Shrub Roses

This class of modern rose was created by the American Rose Society to include plants with a large and bushy growth habit that eluded other categories. Almost without exception, shrub roses are tough, winter-hardy plants that can tolerate neglect and poor growing conditions. Use shrub roses as landscape plants, mass plantings, hedges, ground covers, or shrub borders. For the most part they are large plants whose decorative flowers bloom in clusters all summer, followed in many cases by showy hips.

The shrub class has many subclasses, including hybrid blanda, hybrid hugonis, hybrid laevigata, hybrid macounii, hybrid macrantha, hybrid moyesii, hybrid musk, hybrid nitida, hybrid nutkana, hybrid rugosa, hybrid suffulta, and kordesii. However, many of these subclasses are obscure and have no members that are commonly grown or sold. Roses that don't fit into any subclass are called simply shrub.

The most commonly grown shrub roses come from the hybrid moyesii, hybrid rugosa, kordesii, hybrid musk, and shrub categories. Hybrid moyesii are large, stiff, winter-hardy plants that usually grow to 6 feet in height. All have uniquely attractive red hips following the bloom, and most are very disease resistant. Hybrid rugosa roses are hardy, disease resistant, easy to care for, and tolerant of salt air. They have wrinkled foliage, dense growth, and attractive hips.

Kordesii are modern shrubs and low-growing climbers that are very hardy and offer a variety of flower forms and colors. Hybrid musk roses have large clusters of flowers that have a heavy fragrance. Most, although not all, have single flowers. Hybrid musk roses are tall, disease resistant, and winter hardy. Members of the catchall shrub category have varied backgrounds but are generally large, winter hardy, and disease-resistant plants.

Many shrub roses hail from the turn of the century, but in recent years there have been many new introductions as growers rediscover their beauty, charm, and value as landscape plants.

'Abraham Darby' Roses (Introduced - 1985)

One parent of 'Abraham Darby' is the climbing hybrid tea 'Aloha', so although this rose may be maintained as a large shrub, with a little training it will also perform well as a climber. Its large, double, cupped, apricot-pink flowers suffused with yellow will cover a trellis or wall and perfume your garden.
Like most English roses, 'Abraham Darby' combines an old-fashioned look and fragrance with the everblooming habit of a modern rose. It's a good choice for temperate parts of the Northeast and Midwest, and a superb one in the Mid-Atlantic states, Pacific Northwest, and Southwest.

'Alba Meidiland' Roses (Introduced - 1989)

White with a hint of pink, the continually flowering 2-inch double blooms of 'Alba Meidiland' rose appear in small clusters on plants that grow 2 feet high and spread 6 feet wide. Useful as a ground cover or in a massed planting, this shrub rose has small, dark green foliage.

'Alchymist' Roses (Introduced - 1956)

The breeder of this rose didn't start with lead, but he did produce true gold, something the old-time alchemists could only dream of: tall and rangy, 'Alchymist' may be grown as a shrub or a fountain of arching canes, or this rose can be tied in as a climber to shinny up a pillar. The flowers, as the name suggests, have golden over-tones, but the yellow is mixed with apricot to give the blossoms a luscious warmth. The flowers are quartered -the petals arranged in a cruciform -which gives them an old-fashioned look, and the shrub behaves like an antique, flowering heavily in early summer but very little or not at all subsequently. Like all the Kordes shrubs, this one is notably cold hardy.

'All That Jazz' Roses (Introduced - 1990)

'All That Jazz' rose has an outstanding and prolific flowering effect against glossy, dark green foliage that is very disease resistant. The open flowers have 12 petals and are 5 to 6 inches across. They are a coral-salmon blend with a moderate damask fragrance. Plants grow upright to 5- feet in height.

'Assiniboine' Roses (Introduced - 1962)

This is a rose for northern gardeners, especially Canadians of the prairie provinces, who can claim this introduction from the Morden Research Station in Manitoba as one of their own. 'Assiniboine' doesn't need to appeal to patriotism, however, for gardeners south of the border will be just as appreciative of this hardy, healthy, reliable shrub that survives intense cold unprotected. Its only fault (if it can be called one) is that the rebloom is intermittent; this shrub blooms in surges rather than continuously. While not as showy as the blossoms of the typical hybrid tea, the flowers are definitely worth waiting for. They are large, semi-double, and wine red.

