The variety of rose species and varieties is huge - the only thing they have in common is their beauty. We introduce you to the most beautiful and popular classes of roses.
Roses (Rosa) are a classic in the home garden. Maybe you've thought about getting your own specimen, but couldn't decide due to the huge selection of varieties. After all, the chosen one should not only correspond to the personal taste of the flower color and shape, but also cope with the conditions in the garden. In rougher locations, for example, you should attach great importance to the weather tolerance, winter hardiness and robustness of the plant. Depending on the intended use, the growth form and flowering behavior are also important decision criteria.
The many different varieties are assigned to individual classes of roses, which in turn can be combined into groups. However, there may be some overlap here. In order to give you an overview of the variety of roses, we would like to briefly explain the differences between the individual rose classes and groups. In addition, we present you with a quick run-through of some of the most beautiful varieties in each category.
Rose Beds
Many different varieties are summarized under the term "bed roses". In addition to the large-flowered hybrid tea roses, this also includes the cluster-flowered floribunda and polyantha roses. Regular pruning keeps the bed roses low and they can be planted in groups or in large areas in the garden.
We find the following types of florets particularly beautiful:
- 'Bonica '82'
Robust variety with light pink flowers from June to September; can train rose hips; luxuriant growth; grows up to 80 cm high; rainproof and frost hardy - ‘Greeting to Aachen’
First Floribunda pink; double, creamy-white flowers; yellowish-pink in the center; delicate fragrance; bushy growth (height up to 90 cm); hardy - 'Friesia'
Medium sized golden yellow flowers; pleasant smell; long and rich flowering;upright growth; many branches; grows about 60 cm high; good weather resistance - ‘Sirius’
Semi-double flowers in apricot to creamy white; flowering size; bushy, upright growth; very good leaf he alth; was awarded the ADR Rose in 2013; hardy - ‘La Sevillana’
Bright red semi-double flowers; delicate fragrance; forms orange rose hips; grows up to 80 cm high; good leaf he alth; heat tolerant
You can find a comprehensive article with floribunda varieties here.
Shrub and bush roses
When you think of roses, you often have a richly flowering bush in mind. According to the growth form, these are so-called shrub roses. They can be used in a variety of ways in the garden and are also particularly easy to care for. While small shrub roses (ground cover roses) only reach a height of about 100 centimeters, large shrub roses can sometimes reach a height of up to 250 centimeters. Therefore, many varieties can also be used wonderfully for hedges or as background planting.
Here is a selection of small shrub/bush rose varieties (height from 100 to 150 cm):
- 'Angela'
Small, semi-double, dusky pink flowers; blooming often; grows compact; reaches heights of about 80 to 120 cm; good leaf he alth; hardy; suitable for container planting - 'Belvedere'
Double flowers in apricot-orange; blooming often; bitter scent; reaches heights of about 120 to 150 cm; medium leaf he alth; Flowers are long lasting - 'Friedenslicht'
Double, creamy-white flowers; blooming often; light fragrance; upright, slightly arching habit; grows about 120 to 150 cm high; pretty tough; rainproof flowers; frost hardy - 'Herkules'
Double, lavender flowers; blooming often; smells of pear; upright, bushy growth with overhanging shoots (about 100 to 140 cm high); robust; hardy - 'Rhapsody in Blue'
Semi-double, purplish-purple flowers with white centers; blooming often; light fragrance; upright, bushy habit (up to 120 cm high); medium leaf he alth
If there is enough space in the garden, the following shrub rose varieties are also suitable for planting in the bed (height from 150 to 200 cm):
- 'Bonanza'
Semi-double yellow flowers with reddish edge; blooming often; delicate fragrance;upright, bushy growth; reaches heights of about 150 to 200 cm; very good leaf he alth; frost hardy - 'Eden Rose 85'
Double flowers from white-pink to a rich pink; blooming often; slightly fruity fragrance; bushy growth; reaches heights of up to 200 cm; rainproof and heat-resistant - 'Ghislaine de Feligonde'
Small, double flowers from soft yellow to creamy white; blooming often; elegant fragrance; strong, overhanging growth; grows about 150 to 200 cm high; good leaf he alth; hardy - 'Nevada'
Slightly double flowers in creamy white; once blooming; arching overhanging growth (up to 220 cm high); robust; frost hardy; suitable for single stands or mixed shrub hedges - 'Westerland'
Semi-double flowers of bright coppery orange; blooming often; good smelling; upright, bushy growth; grows up to 180 cm high; good leaf he alth; for sunny locations
You can also find a comprehensive collection of the most popular shrub rose varieties here.
