Roses belong to one of the largest and most diverse plant families. It features numerous varieties that can overwhelm beginners and seasoned gardeners.
Every variety offers its own unique advantages, making it simple to choose the right rose for various settings, including flower beds, climbing over an arbor, or thriving in planters and pots.
Classes of Roses
Understanding the category a rose belongs to allows one to fully appreciate its characteristics. Roses can be grouped in several ways, such as by bloom style or color. This classification is also helpful if you want to learn how to propagate roses because different types require slightly different techniques.
Hybrid tea roses: Among the most recognized roses in landscaping, these showcase large, elegant flowers with 30 to 50 petals and long, straight stems. There are thousands of cultivars within this group, with new ones continually replacing older selections.
Grandiflora roses: Often considered a subgroup of hybrid teas, grandifloras are also widely grown. They typically reach tall heights and display blooms in clusters instead of single stems.
Floribunda roses: Following hybrid teas and grandifloras in popularity, floribundas are a top choice for ease of care. Like grandifloras, they produce blossoms in clusters, but unlike the other two, they bloom continuously rather than in cycles of six to seven weeks.
Polyantha roses: Similar in nature to floribundas but more compact, polyanthas produce smaller flowers and are often used along borders or as low hedging.
Miniature and miniflora roses: A miniature rose is a more compact version of a hybrid tea or grandiflora, typically growing between 15 to 30 inches in height. Miniflora roses have medium-sized blooms, larger than miniatures but smaller than floribundas.
Shrub roses: Known for their expansive growth. They grow about five to 15 feet in width and height. These roses are prized for their resilience in colder climates and prolific flower clusters. One notable subgroup is the David Austin English Rose line, which resembles traditional garden roses and offers repeat blooming with strong fragrances.
Climbing and rambling roses: While not a distinct class, this category includes any rose with long, flexible canes that can be trained on vertical structures like trellises, pergolas, or fences. For example, a grandiflora may be described as a climber if it has this growth habit. These roses don’t naturally cling, so they must be manually secured to support.
Types of Roses
Here are 10 stunning types of roses you can consider for your garden:
Bonica
Rosa ‘Bonica’ is a charming shrub rose known for its bushy shape and delicate, light-pink blossoms. It blooms repeatedly from spring through autumn. It offers lightly scented 2- to 3-inch flowers. This hardy variety performs well in cooler regions and is valued for its reliability.
About Face
Rosa ‘About Face’ is a striking grandiflora rose with vibrant orange petals that are golden-yellow on the inside and a bronzy orange-red on the outer edges. Its long stems and glossy green foliage add to its appeal. It is easy to grow and resistant to disease. It produces large, 5-inch blossoms with a unique apple-like fragrance and a strong rebloom habit.
Cherry Parfait
Rosa ‘Cherry Parfait’ is a floribunda rose with elegant two-toned petals. It’s white with bright red edges to create a bold appearance from afar. The plant has a dense, bushy form with dark green foliage, and the flowers reach 2 to 3 inches wide.
Frankly Scarlet
Rosa ‘Frankly Scarlet’ belongs to the JP Ultimate Collection and is a compact floribunda rose bush. It features spicy-scented, velvety red blooms about 2 to 3 inches across. With repeat blooming and dark green leaves, it’s an attractive addition to a home garden.
Falstaff
Rosa ‘Falstaff’ is a classic David Austin English shrub rose celebrated for its deep crimson-red, cupped blooms measuring 4 to 5 inches. It emits a powerful old-rose fragrance and offers continual flowering throughout the season. Its rich color and strong scent make it one of the most admired rose varieties.
Tahitian Sunset
Rosa ‘Tahitian Sunset’ is a hybrid tea rose that displays stunning apricot-pink bi-colored blooms and measures up to 6 inches wide. The flowers carry a delicate anise-like fragrance and appear on plants with dark green, semi-glossy foliage. It’s a repeat bloomer with strong disease resistance. It blooms from spring until fall.
Rainbow Knock Out
Rosa ‘Rainbow Knock Out’ is a hardy shrub rose known for its vibrant single-petaled flowers that grow in clusters. The blossoms are coral-hued with golden centers, contrasting beautifully against their dark, semi-glossy foliage. This variety stands out for its excellent reblooming ability and exceptional resistance to common rose diseases like black spot, mildew, and rust.
Morden Fireglow
Rosa ‘Morden Fireglow’ is a floribunda rose with richly colored blooms that fall between orange and deep red. Its double, cup-shaped flowers grow on plants with matte foliage. Known for its cold tolerance and subtle scent, it also works well as a cut flower.
Wild Blue Yonder
Rosa ‘Wild Blue Yonder’ is a bold grandiflora rose with blooms that open in a mauve or reddish-purple hue and gradually deepen in color. Although it’s sometimes marketed as a lavender rose, it doesn’t develop into a true blue. Flowers are medium-sized (2 to 3 inches) and come in generous clusters. This variety is a repeat bloomer with a robust citrus-tinged fragrance.
Elle Rose
Rosa ‘Elle’ is a hybrid tea rose perfect for those who want something between bright and soft pink. Compact and manageable, it produces large 4- to 5-inch blossoms with a rich scent combining citrus and spice notes. It blooms steadily throughout the season.