'Ausburn' Roses (Introduced - 1986)

'Ausburn' (also known as 'Robbie Burns') is a diminutive modern shrub rose with small, single flowers, each having five petals. Like many of the English roses bred by David Austin, this rose is reminiscent of older rose types, with a commanding fragrance and an old-fashioned character. The blooms are light pink with a white center, and the small leaves are a medium matte green.
The small size of this rose makes it a useful addition to beds and borders, where it can be used in the foreground. This rose is very effective planted in groups.

'Autumn Delight' Roses (Introduced - 1933)

Hybrid musk. Single, fragrant, white, 3-inch flowers have red stamens and are borne in large clusters all summer on 4- to 5-foot plants.

'Basye's Blueberry' Roses (Introduced - 1982)

If you're tired of pruning thorny branches, this modern shrub rose is for you. Its rounded leaves, thornless stems, and reddish fall color give it the look of a blueberry bush. The difference lies in the flowers: 'Basye's Blueberry' bears large, fragrant, pink, semi-double flowers with bright yellow stamens repeatedly throughout the growing season.
Though it is hardy well into the North, 'Basye's Blueberry' was bred in central Texas by the late Dr. Robert Basye of Texas A&M University, and it flourishes in that region's heavy clay, alkaline soils. An outstanding shrub for the Southeast, this rose should prove a good choice for the Southwest and Rocky Mountain West, too.

'Belle Story' Roses (Introduced - 1984)

The sweetly scented flowers of 'Belle Story' are large and semi-double, resembling peonies. A David Austin rose, this is a heavy bloomer, repeating well through the season. The wide-spreading, soft pink petals curve inward, fashioning a broad cup that accentuates golden yellow stamens. The abundant foliage is light green and semi-glossy.
Plants are vigorous and healthy. They grow as broad as they do tall, forming a rounded 4-foot shrub that is well suited to a bed or border. Like many others of David Austin's English roses, this one is very hardy.

'Bishop Darlington' Roses (Introduced - 1926)

Hybrid musk. Oval buds appear all summer, opening into cream-colored to flesh pink flowers with a yellow glow. The 3-inch blooms are semi-double (with 17 petals), cupped, and have a fruity fragrance. Foliage is soft and bronzy on a plant that grows 4- to 7- feet tall and can be used as a freestanding shrub or low-growing climber.

'Bloomfield Dainty' Roses (Introduced - 1924)

Hybrid musk. Long, pointed, deep coral to orange buds open into canary yellow, single, 2-inch, fragrant flowers that appear in clusters all season. The bright yellow fades to soft creamy pink with deeper pink at the edges of the petals. Glossy leaves cover the 5- to 7-foot plant.

'Bloomin' Easy' Roses (Introduced - 1988)

Bright red, double, 3-inch flowers bloom in small clusters all season on bushy plants that grow 4 to 6 feet high and have dark green, disease-resistant foliage. This variety is a dense grower ideally suited for a hedge.

'Bonica' Roses (Introduced - 1982)

This is the rose that, more than any other, persuaded gardeners to look again at roses for use as landscape shrubs. In 1987, 'Bonica' became the first shrub rose ever to be named an All-America Rose Selection. That is an honor awarded to just a couple of new roses each year, after a selection process based on evaluation in certified gardens all over the United States.
Vigorous and outstandingly healthy, 'Bonica' makes a fine accent in a mixed border, is a low-maintenance hedging plant, and works well with other shrubs in a foundation planting. Its 1-2 in (2.5 -5.0cm) diameter, medium pink, double flowers with lighter edges are produced in dusters in midsummer, with excellent repeat bloom.

'Bonica '82'' Roses (Introduced - 1981)

This shrub is so named to distinguish it from another rose called 'Bonica', although it is often listed in catalogs simply as 'Bonica'. Warm pink, 1- to 2-inch flowers with light pink on the edges and the outsides of the petals appear in profusion on spreading, arching, 3- to 6-foot plants. Each flower has 40 or more petals. The tiny foliage is dark green, glossy, and very disease resistant.