Climbing Roses
Climbing roses are characterized by their vigor and their particularly long shoots. Within the rose class, the climbing roses are subdivided again: Real climbing roses bloom several times a year and reach a height of about three meters. In contrast, rambler roses form very elastic shoots that can reach a length of up to ten meters. They are particularly suitable for growing over pergolas or rose arches. But not only in the growth habit, but also in the flower shape and color there are sometimes very big differences within the rose class.
In the following we would like to present a small selection of climbing rose varieties:
- ‘Aloha’
Double flowers in apricot; intense fragrance; blooming often; grows about 220 to 280 cm high; very good leaf he alth; conditionally hardy - winter protection recommended - 'Jasmina'
Numerous double flowers in pink to violet; blooming often; intense scent of apple; reaches heights of growth of up to 300 cm; hardy - 'Laguna'
Double flowers in pink; blooming often; strong, fruity fragrance; grows about 220 to 280 cm high; good leaf he alth (ADR rose); hardy - 'Moonlight'
Semi-double flowers in lemon yellow; blooming often; strong, fruity fragrance; grows up to 250 cm high; good leaf he alth; hardy - 'New Dawn'
Double flowers in delicatepearly pink; blooming often; light fragrance; reaches heights of growth of up to 350 cm; very robust
We have prepared an overview article on planting, care and pruning of climbing roses for you here.
You can find more beautiful and robust climbing rose varieties in our special article.
Dwarf Roses
Dwarf roses are characterized by their compact growth and are therefore also referred to as miniature roses. Mini roses are only about 30 to 50 cm high and are therefore also suitable for smaller gardens. Due to the small space requirement, they can also be planted in a pot to decorate the terrace or balcony. There is a large selection of different varieties of miniature roses on the market.
Perhaps this small selection can serve as inspiration for you:
- 'Clementine'
Double flowers in apricot-orange; blooming often; good durability of the flowers; upright, bushy growth; suitable for container planting; Winter protection required - 'Mandarin'
Double, orange-pink flowers with yellow centers; blooming often; dense, compact growth; medium leaf he alth; hardy - 'Mandy'
Blood red semi-double flowers; blooming often; faint fragrance; bushy growth; good leaf he alth; conditionally hardy - winter protection recommended - 'Orange Juwel'
Salmon orange, densely double flowers in umbels; blooming often; dense, compact growth; medium leaf he alth; long shelf life of the flowers - 'White Babyflor'
Small, well filled flowers in white; blooming often; compact growth; medium leaf he alth; ideal for pot planting
Hybrid Tea Roses
Hybrid tea roses were created in the 19th century by crossing frequently flowering Chinese tea roses and European remontant roses. They are therefore often referred to as hybrid teas. Hybrid tea roses are among the oldest modern roses and have brought many positive characteristics - such as an extended color range, new scents and longer flowering periods - to rose breeding. Negative characteristics of Chinese roses - such as the increased susceptibility to rose diseases and the lack of winter hardiness - are of little importance today for hybrid tea roses due to the successful breeding work.
In addition to the well-known red hybrid tea roses, there are also many other color variants.
We would like to introduce you to some particularly beautiful varieties below:
- 'Augusta Luise'
Large, peach colored flowers; fruity sweet fragrance; strong, upright growth; reaches heights of up to 120 cm; good leaf he alth; hardy - 'Gloria Dei'
Also known as 'Madame A. Meilland' or 'Peace'; loose, light yellow flowers with a pink edge; pleasant smell; bushy growth; grows up to 100 cm high; weatherproof - 'Countess Diana'
Named after Countess Diana Bernadotte; purple-purple flowers; intense fragrance; upright, bushy growth; reaches heights of up to 120 cm; ADR rose; conditionally hardy - 'Pascali'
Medium-sized, pure white flowers in a noble shape; delicate fragrance; rich flowering; strong, bushy growth; grows up to 70 cm high; good leaf he alth - ‘Sutters Gold’
Loose light orange blossoms with a reddish tinge on the edge; strong fragrance; reaches heights of growth of up to 100 cm; medium leaf he alth
You can find more beautiful Hybrid Tea rose varieties here.
Wild Roses
All modern cultivated roses descend from the robust wild roses. For ecological reasons alone, it can make sense to fall back on these original species, because the simple flowers serve as a food source for bees and other insects. The fruits (rose hips), which form in late autumn, are in turn eaten by birds. But there is also a lot to be said for planting a wild rose from a technical point of view. The wild forms are usually easier to care for and less susceptible to plant diseases than modern varieties.
