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Roses are the world's most popular flower. They grow virtually everywhere except the frigid Arctic and hottest tropical regions and are classified into seven main categories: hybrid tea, grandiflora, floribunda, miniatures, climbers, shrub and antique roses. These categories are not hard, fast botanical classifications but were devised for convenience of the gardener and overlap in many cases.
Hybrid tea roses are the traditional modern roses. The flowers are born on long stems and bloom throughout the season. Although hybrid teas are beautiful, they are more susceptible to insects and diseases.
The grandiflora category was created in 1949. Grandiflora roses are prolific and vigorous like floribunda roses, but they produce beautiful, hybrid tea flowers. Grandiflora bushes are tall and can be used for backgrounds.
Floribunda roses are low-growing, low-maintenance shrub roses. They are 3 to 4 feet high and have a branched, shrublike growth form. The flowers are born in clusters and are generally flatter and have fewer petals than hybrid tea roses. Floribundas bloom throughout the season and are excellent for low borders, hedges, dividers or general shrub use. They are generally more hardy and pest-resistant than the hybrid tea roses.
Miniature roses grow 6 to 12 inches high. The flowers are abundant and identical to familiar rose forms except for their tiny size. Miniature roses tolerate shade, make excellent container plants, and do well indoors on a bright window sill or under fluorescent light.
Species roses are natural, non-hybrid roses. We have two native species roses that grow wild in this area, while others are grown for rose hips or seed pods. These roses reproduce true from seed and bloom only once in the early spring. Antique roses are older, classic roses and include the European roses, such as cabbage and damask roses, and the China roses that were developed before the modern hybrid teas.
Climbing roses are divided into several different categories. Large-flowered climbers develop stout canes 8-15 feet long with flowers 2 to 6 inches in diameter. They generally bloom in the spring. They are hardy to about 0 degrees Fahrenheit, so they perform better in warmer areas.
Climbing sports are naturally occurring, extra-vigorous mutations of bush roses and are best adapted to trellises where the long canes can be bent over to force development of flower-bearing spurs.
Climbing sports are only hardy to about 20 degrees Fahrenheit. To survive they must be taken down off trellises and covered with straw or soil to protect them. Rambler roses develop long, soft pendulous canes that trail extensively on fences or supports. Flowers come in the spring on 2-year-old canes. Canes older than two years can be pruned after flowering. They are hardy to -10 degrees Fahrenheit and do quite well in our area.
Roses are available in three different forms. Dormant, bare-root plants should be planted as soon as possible after purchase. Potted roses were bare root a few weeks ago. They have been potted up by nurseries and forced into early bloom.
Packaged roses are bare-root roses with packing material around the roots in a plastic bag. Handle these as you would bareroot roses. Tree roses need special protection in our area and are not recommended unless you are willing to take extra effort to protect them. Dig a trench on one side, cut the roots on the opposite side and lay them down in the trench and cover them with deep mulch or soil to protect them throughout the winter.
Roses grow best in full sun with good air circulation and fertile, well-drained soil. If soil will not drain, use a raised bed at least 12 inches high.