'Carefree Beauty' Roses (Introduced - 1977)

This is the best known of the hardy "prairie roses" that Griffith Buck bred at Iowa State University. His goal was to combine cold tolerance with disease resistance and abundant flowering. This rose bears large (4 1/2 in [11.5cm]), fragrant, semi-double, light rose flowers in clusters on vigorous canes, and blooms into the fall to bear an attractive crop of hips.

'Carefree Delight' Roses (Introduced - 1994)

Carefree Delight lives up to its name in its resistance to the most troublesome diseases: mildew, blackspot, and rose rust. The clusters of single, 3 1/2 in (9cm) wide, carmine-pink flowers, each with a creamy white center, show up strikingly against the dark green foliage, and they appear and reappear throughout the growing season.
Like the rest of the Meidiland roses, bred in France by the Meilland family nursery, 'Carefree Delight' rose requires no more maintenance than an azalea or a lilac: just an early-spring feeding with a slow-release fertilizer and a light shaping with the pruning shears a month or so later. For a carefree flowering shrub or hedge, this plant has few equals among roses, or indeed among any other kind of garden shrub.

'Carefree Wonder' Roses (Introduced - 1990)

Bred from one of Dr. Griffith Buck's roses ('Prairie Princess'), 'Carefree Wonder' rose has that parent's hardiness and disease resistance, combined with a truly spectacular display of flowers. In midseason large, medium pink, double blooms begin to open in sprays of one to four, each with a lighter pink reverse and a white eye. In cool weather, the petals develop a deep pink etching. In 1991, this became the second shrub rose ever to win an All-America Rose Selection award, and this rose is superb as a low-maintenance landscape shrub or an informal, unclipped hedge.

'Champlain' Roses (Introduced - 1982)

'Champlain' rose is not only extraordinarily hardy, it's also a remarkably generous shrub, producing clusters of rich, velvety red blossoms nearly continuously from early summer until the first hard frost of fall. Each of these blossoms is a doubled cup of petals with a tuft of golden stamens at the center. This rose would be a winner even if it weren't so disease resistant and tough. Its only fault, if this is indeed a fault, is that this shrub is slow to make new growth, and is not an outstandingly vigorous grower.

'Constance Spry' Roses (Introduced - 1961)

The first of David Austin's English Roses, 'Constance Spry' rose was only a partial realization of the nurseryman's dream. His goal (which he has since achieved) was to combine the classic form and beauty of the old garden roses with the everblooming habit of contemporary ones, but 'Constance Spry' rose blooms just once a season. Even so, this rose has been a great success, winning enduring popularity among a generation of gardeners with its large, cupped, double flowers. Ranging in color from pale to medium pink, these blossoms have the elegant form of an old rose -and the sweet fragrance, too.
Had the flowers been less appealing, 'Constance Spry' rose would certainly have won a following with its carefree, reliable nature. This rose just grows well. Its long canes can be contained through pruning, and this rose can be grown as a large-flowered specimen shrub. If allowed to stretch, this rose makes an outstanding, vigorous climber.

'Country Dancer' Roses (Introduced - 1973)

If your space for roses is limited and you want a single rose that will function as a practical, attractive landscape shrub and provide cut flowers for the house, 'Country Dancer' rose is the cultivar for you. Its fragrant, deep rose, semi-double flowers bloom all summer on a healthy shrub with glossy dark green leaves. The individual blossoms have an elegance and visual impact that makes them effective contributors to a floral arrangement, and as cut flowers they are unusually long-lasting. This rose's compact size makes it ideal for smaller spaces.

'Fair Bianca' Roses (Introduced - 1982)

The English roses tend to be more expansive in our sunnier North American climates than in their native Britain, so fitting them into a small garden can be difficult. 'Fair Bianca', however, offers a good solution to that problem. Even at the Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California, where many of the English roses perform more like climbers than shrubs, 'Fair Bianca' roses remains a compact, reblooming shrub. Its heirloom-type flowers are fully double and cupped, with small green eyes at the center. The perfume is powerful and reminiscent of anise.

