The big groups
Rose societies sort roses into detailed classes, and the lines between them can blur. For a home gardener, a simpler picture works. Most roses you will meet belong to one of the groups below.
| Group | Typical habit | Flowering | Main pruning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Species (wild) roses | Large, open shrubs, often with hips | Usually once, in late spring or early summer | Light thinning after flowering |
| Old garden roses | Varied, from compact shrubs to large arching plants | Many once, some repeat | After flowering for once bloomers; late winter or early spring for repeaters |
| Climbers | Long, fairly stiff canes that need tying to a support | Many repeat through summer | Late winter or early spring |
| Ramblers | Very long, flexible canes, often vigorous | Usually once, in big clusters | After flowering |
| Shrub roses | Bushy, often wide, many bred for toughness | Most repeat | Late winter or early spring, often lightly |
| Hybrid teas | Upright bushes with long stems | Repeat, usually one large flower per stem | Late winter or early spring, often harder |
| Floribundas | Compact bushes | Repeat, flowers in clusters | Late winter or early spring |
| Miniatures | Small bushes with small leaves and flowers | Repeat | Late winter or early spring |
Old garden roses
Old garden roses, sometimes called heirloom or antique roses, are usually defined as roses from classes that existed before 1867. That year is linked to a rose widely treated as the first hybrid tea. Many old roses are strongly scented and have full, cupped or quartered flowers with lots of petals. Some flower only once a year, in a big early summer show. Others repeat. The heirloom roses page covers the main classes.
Climbers and ramblers
Roses do not twine or cling the way vines do. A climbing rose simply grows long canes, and you tie them to a fence, wall, arch or trellis. Climbers usually have stiffer canes and larger flowers, and many bloom more than once. Ramblers are more flexible and vigorous, with smaller flowers in large clusters, and most flower once. The climbing roses page explains supports and training.
Shrub roses
Shrub rose is a broad label that covers many modern roses bred for a full, bushy shape, a long flowering season and good disease resistance. It also covers tough groups such as rugosas and hybrid musks. Shrub roses often suit mixed borders and hedges better than formal rose beds. See the shrub roses page for more.
Modern bush roses
Hybrid teas are the classic florist shape: a pointed bud on a long, straight stem. Floribundas carry their flowers in clusters and tend to give a more continuous show of color. Grandifloras sit between the two. Miniatures and the slightly larger mini-floras are scaled-down roses that suit pots and small beds. These roses can be beautiful, but some need more attention to stay free of leaf disease.
Grafted or own-root
Many roses are sold grafted, meaning the named variety is joined onto a hardy rootstock. The joint is a knobbly lump near the base called the bud union. Other roses are grown on their own roots from cuttings. Own-root roses can be slower to size up, but if the top dies back in a hard winter, new growth from the roots is still the same variety. Shoots from below the bud union on a grafted rose come from the rootstock and should be removed.
How to choose
- Read the tag. Look for mature height and width, flowering habit (once or repeat) and cold hardiness.
- Match the space. A rose that needs ten feet will fight a small bed forever, and constant cutting back costs flowers.
- Ask about disease. In humid areas, resistance to black spot matters more than almost anything else.
- Ask locally. Local rose societies, public rose gardens and your extension service know which roses do well in your area.