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A Guide to Roses: Types and Care

Valerie Albarda

By Valerie Albarda
Updated April 22, 2022

Roses serve as cut flowers, screens, container plants, hedges, ground and wall cover, and specimen plants in the landscape. There are thousands of types of roses. Bloom color, foliage, size, fragrance and plant shape are all things for you to consider. We’ll help you sort through all the varieties.

A close-up image of a red rose.

Rose Glossary

Bare Root: Dormant plants sold in fall, winter or early spring.

Bud: The beginning of a new flower or leaf. 

Bud Union: The point where the rootstock is grafted to the flowering variety. The bud union can be seen as an enlarged area at the base of the plant, whether purchased as bare root or in a container. The bud union is also used as a gauge to mark planting depth.

Cane: The stem from the base of the plant that supports foliage and flowers.

Deadhead: To remove flowers after blooming. Deadheading sends energy to new flowers, not seeds.

Disbud: To remove smaller side buds on a stem to invigorate the main bud at the end of the stem.

Grade: Bare-root roses are graded according to the quality of their growth. Grades also designate the future size and productivity of the rose. The numerical grades are established by the American Association of Nurserymen and should be noted on the plant tag. There are three grades:

  • Grade 1 is the best of a variety. Three or more healthy canes and a strong root system are essential.
  • Grade 1.5 roses have two or more thin canes and usually take longer to develop.
  • Grade 2 roses have one or two small, thin canes and may require extra care to establish.

Graft: To join a scion (top part or stem) with a stock (bottom part of a stem with roots) to create a new plant.

Hip: The seed pod that forms from a spent blossom. Hips provide another bit of interest in fall after the blooms have gone.

Hybrid: Created by crossing two different plants to combine their most desirable characteristics. Roses are hybridized to create new colors, increase disease resistance, improve fragrance and manipulate size.

Own Root: The entire plant is of the same variety (not grafted).

Rootstock: Hybrid roses are grafted onto a host set of roots. The rootstock is selected for strength and hardiness. The roses that bloom from a rootstock aren’t the most desirable for most rose gardeners.

Sucker: A stem that grows out and up from the rootstock (therefore not from the grafted variety), usually coming up from below ground level. It’s highly recommended that they be removed so that the plant’s energy is directed toward the desired plant.

Rose Types

A rosebush with abundant white blooms.

Different types of roses have distinctive characteristics:

Hybrid Tea

Hybrid teas are the most widely grown garden roses. They have large, single blooms, typically on long stems. If you’ve received a rose on Valentine’s Day, it was probably a hybrid tea. These roses are ideal for cutting. Most bloom in spring and fall. However, new varieties are being introduced each year for increased bloom time. Sensitive to cold, they need winter protection. Hybrid teas grow 3 to 6 feet tall.

Floribunda

Robust floribundas are derived from the hybrid tea. The blooms are slightly smaller and clustered on the stem. The -ibunda suffix of the word indicates that this type has abundant stems with more flowers and a longer blooming cycle. If you want plenty of flowers, the floribunda is the one for you. They’re generally 3 to 5 feet tall. Polyantha roses are similar to the floribunda but are generally only about 2 feet tall.

Grandifloras

Grandifloras are a cross of the hybrid tea and the floribunda. Like floribundas, they usually have several clustered blooms. They’ve inherited the larger blooms and long stems from the hybrid teas. Grandifloras can reach 6 feet in height.

Miniature

As the name states, miniatures are tiny replicas of larger roses. Their small blooms and foliage plus their compact size make them excellent container plants for indoors or outdoors. They can also be used for edging, rock gardens or anywhere a full-size shrub won’t fit. A miniature’s mature size is usually less than 2 feet tall.

Climbers

Also called ramblers, the climbing rose doesn’t really climb. The plant produces long, arching canes that must be attached to supports, such as fences, arbors, trellises or walls. They bloom continuously or at least several times during summer and fall. The arching canes can be 20 to 30 feet long. If your garden space is limited, use vertical space and plant some of these.

Shrub

The term shrub covers a variety of garden roses, from bushy specimens to hedge roses. Generally hardy and disease-resistant, shrub roses provide a lot of blooms. The size depends on the variety and ranges from 3 to 10 feet or more.

Tree

Tree roses are also known as standards. Not truly a separate rose variety, a tree rose is any rose plant (probably a hybrid tea or floribunda) that’s bud-grafted onto a straight, sturdy trunk. Special pruning and winter protection are required in most climates. Tree roses make good container plants. Used as specimen plants, they offer a formal look to the rose garden. Height depends on the variety of rose used, but standards can be 4 to 6 feet tall.

Picking the Right Rose

Several orange rosebuds.

Since garden roses adapt to planting in the ground, in containers or even in hanging baskets, they serve many purposes in the home landscape. When you shop, keep in mind how your roses will be used.

  • Know your planting zone when making any plant selection.
  • Fragrance is a trait we all associate with flowers. Roses can have some of the most delicious fragrances of all. Remember that one’s sense of smell is subjective. What’s heavenly to some may be unpleasant to others, so keep an open mind. Some roses have very little scent, while others are known for their fragrance. Humidity and warmth bring out fragrance.
  • Bloom times and frequency vary. Hybrid teas and floribundas should bloom within eight weeks of planting. Others may not bloom until the second season. Roses with a single bloom cycle have one showy mass of flowers each season. Repeat bloomers let the show go on.
  • Thorns are common and usually considered a necessary evil by rose aficionados, but some thornless varieties are available.
  • Look at the color of the flowers and foliage when selecting types of roses. Find the type that would look best in your landscape.
  • The mature size of the rose is a key consideration when planting. Most will arrive at maturity in two to three years. When planning a rose bed or adding to the garden, you want to be able to see the blooms. Place taller plants in the rear of the bed. But keep one thing in mind: You don’t want to miss the fragrance if a tall variety has a particularly nice one.

Read How to Plant a Rose Garden for instructions on adding roses to your landscape.

Rose Care

Closeup of a pink rose bloom.

Roses are as susceptible to bugs and disease, as most plants are. But roses are hardier than many people think. As with any plant, the proper environment and care are critical. Give them:

  • Sunlight (six hours a day)
  • Good air circulation
  • Good drainage
  • Rich soil
  • 1 inch of water a week
  • A clean home (keep the plant and ground clear of dead growth and other debris)

One more piece of advice: Consider buying a comprehensive rose care guide and joining a rose society so you can share your new passion with others.

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