'Flower Carpet Pink' Roses (Introduced - 1989)

When this rose was introduced onto the market, it was trumpeted as "the environmental rose", a shrub that flourished without the protection of sprays. In fact, it is a hardy, reliable rose where the weather is cool. In the Southeast, however, this rose is not immune to blackspot and mildew, and this rose grows best with some protection from the afternoon sun.
Where it likes the climate, 'Flower Carpet Pink' rose is a terrific shrub to use as a low hedge or ground cover or to combine with perennials in a mixed border. The rose bears 1 1/2 in (3.8cm) wide, deep pink, semi- double blooms in clusters of 15-25 flowers well into the fall. These late flowers show up vividly against this rose's autumn foliage of red and bronze.

'Frühlingsmorgen' Roses (Introduced - 1942)

The Kordes nursery, Germany's leading producer of roses, has kept as its goal through several generations of family ownership to produce roses adapted to northern Europe's often harsh climate. Yet 'Frühlingsmorgen', despite a robust nature, has a deceptively delicate appearance. The name means "spring morning ', and in fact this rose is one of the first to bloom in the spring. With its simple charm, this rose is reminiscent of a species type, and like the wild roses, it does not rebloom. (There may be a few additional flowers later on in the year, but the gardener should not count on this.) The large, single flowers have rose pink to cherry pink petals with primrose yellow centers surrounding bright maroon stamens. This rose makes a fine informal flowering hedge, but it also works well as a specimen shrub.

'Gartendirektor Otto Linne' Roses (Introduced - 1934)

The ruffled blossoms of 'Gartendirektor Otto linne' are borne on long stems in slightly pendulous clusters of up to 30 blooms. Individual flowers are double and have a moderate, carnation-like fragrance. The carmine-pink petals are edged with a darker pink and are yellow-white at the base. Foliage is leathery and bright apple green.
This rose is vigorous and bushy. The rose can be used to create an elegant hedge and in mild climates can be trained as a climber. Disease resistance is very good.

'Golden Unicorn' Roses (Introduced - 1984)

Dr. Griffith Buck's vision for the rose was a populist one: he sought to create a strain of shrubs that would flourish with minimal care in the climatic extremes of this continent's heartland. It's ironic that today his rose should be known mainly to connoisseurs. That is changing, however, as a new generation of nurserymen reintroduces them to the general public. It still takes some hunting to locate 'Golden Unicorn' rose, but hopefully that is changing.
It should, for this rose is a wonderfully hardy shrub that bears large, fragrant, shallow-cupped blossoms of yellow edged with orange-red. This shrub's disease resistance and abundant, recurrent bloom make it a terrific landscape rose for northern gardens.

'Golden Wings' Roses (Introduced - 1956)

'Golden Wings' has long been considered a valuable landscape shrub because of its hardiness, disease resistance, and recurrent bloom. One of the first roses to bloom in spring, this rose attracts the foraging honeybees with its 2 1/2 - 3 in (6.5 - 7.5cm), pale yellow, five-petaled disks. These flowers are highly fragrant, and the knots of saffron-colored stamens at their centers give them a special interest. The light green foliage is notably disease resistant but may prove susceptible to blackspot in humid climates.
Attractive as a large, upright shrub, 'Golden Wings' rose can also be trained to climb a wall or run along a split-rail fence.

'Graham Thomas' Roses (Introduced - 1983)

Named for the great British plantsman and rose historian, 'Graham Thomas' rose was the first truly yellow English rose, and many gardeners today consider it the finest yellow rose of all. Its double, cupped, 4 in (10cm) flowers are a luminous deep gold, and they have a warm tea rose fragrance. To create his English roses, nurseryman David Austin crosses old, once-blooming roses with modern everbloomers, and the frequency with which his roses rebloom varies from cultivar to cultivar. 'Graham Thomas' rose falls somewhere in the middle: it bears a large flush of flowers in late spring or early summer and then reblooms somewhat irregularly. A large and lanky shrub at the northern edge of its range, it makes a wonderful climber in warmer climates.

'Grootendorst Supreme' Roses (Introduced - 1936)

Hybrid rugosa. This sport of 'F. J. Grootendorst' is identical to it in all respects except that its flowers are a deeper and brighter crimson-red.

'Hanseat' Roses (Introduced - 1961)

Single, five-petaled flowers are bright rose-pink with a lighter pink center surrounding bright red stamens. The blooms are cupped, 3 inches across, and fragrant, appearing all summer on 6-foot plants.

