Roses are so very versatile!  Each rose has it’s own distinct property and is special in it’s own way.

I will discuss each of the more popular types here, but will review the roses that we actually have planted in the yard and their usefulness. As always, nutrition information, as it is found will be included.

China Roses: this type of rose is an old world type of rose.  These roses are not considered hybrids and are heirloom roses.  A great number of the hybrid roses have genetics from a type of china rose as a base cross in the genetics.  These roses are not as abundant as the hybrid varieties and their flowers are not as large or as plentiful, but since they have not been modified in any way, they are great for cloning propagation.  The China rose can be very disease-resistant.

Climbing Roses: this type of rose is happy climbing up trellis’, walls or any apparatus they are able to reach.  Some shoots of the climbing rose can reach up to 15 feet. Generally as long as they are climbing the rose will produce a good amount of flowers; however, they produce more flowers if they are climbing horizontally, rather than vertically.  Climbing roses are repeat bloomers.

English Roses: this type of rose has characteristics of both old world and modern roses.  They are generally popular among retailers, but the caveat is that the English rose is very susceptible to diseases so growing them out in the yard requires lots of TLC.

Floribunda: this type of rose is has characteristics of Hybrid Tea and Polyantha roses. The stems of each produce roses in a general Hybrid Tea Shape.  There are all sorts of colors which are associated with this type of rose.  Growing them domestically is quite easy as they are generally disease resistant, and tend to be hardy and easy to care for. These roses are known for their stocky, rigid shrubbery, and often found in landscaping in public parks and spaces and can reach heights up to 6 feet.

Grandiflora: the grandiflora roses are roses that are a combination of the hybrid teas and the Floribunda. They have large flowers and long stems.  This type of rose is not as popular as the Hybrid Tea or the Floribunda roses but is widely available at nurseries.

Ground Cover Roses: these roses are not as flashy as the other types of roses, but they are relatively easy to care for and do exactly as their name says.  They create ground cover.  As ground cover goes, the rose will generally reach a max height at three feet, but some roses will only get about a foot tall.  Typically ground cover roses are disease resistant, will repeat flower and are low maintenance.

Hybrid Tea Roses: this type of rose, as an exclusive rose is generally a high maintenance rose but is most favored by the general population because of their diverse color schemes and long stems.

Knock-out Roses©: this type of rose are easy to care for and low maintenance; however, they have no fragrance and the rose hip have been selectively taken out of them so propagation is not possible.

Shrub Roses: this type of rose is considering the catch all to all other types of roses.  If the rose doesn’t seem to fit into any other category, then it’s considered a shrub rose.  For the most part, they are disease resistant and hearty.  The shrub roses are available in many different varieties, flower types and have varying growth habits.  Hence, the catch all.