Perhaps there is already a suitable species for your garden here:
- Vinegar Rose - Rosa gallica
Semi-double pink flowers; strong fragrance; upright, bushy habit with overhanging shoots (up to 120 cm high); shade tolerant; high leaf he alth - Hechtrose - Rosa glauca
Cupular, light pink flowers; heavy fruit load from August; foliage shimmering bluish in summer; bushy, upright growth; grows 150 to 250 cm high; very robust - Chinese gold rose - Rosa hugonis
Small flowers in light golden yellow; blooms as early as May; black-red rose hips; broad, bushy, overhanging growth (up to 200 cm high); conditionally hardy - Tufted rose - Rosa multiflora
Numerous small flowers in white; strong scent of honey; formsplump rose hips; upright growth with arching overhanging shoots; grows up to 300 cm high; hardy - Grape Rose - Rosa rubiginosa
Light carmine pink single flowers; Leaves smell like apple or wine; upright growth with overhanging shoots (up to 350 cm high); strongly pricked
You can find more beautiful species of wild roses and tips for pruning wild roses here.
Historical Roses
Historic or Old Roses are the longest cultivated garden roses. These include those roses that were already in cultivation before the introduction of the first hybrid tea in 1867, even if individual varieties only emerged later (e.g. by crossing two Old Rose varieties). Depending on their parentage, the Historical Roses include, for example, the Gallica roses, Alba roses, Damascene -Roses and centifolia are distinguished. Among these main groups there are primarily varieties that flower once, because varieties that flower more often only emerged in the course of the 19th century. The densely filled, fragrant flowers, the stately growth and the pastel coloring of the petals are also characteristic of old roses.
The historical roses include the following varieties:
- 'Charles de Mills'
Gallica rose of 1746; double, purplish-violet flowers; once blooming; strong fragrance; broad, bushy growth; rain and heat resistant; hardy - ‘Gallica Officinalis’
Probably the oldest European variety (since 1310); semi-double, pink-red flowers with a strong fragrance; once blooming; shade tolerant; very good leaf he alth - ‘Mme Hardy’
French breed from 1832; densely filled, pure white flowers with a green eye; once blooming; gives off a strong lemon scent; very he althy; hardy - ‘Mme Isaac Pereire’
French breed from 1881; densely filled, crimson flowers; blooming often; strong fragrance; vigorous; medium leaf he alth; hardy - ‘Louise Odier’
breeding from 1851; densely filled, pure pink flowers; intense fragrance; blooming often; bushy growth with overhanging shoots; Winter protection recommended
Ground Cover Roses
Ground cover roses are nothing more than low-growing bed or shrub roses, which is why they are commercially availablealso often referred to as small shrub roses. The undemanding perennial bloomers reach heights of growth of about 20 to 100 centimeters and usually inspire with their bloom until autumn. As a rule, ground cover roses are very robust, floriferous and long-lived. They come into their own best when planted in groups of three to five plants per square meter, depending on the vigor of the variety. In combination with tree roses or colour-coordinated perennials and grasses, wonderful beds can also be created.
The following varieties of groundcover roses are particularly popular:
- 'Apple Blossom'
Simple, white flowers in umbels; delicate fragrance; soft, pliable shoots; reaches heights of up to 80 cm; high leaf he alth - 'Gardeners' Delight'
Also known as 'Toscana'; small, double flowers in raspberry red; flat growth; reaches heights of growth between 40 and 50 cm; very easy to care for; good leaf he alth; hardy - 'Heidetraum'
Numerous crimson flowers; lightly scented; bushy growth (up to 80 cm high); hardly any maintenance necessary; flowers are rain-hardy and heat-tolerant; good leaf he alth - 'Mainaufeuer'
Blood-red, loosely filled flowers; wide, upright growth; reaches heights of up to 60 cm; robust variety with good long-distance effect; hardy - ‘The Fairy’
Small, very double salmon pink flowers; broad, bushy growth (up to 80 cm high); heat tolerant; good leaf he alth; suitable for embankments and slopes
You can discover more beautiful ground cover rose varieties here.
Rose Roses
Strictly speaking, standard roses always consist of two varieties. Because most roses naturally do not form stems, which is why blooming bedding or hybrid tea roses are grafted onto specially cultivated wild rose shoots. Depending on the trunk height, one and the same variety is offered as a dwarf standard rose (up to 50 centimetres), a half standard rose (up to 70 centimetres) and/or as a standard rose (about 90 centimetres). So-called cascade standard roses are varieties of climbing or rambler roses that have been grafted onto wild roses. These usually form long, overhanging shoots and reach trunk heights of around 120 to 140 centimetres.