'Hawkeye Belle' Roses (Introduced - 1975)

This rose descends in part from the great grandiflora rose 'Queen Elizabeth' (the original rose of that class). Through a series of crosses involving his own 'Prairie Princess', Griffith Buck created something that, like the grandiflora roses, bears roses of the hybrid tea type but is considerably hardier. His new rose, 'Hawkeye Belle', is a healthy landscape shrub that bears flowers like those of a hybrid tea. The long pink buds open to large (4 1/2 in [ 11.5cm ]), double, white flowers with an azalea pink flush. These blossoms are strongly fragrant and borne abundantly over a long season. The shrub itself is relatively compact, a 4 ft (12m) mound of foliage and flowers.

'Heidelberg' Roses (Introduced - 1959)

Kordesii. Clusters of 4-inch, bright crimson-red flowers with a lighter red reverse bloom on bushy, 7- to 15-foot plants that can be used as shrubs or trained as climbers to a pillar or a trellis. Blooms are high centered, have 32 petals, and appear atop glossy, leathery foliage.

'Heritage' Roses (Introduced - 1984)

The blush pink double flowers of this David Austin rose are colored a bit deeper toward their centers. Their form is exquisite, with the outer petals forming a deep cup around precisely arranged and folded inner petals. Profusely borne in clusters throughout the summer, they create a cloud of rich scent that is a blend of myrrh and lemon. Foliage is dark green and semi-glossy. The canes have few thorns.
The plant is a robust grower with a bushy, upright habit. This rose is a fine addition to beds or borders, makes a wonderful hedge, and provides a long season of cut flowers. Plants are fairly disease resistant but may be susceptible to rust.

'Illusion' Roses (Introduced - 1961)

Another good shrub for the north country, 'Illusion' bears bunches of medium-size, lightly fragrant, double, red flowers in early summer. After reblooming moderately in midsummer, this rose starts flowering heavily again at summer's end and into the fall. Nurseryman Wilhelm Kordes bred this from two exceptionally hardy and disease-resistant species. In the warmer part of Connecticut range, 'Illusion' develops long, flexible canes that can be trained along a fence or up a trellis.

'Immensee' Roses (Introduced - 1982)

The small flowers of 'Immensee' are pale pink to almost white, single, and quite fragrant. The blooms appear in profusion in the spring and repeat well throughout the season. The leaves are small in proportion to the flowers and are dark green and glossy.
This rose has a low-growing, spreading habit; canes may spread as wide as 13 feet. This rose is useful as a flowering ground cover. This rose, bred by Kordes of Germany using R. wichuraiana, is very hardy and resistant to disease.

'John Cabot' Roses (Introduced - 1978)

The rose pink to cherry red blooms of 'John Cabot' are produced in abundance over a 6-week period in the summer and then sporadically into the fall. Each 2 1/2-inch double flower has 30 to 35 petals arranged in a loose cup around yellow stamens. Blossoms are borne in clusters and show up well against medium green foliage.
'John Cabot', a kordesii shrub in the Explorer series, can be grown as a shrub or a climber. As a shrub it can be maintained at a height of 4 to 5 feet but needs considerable room to spread. The plant is very vigorous, with an upright habit and long, arching canes. If grown as a climber, this rose takes about four seasons to reach its ultimate height of 8 to 10 feet. Foliage is disease resistant. This is an exceptionally hardy rose.

'John Franklin' Roses (Introduced - 1980)

Clusters of up to 30 medium red flowers are produced continuously on this rose. The semi-double blooms are 2 1/2 inches across, and each has approximately 25 petals. Flowers are fragrant. Leaves are round, and canes bear yellow-green prickles tinted with purple.
The upright, bushy plants are easy to use in the landscape. Their extended bloom period make them an asset in beds and borders. An Explorer series rose, 'John Franklin' tolerates both heat and cold and is disease resistant.

'Kathleen' Roses (Introduced - 1922)

Hybrid musk. Single, richly fragrant blush pink flowers are small (1 to 1 1/2 inches), but bloom in large clusters all summer. The prominent stamens give the blooms the appearance of apple blossoms. Vigorous plants grow 6- to 12- feet tall and have disease-resistant foliage. Orange hips form in the fall.

