Rose Types and
Rose Varieties

Rose Types have been classified by the American Rose society into Two broad classes:

Old Garden Roses and Modern Roses.

Old Garden Roses (or) Heirloom Roses consist of classes that exsisted before the year 1867. this is the year the Hybrid Tea's came into being.

Categories of Old Garden Roses:

Alba

These types of roses are extremely hardy and disease resistant. They will thrive as far north as zone 4 without winter protection.

The bushes are very dense,reaching 5-8 ft. tall. Flowers are medium shades of pink or whiite,and range from single to double depending on the variety. Clusters of flowers are born on thorny canes with gray-green foliage.

They bloom from late spring through early summer.

Large red hips.

Bourbon

These Rose Varieties are shrubby ,vigiourus plants. Most grow to about 6 ft. Some climbers can reach 12 ft. Clusters of sm-med Semi-double or double flowers in white, pink, red or purple. Glossy bright green leaves. Some varieties can be tender (Zephirine Drouhin, a lovely climber) More tender but well worth the trouble!!(check out mine in Heirloom Roses)

Centiflora

Called cabbage roses because of the hundreds or more petals, closely overlapped like the leaves of a cabbage.

These rose types have small to medium size flowers, ranging from white to deep rose.

Clusters of flowers appear on arching branches with crinkled leaves.

Quite hardy, suitable for smaller gardens.

Bloom only once a year!

China Roses

Semi double or double,small delicate flowers with glossy foliage. Sizes range from low growing 3-ft. rose varieties to 6-foot tall hybrids. Flowers can be pink, red or crimson.

These rose types are Extremely frost Tender!

Damask

Medium to large, very fragarant flowers of semi double - double blooms in large clusters of pink or white

Drooping or arching branches.

They are grown in Europe and the Near East for the production of a fragarant rose oil "atter of roses".

VERY hardy! Blooms once a year with the exception of "Autumn Damask" which will bloom twice.

Eglanteria

Small, single or semi-double flowers of pink, red, copper or yellow. Large dense thorny bush. Foliage has an apple scent, especially after it rains. Hardy plants with colorful hips. Blooms once a year.

Gallica

Also called the French Rose, is considered the oldest identified rose. Flowers come in red, purple or pink, and may be single or double. Rough textured dark green foliage. Hardy, compact plants.

Some varieties are very fragrant, while others have no scent.

Hybrid Perpetual

These rose types are ancestors of the Hybrid Tea.

A hardy bush that is tall and vigorous. Repeat blooms all summer. Large,double. flowers in white, pink, maroon, red or mauve

Catagories of Modern Roses:

Hybrid Tea

This is the classic, high centered beautiful flower, most think of when the word rose flower comes to mind.

Rose Varieties come in every color except true blue and true black. They almost all are repeat bloomers, and many are fragrant. Their long, strong stems make them excellent for cutting.

Floribunda

This is a cross between a hybrid tea and a polyantha. Flowers in abundance!

These types of roses are low growing plants that are very hardy and produce flowers in different sizes and colors. They are the mainstay in landscaping roses.

Grandiflora

This class began with the rose "Queen Elizabeth"

This rose type is a cross between a hybrid tea and a floribunda.

The Tea part of this cross gives the flower high centered long stems, the floribunda gives it hardiness,and continual blooms. They are generally tall bushes.

Miniature

Petite versions of full size plants. Leaves, stems and flowers all miniature size.

Plant heights range from 3 inches to 3 feet or more. Flowers can range from an inch across to several inches. They come in a very wide range of colors, with new ones being introduced continually. They resemble tiny floribundas and hybrid teas, but they are a class of their own. Some are even climbers. Smaller ones can be grown indoors or out, and do well in containers or windowboxes..

Climbers

These rose types have long canes that can sometimes be trained to grow horizontally along a fence. Training them this way, forces them to produce more of the lateral flowering branches. The stiffer canned rose varieties can be trained on a pergola trellis or arbor. Rose Types such as climbers

have clusters of flowers.

Some are once blooming, others bloom off and on all summer.

Polyantha

Very hardy plants that flower continually. Low-growing and compact.

Clusters of flowers in shades of white, pink, yellow, red or orange.

Single flowers that are small, and open flat. Great edging or hedge plants.

Rambler

Some of todays climbers desended from the Ramblers.

These rose types are generally very large, guick growing, hardy plants.

Most bloom only once in early summer. Lots of the old Ramblers have dissappeared from the market.

Shrub Roses

Shrub roses are divided into several major sub-classes.

Hybrid Musks

Are fairly tall,all-season bloomers,hardy, disease resistant, have very fragrant flowers in clusters. They can tolerate less sun than other roses.

Hybrid Moyesii

Stiff plants that grow tall. Repeat bloomers

Hybrid Rugosas

Low growing plants that have wrinkled foliage. They are disease resistant. Single or double flowers.

Are good if you live near the beach. They will tolerate wind and sea spray well.

Kordesii

These rose types are shrubs or short climbers. They have excellent hardiness. A wide variety of colors and flower form.

Tree Roses

These are roses produced by grafting a long straight stem of one rose on to the roots of another. Atop this is grafted the flowering plant. Usually a graceful weeping rose variety.

As beautiful as they are, (And they will likely perform the first season in all their crowning glory), they are all very tender.