The label 'easy' perfectly describes the hybrid rugosa roses. In fact, this label suits this class of rose more than any other. It is worth mentioning here that this rose has set a standard in the northern half of the United States against which all other roses are measured. The ancestor hybrid rugosa roses is a rose species from central Asia named Rosa rugosa. This rose possesses exceptional attributes. It is not only able to endure very low temperature of -50�F (-45�C) and the conditions prevailing in Siberia during the winter months, but this shrub is also able to tolerate extremely salt and arid soils. Interestingly, this class of rose has escaped from gardening to colonize the beaches across New England. The best quality rugosa hybrids have not only inherited the hardness of their wild ancestors, but also their glossy, crumpled foliage. These roses are absolutely resistant to fungal diseases. Moreover, they possess remarkable ability to resist invasions by pests and, hence, hybrid rugosa roses are best for gardeners who do not like to spray their plants. Hybrid rugosa roses are in bloom all through the summer and bear mid-sized flowers that emit clove-like fragrance. Generally, an individual flower of this class of rose measures anything between 2 � inches and 3 � inches (6.4 cm and 8.9 cm) in diameter. However, some flowers may be larger and measure about 4 inches (10.2 cm) across. After the display of the blooms is over, the plants produce large, tomato red hued hips that create a bold contrast with the reddish, yellow or purplish foliage. The plants of hybrid rugosa roses are compact, suckering, thorny shrubs that are ideal for growing as hedges. In addition, they are a perfect selection for growing as landscape shrubs, especially in windy and exposed locales. These dense cultivars can also easily assimilate in any flower border and when the plants are massed, they serve as an excellent ground cover. This rose is carefree as well as reliable across Canada and also in the Northeast, Rocky Mountain West, Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States. However, the performance of hybrid rugosa roses is not very satisfactory in the Southeast and Southwest, where the plants can only thrive at higher altitudes or in the coastal regions, which have humid climatic conditions.
Introduced - 1894 'Belle Poitevine' rose bears semi-double, fragrant flowers having twirled petals. To some extent the color of the flowers is dependent on the weather conditions prevailing at the place where they are grown. The coloration of the blooms ranges from rose pink to magenta pink, with lighter hues more widespread when grown in a sunny weather. The plants produce plump orange-red hips in fall, creating a multi-coloured show against the dark green, deeply veined and leathery foliage. The plants of 'Belle Poitevine' rose are vigorous growers and have a nice shape. Usually the plants grow equally tall and wide, which makes this rose a wonderful selection for growing in the form of a large hedge. Similar to other hybrid rugosa roses, this cultivar is also extremely hardy, resistant to diseases and quite easy to grow. This rose is capable of enduring conditions prevailing at sea sides.
Introduced - 1892 'Blanc Double de Coubert' roses bloom profusely at the start of their growing season. Subsequently, the plants bear scattered blossoms in summer as well as fall. The flowers of this hybrid rugosa rose are semi-double and extremely fragrant. Each flower measures about 2 inches to 3 inches across. The petals of 'Blanc Double de Coubert' rose are pure white and have a delicate texture similar to that of tissue paper that creates a wonderful contrast with the dark green, crinkled, leathery leaves of the plant. The canes of this rose have a grey color and the plants produce large orange-red hued hips in fall. The plants of 'Blanc Double de Coubert' are equally broad and tall and they require enough room in the garden to flourish. The plants are exceptionally vigorous growers and generally send out suckers many feet down from their base. This rose is very useful when grown as a hedge or in large garden beds. In addition, it can also be grown as a specimen. 'Blanc Double de Coubert' is considered to be among the best hybrid rugosa roses and is exceptionally hardy, is capable of resisting diseases as well as insects and can endure sandy soil as well as salt spray. Hence, it is an excellent selection for growing in seaside gardens.