Here is a small selection of beautiful tree roses in different colours, shapes and sizes:
- ‘Leonardo da Vinci’
Mini standard rose with densely filled, dark pink flowers;flower color hardly fades; delicate fragrance; trunk height of about 50 cm; medium leaf he alth; hardy - 'Marie Curie'
Semi-stem (about 70 cm tall) with a compact, bushy crown; depending on the weather, the flowers are colored apricot-orange to pink; pleasant smell; good leaf he alth; hardy - 'Minerva'
Half stem (about 60 cm high) with double lilac flowers; lovely scent; flowers from early summer to autumn; hardy; suitable for container planting - 'Goldelse'
Compact standard (about 90 cm high) with double, decoratively wavy dark orange flowers; delicate fragrance; medium leaf he alth; very good winter hardiness - 'Golden Celebration'
English cascade stem rose (about 140 cm tall); magnificent, very double flowers in rich golden yellow; intense berry scent; broad, bushy growth; good leaf he alth
Scented Roses
The scent of roses not only attracts many insects, but also makes rose lovers go into raptures in the truest sense of the word. However, the selection of fragrant roses is not that large compared to all rose varieties, because unfortunately in the last few decades in rose breeding, the main focus was on the appearance, i.e. the shape and color of the flowers. Many modern rose varieties have very little or no scent. Today, specially bred fragrant roses are often descended from strongly scented wild roses. They are mainly found among the Old Roses, the English Roses, but also among the Hybrid Tea Roses.
Here is a small selection of popular scented roses:
- English Rose 'Constance Spry'
Popular shrub rose; double, pink flowers with a light edge; intense scent of myrrh; once blooming; upright bushy growth; poor leaf he alth; hardy - Hybrid Tea 'Fragrance Cloud'
Double, coral-red flowers; blooming often; intense hybrid tea scent; bushy growth; good leaf he alth; Awarded world rose and ADR rose, among others - Hybrid Tea 'Frederic Mistral'
Large, double flowers in light pink; blooming often; intense fragrance with a hint of lime; strong, upright, bushy growth; medium leaf he alth; good winter hardiness - Ramblerrose 'Guirlande d'Amour'
Many semi-double, pure white flowers in racemes; blooming often; sweet scent; reaches heights of up to 4 m; very good leaf he alth; hardy; suitable for rose arches - Shrub rose ‘Rose deResht'
Medium sized bright red flowers; blooming often; heavy rose scent; compact growth habit; good leaf he alth; rain and heat resistant; hardy
We have prepared a comprehensive collection of fragrant rose varieties with special aromas for you.
English Roses
The class of English roses was coined by the Englishman David Austin. In 1961 he was the first rose breeder who succeeded in combining the characteristics of beautiful, fragrant Old Roses with those of modern hybrid teas, which are known for their ability to replant and their wide range of colors, in one variety. Many more varieties of David Austin's roses have been added to this day.
We would like to present a small selection of particularly beautiful varieties below:
- 'Abraham Darby'
Double flowers in apricot to yellow-orange; fruity fragrance with a tart base note; shrubby growth with overhanging shoots (up to 200 cm high); easy-care; hardy - 'Graham Thomas'
Double flowers in bright yellow; intense scent of tea roses; upright, bushy growth; reaches heights of up to 200 cm; medium leaf he alth; heat tolerant; hardy - 'Heritage'
Double, light pink flowers; intense fragrance; well-branched, upright, bushy growth; reaches heights of up to 150 cm; medium leaf he alth; rainproof flowers; hardy - 'Mary Rose'
Double pink flowers; scent of old roses, almonds and honey; bushy growth; reaches heights of up to 150 cm; heat and rain resistant; easy care - ‘The Pilgrim’
Densely double, yellow central flowers with a white edge; light fragrance; compact, bushy growth; with trellis up to 350 cm high; medium leaf he alth; hardy
In our special article we introduce you to other types of English roses and tell you where you can buy particularly beautiful specimens.
ADR Roses
The world of roses is enriched by many varieties every year. The General German Rose Novelty Test, ADR for short, was founded in 1950 in order to sharpen awareness of the variety and to be able to assess new breeds appropriately. The working group behind it consists of representatives of the Association of German Tree Nurseries,rose growers and independent experts together. Since then, the "ADR Rose" award has been given to those new rose varieties that remain he althy when planted in eleven selection gardens and also have a high ornamental value. For example, the effect of the blossom, the scent, the winter hardiness and, last but not least, the resistance to leaf diseases are tested annually over a period of three years. In contrast to other rose awards, however, the ADR predicate can also be withdrawn again due to the more stringent testing conditions.
Red roses are the absolute classics. We introduce you to the most beautiful red rose varieties and their characteristics.