'La Sevillana' Roses (Introduced - 1978)

With the vermilion, semi-double flowers that this rose bears in large clusters in early summer to midsummer, 'La Sevillana' makes a bold statement massed as a ground cover or landscape shrub. In autumn, this rose blooms all over again, making this a great rose rather than merely a good one. It can add a flamboyant splash of color to a summer border and more than holds its own in a foundation planting or as a low hedge. The foliage is attractive, too: a dark bronze-green.

'Lavender Dream' Roses (Introduced - 1984)

Masses of 2- to 3-inch, semi-double (16 petals), medium lavender-pink flowers that bloom in sprays all season cover long, arching canes that grow 5- feet high and more than 5- feet wide.

'Leander' Roses (Introduced - 1982)

'Leander', a David Austin rose, produces a dizzying profusion of deep-apricot-colored flowers in spring and early summer. Borne in clusters, the blooms are small and very double, and have a fruity fragrance. Although the rose is not considered a repeat bloomer, flowers may reappear later in the season. Semi- glossy leaves are medium in both size and color.
This rose has a full habit, growing nearly as wide as it is tall, and makes a fine large garden shrub. This rose is among the most disease resistant of the English roses.

'L.D. Braithwaite' Roses (Introduced - 1988)

This vigorous, open shrub looks best at the back of a border, where its somewhat sparse foliage will not appear as a defect and its clusters of large, fully double, fire-engine red flowers can preside over the surrounding blossoms. 'L.D. Braithwaite' rose blooms consistently throughout the season, but in the heat of midsummer the color may fade to cerise-pink.
An unusually dependable rose, 'L.D. Braithwaite' blooms well even in situations where this rose receives as few as five hours of direct sunlight a day.

'Malaguena' Roses (Introduced -1976)

Double flowers with 28 petals are 4 inches wide, shallowly cupped, slightly fragrant, and pale to medium geranium pink. Spots like freckles appear on the inner petals. Blooms appear heavily early in the season and intermittently the rest of the season. Foliage is large, dark green, and leathery, and covers an erect, bushy, 3- to 4-foot, very hardy plant.

'Mary Rose' Roses (Introduced - 1983)

This neat shrub has sprays of rich pink, 4- to 5-inch double rosette-shaped flowers with a strong damask fragrance and moderate repeat bloom. Plants grow 4- to 6- feet tall.

'Maytime' Roses (Introduced - 1975)

Carmine-rose to soft coral flowers with yellow bases are single (with 6 to 10 petals), shallowly cupped, fragrant, and 3 1/2 to 4 inches across. Long-lasting flowers appear all summer on bushy, 3- to 4-foot, very hardy plants with dark bronzy green, leathery foliage.

'Morden Blush' Roses (Introduced - 1988)

A bit freer in its flowering than some of the other Morden roses, this shrub bears sprays of 2-3 in (5-7.5cm), flattened, double flowers throughout the summer. Despite its name, the flower color is more like the recovery from a blush: the blossoms of 'Morden Blush' open a light peach-pink, then fade to ivory. The foliage is matte green and generally healthy, though in humid eastern summers this rose may show some susceptibility to blackspot. This shrub's low, compact growth, hardiness, and recurrent bloom have earned it a place in smaller gardens and in cold climates, but it's also popular in larger, warmer gardens as well.

'Morden Ruby' Roses (Introduced - 1977)

This shrub outdoes itself in early summer with a heavy crop of flowers, then settles in to bloom at a more moderate rate through the rest of the summer and into the fall. The blossoms, which are borne in clusters of 5-10, are large (3 in [7.5cm] in diameter on average), very double, and, as the name suggests, ruby red. Their fragrance is only slight.
'Morden Ruby' rose makes an imposing shrub with a spreading habit even in adverse climates. All in all, this is an outstanding shrub for a landscape specimen or a flowering hedge in a cold, exposed site.

'Music Maker' Roses (Introduced - 1973)

Double, high-centered, light pink flowers are 3 to 4 inches across and fragrant. They bloom repeatedly in clusters of six to eight. The light green, leathery glossy, disease-free foliage covers bushy, 2- to 3-foot very hardy plants.

