My Corner Online
Rosa | Rose
2017 April 23
2018 May 17
2019 April 29
2022 May 6
2024 April 19 (climbing rose first)
Rosa | Rose
Rosaceae (Rose family) (Pronounced roe-ZAY-see-eye)
Roses are in the form of shrubs, climbing, or trailing (aka rambling). Climbing and trailing/rambling roses both grow up a supported structure, but have differences. Climbing roses are less vigorous, have stiff stems, have large singular flowers, and most often rebloom. Trailing roses are more vigorous, have flexible stems, have small sprays of flowers, and most often only bloom once.
Most roses are deciduous, but a few are evergreen.
The flowers are mostly white or pink, and yellow or red. Most rose flowers have five petals that are upward and 5 sepals that are downward, and together they are called tepals.
The fruit of a rose is berry-like and is called a rose hip. Tea is made with rose hips. I have never seen rose hips on my roses and the reason is that most domestic roses have tight petals that do not allow pollination. I've always wondered that!
There are many species. See the Wikipedia list.
I have only had one climbing rose, which I think is actually a rambling rose. I believe it was a beautiful soft pink rose. We bought it and planted it in the back yard in the right corner and did not like it there, so we dug it up and moved it to in front of the fence in the front yard. It died! Then several years later I spied it growing up out of the ground from nowhere! I nurtured it and when it eventually bloomed, the flowers were traditional red! This is when I learned about grafting. It seems we bought a lovely rose grafted onto a hardy rose. The hardy rose refused to die and came back in all it's glory and has bloomed every year since.
Most roses that I have purchased have been the trendy Rosa 'Knock out" (or Rosa x 'Radrazz') | Knock-out Roses which are known for their ability to thrive without much maintenance, to bloom profusely, and to rebloom. I have been eliminating red from my yard, so right now I have a pink and a salmon colored knock-out rose. Knock out roses were cultivated by American rose grower William Radler in 1989 and was named an All-American Rose Selections winner in 2000. Will Radler said he planted hundreds of seeds that year and only one germinated, which was ‘Knock Out’. Here in 2024, I feel as if people are getting tired of them and are wanting something new.
I have one yellow rose that tries to survive and barely hangs on. We recently moved it near the pink knock-out rose to free up one space from the nuisance of thorns.
I discovered Drift Roses which are like Knock-out roses only smaller and I am loving them and transitioning to more of them. They have their own website page.
Shrub rose gets wide and is cold hardy.
Groundcover rose sprawls outward.
Continuous bloom is a modern hybrid and something to look for when shopping.
Antique rose is one that has been around since before 1867 and is considered historic.
Wild rose is one that has not been bred or is not a hybrid. Most wild roses are pink, bloom once, and have 5 petals.
Hybrid tea rose is long-stemmed rose with 30 to 50 petals and is popular around Valentine's Day. There is a single flower on each stem.
Grandiflora rose is under the Hybrid Tea Rose class and has floribunda features which has a continuous blooms in clusters.
Floribunda rose blooms continuously in clusters and blooms longer than the Hybrid Tea rose or Grandiflora rose. Floribunda is a hybrid of a Hybrid Tea rose and a Polyantha rose.
Polyantha rose is similar to a Floribunda, but it is shorter and smaller, making it good for eding and hedges. This is a great choice for a beginner rose gardener.
Miniature rose is similar to a Tea rose or a Grandiflora rose, but its height is about 15 to 30 inches. Miniflora rose is larger than a Miniature rose.
Alba rose dates to 100 A.D.! Wowser!
Bourbon rose was cultivated in Bourbon, France, and is a hybrid of China and Damask roses.
Centifloria rose is known as the "cabbage rose" because the flowers look like a cabbage.
English or David Austin rose is variety from a British rose breeder and are for more experienced gardeners.
China rose is one introduced in China and it repeat blooms but is not cold hardy.
Damask rose is one that is said to have originated during Bible times. Now that's old! There is a Summer Damask, blooming in the Summer, and an Autumn Damask that blooms both seasons.
Gallica rose is dates to the 1100's and is sometimes called the French or the Provins rose.
Roses and Culture
Most folks have heard the famous phrase spoken by Juliet (in Romeo and Juliet), "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." A rose symbolizes love, beauty, and passion, which is why florists sell them at Valentine's Day and for other "love" moments and events. However, a yellow rose symbolizes friendship and that is why I like yellow roses if one is gifted to me.
Who doesn't know that a rose has thorns? Thorns are a reminder that love can be painful. Remember that a rose does not stop looking beautiful because of the thorns around it. A rose is probably the most often used subject for quotes and poems. Everyone knows the children's rhyme of "Rose are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you!