Introduced - 1898 'Delicata' rose bears semi-double flowers each measuring 3 inches to 3 � inches across and composed of anything between 18 and 25 petals. The color of the blooms varies from brilliant pink to mauve. The clove-scented flowers appear in profusion at the start of the growing season and repeat till fall. Soon after the flowering season, the plants produce large, orange-red hued hips which are present along with the flowers. Some are of the view that the presence of the flowers and the hips on the 'Delicata' rose plants at the same time creates an unpleasant color combination. Compared to other hybrid rugosa rose plants, the plants of 'Delicata' are low-growing and are compact as well as well branched. The plants seldom grow beyond the height of 3 feet and are effective as garden shrubs. On the other hand, similar to other members of this class of roses, 'Delicata' is exceptionally hardy as well as resistant to diseases. This rose is also capable of enduring seaside conditions.
Introduced - 1891 The flowers of 'Fimbriata' rose practically have no resemblance to the blooms of typical hybrid rugosa roses. In actual fact, the flowers of this rose do not look like roses in any manner, but they have some resemblance with pale pink carnations. However, as far as its toughness is concerned, 'Fimbriata' rose is a typical rugosa as the shrub is capable of enduring extreme cold as well as poor soil and light shade. This rose is not resistant to diseases, but it is almost free from all rose diseases. The flowers of 'Fimbriata' rose have a spicy perfume. The tidy and dense foliage of this hybrid rugosa cultivar along with its dense growth makes this rose a wonderful accent in any perennial border. The hardiness as well as the adaptability of the plants makes this shrub an excellent choice for growing in a challenging site in any northern garden.
Introduced - 1918 This hybrid rugosa rose produces clusters of as many as 20 small, crimson hued flowers all through the growing season. The flowers are double with fringed petals and have a resemblance to carnations. The flowers of 'F. J, Grootendorst' are scentless. The dark green foliage is abundant and rather coarse with a leathery texture. In fact, this cultivar has given rise to many sports, which include 'Pink Grootendorst' having soft pink hued blooms, 'White Grootendorst' bearing white blooms on significantly smaller plants, and 'Grootendorst Supreme' which bears lightly scented flowers that have a deeper red hue compared to the blooms of its parent. The plants of 'F. J. Grootendorst' are vigorous growers and have an upright and bushy habit. It is quite easy to grow this rose. The plants are capable of enduring seaside conditions and resistant to diseases.
Introduced - 1914 'Frau Dagmar Hartopp' is a compact hybrid rugosa rose cultivar that is suitable for growing in smaller gardens. This rose bears light pink, single flowers that unfurl to reveal a tuft of golden hued stamens at their center. The flowers emit a clove-like scent and repeat all through the summer. In fact, this rose blooms continuously all through the summer months and is generally profoundly laden with flowers. Once the flowering season is over in fall, the plants produce large tomato red hued hips while the color of the leaves change to yellow or orange. In order to make sure that the crop of hips and an excellent autumn display, you should plant another hybrid rugosa like species type Rosa rugosa alba or R. rugosa rubra in close vicinity. This will enhance cross pollination and also augment 'Frau Dagmar Hartopp' cultivar's fruit production.
Introduced - 1905 This hybrid rugosa rose cultivar is a large, vigorously growing plant that produces canes with too many thorns. Hence, 'Hansa' rose is an effective plant when grown as a barrier hedge. However, you may find this rose to be extremely attractive to push it to the periphery of the garden. Therefore, you may also grow this rose as an excellent specimen in any herb garden. It is worth mentioning here that 'Hansa' rose is especially well-suited to grow along with herbs since, different from most roses, this cultivar is capable of thriving in arid, sandy soils which is preferred by most herbs. Despite this, 'Hansa' also flourishes on rich soil and performs well in any perennial border. This rose produces large, double, reddish purple blooms having a potent spicy fragrance. This rose blooms freely all through the growing season and once the flowering season is over the plants produce large, orange-red hue hips. The foliage of 'Hansa' is characteristically glossy green and wrinkled.