'Nevada' Roses (Introduced - 1927)

Hybrid moyesii. Pink or apricot buds open into creamy white, 4- to 5-inch flowers that are often splashed with red and bloom on short stems. Each bloom has prominent, attractive, golden stamens. Plants are vigorous, grow 5- to 7- feet tall, and have good repeat bloom.

'Othello' Roses (Introduced - 1990)

Also known as 'Auslo', this rose has fully double, cupped, 4- to 5-inch flowers that are rich crimson to burgundy with a heavy old-rose fragrance. As the flowers fade, they turn mauve to purple. There is moderate repeat bloom. Vigorous, thorny, spreading plants grow 5- to 6- feet tall and are highly disease resistant.

'Paulii Rosea' Roses (Introduced - 1912)

The flowers of 'Paulii Rosea' are single and a clear pink. Their silky-textured petals are deeply notched, pleated, and white at the base, surrounding bright yellow stamens. Flowers, which are lightly fragrant, appear in summer only and do not repeat. Foliage is medium green; young wood is lime colored.
'Paulii Rosea' is low and sprawling, rarely exceeding 3 feet in height but spreading up to 10 or 12 feet. It is useful as a ground cover on sunny slopes or can be trained as a climber on fences and trellises. This rose prefers an open, sunny site and rich soil, and is susceptible to mildew.

'Pearl Meidiland' Roses (Introduced - 1989)

Iridescent, dainty pastel pink, semi-double 2- to 3-inch flowers bloom in clusters all summer on vigorous, spreading plants that grow 2 feet high and 6 feet wide and have deep green foliage.

'Pink Grootendorst' Roses (Introduced - 1923)

Hybrid rugosa. This sport of 'F. J. Grootendorst' is identical to it in all ways except the flowers are a clean medium pink fading to dusty pink as the blooms age.

'Pink Meidiland' Roses (Introduced - 1985)

Upright, repeat-blooming plants grow 4 feet high and have single, deep pink, 3- to 4-inch flowers with white eyes. The leaves are small, medium green, and glossy.

'Prairie Flower' Roses (Introduced - 1975)

Cardinal red flowers have white centers and seven petals that open flat into 2- to 3-inch blooms. Flowers have a slight fragrance and appear singly or in clusters all summer above dark green, leathery foliage on bushy, 4-foot plants. 'Prairie Flower' rose is one of 11 roses (whose names all begin with "Prairie") hybridized by Professor Griffith Buck of Iowa State University. All are very winter hardy.

'Ralph's Creeper' Roses (Introduced - 1987)

Single, bright red 2-inch flowers have a white to yellow eye and a cluster of prominent golden stamens. They bloom repeatedly all summer. Best used as a ground cover, this plant grows 1 1/2 feet high and spreads to 6 feet or more. The foliage is small and glossy and the fragrance is that of apple blossoms.

'Red Meidiland' Roses (Introduced - 1989)

Deep red, single 1- to 2-inch flowers with white centers bloom continually in heavy clusters on plants that grow 1 1/2 feet high and 5 feet wide-dimensions that make them useful as a ground cover. Abundant orange-red hips appear in the fall.

'Rosenstadt Zweibrücken' Roses (Introduced - 1989)

For four generations, Kordes family has been breeding prizewinning roses that have been favorites among European gardeners. 'Rosenstadt Zweibrücken' is a particularly easy one to like. Many of the Kordesii shrubs are sprawling plants, but this cultivar is compact, almost a dwarf; and perfectly suited to smaller gardens or for inclusion in a mixed border. 'Rosenstadt Zweibrücken' rose bears almost single coral-red blooms with yellow centers punctuated by brilliant red stamens.

'Prospero' Roses (Introduced - 1983)

The double gallica-like blooms of 'Prospero' open crimson with mauve shadings and mature to a rich purple. Flowers are flat, with small petals perfectly arranged in symmetrical rosettes, and exceptionally fragrant. They begin blooming in spring and repeat well throughout the season. Foliage is a dark matte green.
This is a David Austin rose. 'Prospero' has an upright, bushy habit. Its compact size makes it appropriate for small gardens and containers, and the blooms are glorious in arrangements. A somewhat finicky plant, this rose requires exceptionally good soil for satisfactory growth.

