What counts as an old garden rose
The usual dividing line is 1867. Roses belonging to classes that existed before then are called old garden roses, while classes that came after are modern. The date is a convention set by rose societies, and nurseries also use words like heirloom, antique and historic for the same plants. A rose bred recently in an old style is not an old garden rose, even if it looks like one.
The old European classes
These roses were grown in Europe and the Middle East long before roses from China arrived. Most flower once a year, in late spring or early summer, and many are very cold hardy.
Gallicas
Gallicas are among the oldest garden roses. They form compact, suckering shrubs with deep pink, crimson and purple flowers, often striped or spotted. Many have a rich scent that lingers even in dried petals.
Damasks
Damasks are famous for fragrance and have long been grown for rose oil and rose water. The plants tend to be loose and arching, with grayish leaves and clusters of pink or white flowers. A few, known as autumn damasks, give a second, smaller flush later in the year.
Albas
Albas have blue-green leaves and white or soft pink flowers. They are tall, tough and long lived, and they cope with a little less sun than most roses.
Centifolias and mosses
Centifolias are the cabbage roses seen in old flower paintings, with heavy, many-petaled blooms that nod on their stems. Moss roses are closely related. Their buds and stems are covered in soft, sticky growth that looks like moss and often smells of pine or resin when you touch it.
Roses that repeat
When roses from China reached Europe, they brought the ability to flower again and again through the season. Breeders crossed them with the old European roses and made new classes.
Chinas and teas
China roses are light, twiggy plants that flower almost all year in warm climates. Tea roses, named for a scent some people compare to fresh tea leaves, have elegant, often pale yellow, apricot or pink flowers. Both groups do best where winters are mild and can suffer badly in hard frost.
Bourbons and Noisettes
Bourbon roses have full, fragrant, cupped flowers and repeat well. Noisettes began in South Carolina and are often vigorous climbers with clusters of scented flowers. Like teas, many Noisettes prefer warm regions.
Hybrid perpetuals
Hybrid perpetuals were the favorite rose of much of the nineteenth century. They are large plants with big, fragrant flowers and a strong first flush, followed by a lighter repeat. They are one of the parents of the hybrid tea.
Growing old garden roses
- Give them room. Many old roses grow larger and wider than modern bushes. Check the mature size before you plant.
- Prune once bloomers after flowering. They flower on wood grown the year before, so a hard spring prune removes this year's flowers. Thin out a few of the oldest canes and shorten long shoots just after the show ends.
- Prune repeaters lightly in late winter or early spring. Remove dead and weak wood and shape the plant. Many old roses dislike being cut back hard.
- Leave some flowers to form hips. Many old roses make colorful hips in fall that feed birds and look good in winter.
- Match the class to your climate. Gallicas, damasks and albas suit cold winters. Chinas, teas and many Noisettes are best in mild ones.
Some old roses can be grown from cuttings, and gardeners often share them. Check that the plant is healthy before you take or plant a cutting. Mosaic viruses and rose rosette can pass to new plants.
Next step
When you have a rose in mind, the planting guide covers placing it well, and the pruning guide explains the seasons in more detail.