Introduced - 1976 'Henry Hudson' is among the finest roses that were introduced by Agriculture Canada. This rose is valued for the color of its flowers and hardiness. 'Henry Hudson' bears large, semi-double, white blooms with knots of golden hued stamens at their center. The plants are in bloom all through the summer months. However, the cooler weather in fall may stain the flowers with a touch of pink. The flowers emit a classic rugosa scent - a spicy clove fragrance. Even the foliage of 'Henry Hudson' is characteristic of this class of roses - they may vary from small to midsize and are deeply furrowed. 'Henry Hudson' rose is actually a low-growing shrub that is an excellent selection for growing in a long-blooming hedge that does not require any trimming. Nevertheless, this rose also holds on its own successfully when grown as a specimen shrub. Similar to all other roses introduced by Agriculture Canada, 'Henry Hudson' also roots very easily from cuttings and, once established, grows robustly on its own roots.
Introduced - 1974 'Jens Munk' is another hybrid rugosa rose introduced by Agriculture Canada. This cultivar possesses the same toughness as well as repeat bloom habit of 'Henry Hudson'. On the other hand, it bears large double flowers having a clear medium pink hue. At the center of each flower of 'Jens Munk' is a tuft of threadlike golden hued stamens. 'Jens Munk' offers yet another attraction � its potent, spicy fragrance. The foliage of this rose is clean and medium green. 'Jens Munk' is capable of establishing itself very quickly after transplanting and soon forms a sizeable, well-rounded shrub even when it is grown in demanding sites. However, this rose has one flaw and it is its vulnerability to stem girdler. In addition, this rose produces very few hips. These shortcomings notwithstanding, this hybrid rugosa rose is capable of growing up into a wonderful specimen shrub. The plants are equally tall and wide and perfect for growing as a robust hedge.
Introduced - 1990 This hybrid rugosa rose is a cross breed between hybrid rugosa and a miniature rose. And it is fortunate that 'Linda Campbell' has inherited the attributes of its rugosa parent � cold hardiness and resistance to diseases. Different from many other red hybrid rugosa roses that generally have a tendency to bear purplish or mauve hued blooms, this compact shrub bears pure red flowers. The flowers are borne in large, remarkable sprays all through the summer months and they continue blooming till the fall. The flowers of 'Linda Campbell' are cup-shaped and double. However, their only flaw is that they are scentless. The foliage of this rose is dark green, semi-glossy, while the shrub has a bushy and upright habit. 'Linda Campbell' is an unparalleled rose for growing as a hedge or for using it in the form of a landscape shrub. Alternatively, you may also use this hybrid rugosa rose cultivar in the form of a specimen shrub or a foundation planting.
Introduced - 1919 'Max Graf' bears single, pink hued blooms that have a rather modest look, but they appear in large clusters and somewhat towards the latter part of the growing season. When the flowers of 'Max Graf' start blooming, most other roses have already crossed their peak flowering of their first blush of the growing season. In fact, gardeners have widely used this hybrid rugosa rose cultivar in the form of a low-maintenance ground cover in the urban areas as well as along highways. This rose possesses the ability to flourish even in areas having most wretched growing conditions. When they are grown in places having more friendly growing conditions, such as in any average garden, the large, slightly glossy, dark green leaves present a graceful surrounding for the shrub's own flowers as well as other plantings.
Introduced - 1901 'Roseraie De L'Hay' rose produces long and pointed buds that are scrolled. These buds unfurl into deep crimson hued flowers having creamy stamens and as they mature their color changes to magenta pink. Each semi-double flower of this hybrid rugosa rose measures 4 � inches to 5 inches in diameter. The folded petals of the flowers are loosely arranged. The flowers of 'Roseraie De L'Hay' are extremely fragrant. After the flowering season is over, the plants produce a few hips. The foliage of this rose is compact and has an apple-green color, which turns very vibrant in the fall. Similar to other hybrid rugosa roses, the plants of 'Roseraie De L'Hay' have a vigorous growth. The plants are not only tough, but are well capable of resisting rose diseases. In addition, they are able to endure a wide variety of soils and even conditions prevailing at the sea sides. The repeating blooms as well as the attractive foliage of 'Roseraie De L'Hay' makes it a wonderful choice for growing as hedges or in mixed shrub plantings.