'Robusta' Roses (Introduced - 1979)

The 2 1/2-inch single scarlet flowers of 'Robusta' rose are borne prolifically throughout the season on this aptly named plant. The blooms are pleasantly scented. Foliage is dense and very handsome, though somewhat coarse. The dark green, leathery, glossy leaves provide a rich foil for the blooms. Thick canes are armed with nail-like prickles.
This vigorous rose has a full, bushy habit. This rose is ideal for use as an impenetrable hedge when plants are spaced 4 feet apart, and it's a good choice for a specimen shrub or for planting along a fence.

'Sally Holmes' Roses (Introduced - 1976)

The single blossoms of 'Sally Holmes' rose are borne in profusion in large, compact clusters. Buds are apricot, opening to creamy white 3 1/2-inch blooms that turn pure white as they mature. Petals surround bright golden stamens. The flowers are delicately fragrant. Foliage is leathery, dark green, and shiny.
This robust rose can be grown as a large mounding shrub with a height of 4 to 6 feet and an equal spread. It makes a dramatic specimen or can be used in a large border. 'Sally Holmes' can also be trained as a climber, in which case it can reach 12 feet. Plants are disease resistant and tolerant of heat and partial shade. The flowers are exceptionally long-lasting in indoor arrangements.

'Scarlet Meidiland' Roses (Introduced - 1985)

Small, cherry pink, semi-double flowers in large clusters cover this plant in midseason, and the shrub reblooms reliably into fall. That's when 'Scarlet Meidiland' develops its second source of color: in fall, the shrub bears bright red hips, and these persist well into winter. Bred for hardiness and disease resistance, 'Scarlet Meidiland' rose also tolerates light shade. The vigorous, trailing growth of the canes makes this a good choice for a tall ground cover or for planting in areas that receive little maintenance. All in all, this rose is a star, even by comparison with its remarkable relatives, the Meidiland roses.

'Sea Foam' Roses (Introduced - 1964)

The creamy white flowers of 'Sea Foam' are 2 to 3 inches across and are borne in large clusters throughout the growing season. Buds are rounded, and open to cupped or flat blossoms with short petals that stand out well against the small, dark, glossy leaves. This rose has a slight fragrance.
The plant is exceptionally versatile, with a vigorous, semi-prostate or trailing habit that, unless supported, generally does not exceed 2 1/2 or 3 feet in height. Its long, arching canes, however, may spread 8 to 12 feet. 'Sea Foam' rose can be used in the landscape as a ground cover, a mounded shrub, or as a climber on pillars or walls. Its flowers are delightful for cutting. Plants are easy to grow and quite disease resistant.

'Sparrieshoop' Roses (Introduced - 1953)

Large (4-inch), single, very fragrant, light pink flowers have five broad, wavy petals and prominent golden stamens. They bloom all summer on upright, bushy plants that can grow 5- to 10- feet high.

'Sunny June' Roses (Introduced - 1952)

Deep canary yellow flowers have five petals, are 3 1/2 inches across, and are slightly cupped to flat. Blooms have deep red stamens and a spicy fragrance, and appear in large clusters all summer. Dark and glossy black spot-resistant foliage covers an upright, 8-foot, hardy plant best grown as a pillar rose.

'Tamora' Roses (Introduced - 1983)

'Tamora' rose is easy-to-grow,  and outstanding performers.
This rose produces fragrant, fully double rosettes in shades of apricot with pink-orange shadings on a slow-growing, compact shrub that flourishes as a container plant or in the front of a border. Since 'Tamora' performs best in warmer climates and thrives in dry conditions, this rose is especially at home in the Southwest.

'White Meidiland' Roses (Introduced - 1986)

'White Meidiland' rose bears the largest flowers of the Meidiland series, and the blossoms are unusually full, with more than 40 petals each. As the name indicates, the flowers are white -pure white -and they make a striking contrast to the dark green, glossy foliage. Unfortunately, the blossoms don't fall away naturally as they wither, so the bush can look distinctly shabby at the end of a heavy flush of bloom unless you take the time to deadhead it.
This low, spreading shrub can make a spectacular display when several plants are massed together to spill over the edge of a retaining wall or cascade down a slope. Yet 'White Meidiland' rose serves equally well as a specimen plant, if placed where each sumptuous flower can be admired in detail.

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