses don’t have typical rose-like flowers. Petals are fewer and flowers appear flatter. They also have large “hips” which are the ovaries or become the fruits of the plant. They are edible and are often used to make jellies and jams. Color of these fruits can vary. Some are yellowish while others can be a bright red and very showy. Birds like them, too.

If you are a fan of climbing roses one cultivar stands out. The ‘Lady Banks’ is a vigorous grower, has pale yellow flowers and is thornless. When grown in a sunny location it has few disease problems. It does require a climbing system, so it won’t fit in every landscape.

A final type I’ll mention is the multiflora or Japanese rose. This isn’t used much anymore, largely because it can become invasive. It was originally introduced as a living fence, and it has been a thorn in the side of livestock farmers ever since. Fortunately, you likely won’t have the opportunity to purchase any, because I know of no nurseries that carry multiflora rose. However, if someone offers to give you some, you should politely turn them down.