Introduced - 1984 Irrespective of being called 'Rotes Meer' or 'Purple Pavement', the popularity of this new hybrid rugosa rose is growing every day. This rose disproves the age-old criticism that despite being very hardy, hybrid rugosa roses are just too large to be accommodated in smaller gardens or even in the more personal areas if large landscapes. On the other hand, 'Rotes Meer' is a compact, tidy dome that grows up to a height of only 3 feet (0.9 meter) and equally wide. Hence, this rose can even fit in a postage-stamp garden. 'Rotes Meer' is equally suitable for growing as a border accent, a compact landscape shrub and is also the right rose for a low hedge. The foliage of this rose is clean as well as crisp. The flowers are double, fragrant and have a deep violet-crimson hue with complementary golden stamens at the center. The flowers of 'Rotes Meer' are borne roughly continuously all through the summer months till the fall. The autumn display of the plants is indeed most remarkable because new flowers continue to unfurl, while the red hips flatten and mature.
Introduced - 1905 The color of the petals of 'Rugosa Magnifica' rose varies from deep red-purple to lavender and they encircle a tuft of golden hued stamens. This hybrid rugosa rose repeats its double blooms. Following the flowering season, the plants produce large hips of orange-red hue. The foliage of this rose is compact. 'Rugosa Magnifica' rose shrub is extremely vigorous and has a habit of wide-spreading. This rose is effective in mixed shrub plantings, as a hedge or even as a specimen shrub. Similar to other hybrid rugosa roses, 'Rugosa Magnifica' is exceptionally hardy and resistant to diseases. In addition, it possesses the ability to adapt to a wide variety of soils and also endure conditions that prevail at sea sides.
Introduced - 1989 'Snow Owl' rose is a sibling of 'Rotes Meer', but it bears fragrant white blooms. The growth of this rose is as compact as 'Rotes Meer' and the dense and spreading plants are almost covered with foliage. This hybrid rugosa rose bears flat, semi-double flowers freely all through its growing season. The individual flower measures about 3 inches (7.5 cm) across and is composed of anything between 10 and 15 petals. The white flowers give way to striking orange-scarlet hips in autumn. In fact, 'Snow Owl' as well as 'Rotes Meer' is both in the same series of roses named the �pavement roses�, which were initially created for plant on roadsides. In order to survive in these conditions or with practically no maintenance, these roses had to show endurance for heat as well as extreme cold, aside from poor soils, droughts and salt sprays. These attributes make these roses (pavement roses) exceptional selections for planting them along sidewalk as well as driveways. In addition, they are also excellent for growing in seaside gardens and also in the Upper Midwest, southern prairies as well as the high-altitude areas of the Rocky Mountain West, where the prevailing conditions are very demanding.
Introduced - 1950 This hybrid rugosa rose has its origin in Canada and it possesses the toughness that you would expect from a rose that virtually thrives in the cold conditions in Canadian North. However, 'Th�r�se Bugnet' actually offers much more - not only perseverance. In spring, this hybrid rugosa rose produces clusters of clusters of pointed buds that are deep pink and they unfurl into bouquets of large, double, ruffled blooms having lilac-pink hue. The first flush of this rose continues for a long period and it repeat blooms quite frequently and reliably till the growing season comes to an end. However, 'Th�r�se Bugnet' produces a very sparse crop of hips. In fact, as compensation, this rose offers an excellent display of its foliage in fall. During this period, the foliage changes its color from blue-green to rich red. 'Th�r�se Bugnet' is an incredibly hardy rose that blooms for weeks together and is also useful as cut flowers as the higher part of the stems virtually do not have thorns.
