The Rosa genus, known more as the rose, is an incredibly popular flowering shrub that livens up many gardens today. It comes in over 150 species and crosses over into several hybrids. You can find roses in several different colors, forms, and even scents.
We’ve listed some of the most popular types of roses below. Whether you want to plant them on your patio or have them climbing up your pergola, there’ll be a type of rose that suits your needs.
Before we look at some different types of roses, it’s important to understand how roses are classified. Roses can be classified in several ways, but the American Rose Society uses the categories below.
Classification of Roses
Hybrid Tea Roses
This is the most common rose category. These produce long stems with large decorative blooms that have around 30 to 50 petals. Hybrid tea roses are constantly being bred, as newer varieties are always replacing ones from the past.
Grandiflora Roses
These are known as a subgroup of hybrid tea roses. Grandiflora roses tend to be on the taller side. They have flowers that grow in clusters instead of independent ones on each stem.
Floribunda Roses
This is the next most common class of roses after Hybrid Teas and Grandifloras. Floribunda is similar to Grandifloras in that they grow flowers in big groups. However, these roses bloom all the time, while Grandifloras and hybrid teas bloom in six-week cycles. Floribunda roses are also easier to look after.
Climber/Rambling Roses
These roses can come from any class, but they’ll have long canes that can be taught to grow on trellises, fences, and pergolas. They’re not considered to be an individual class. For instance, you can see Grandiflora roses that are climbers. Do note that climbers or ramblers aren’t clinging plants, they have to be attached to vertical supports to grow in a climbing manner. Unlike hybrid roses, these tend to hold up well under cold temperatures.
Shrub Roses
It’s easy to recognize shrub roses, as these grow in a sprawling manner. They spread out in all directions, growing anywhere from 5 to 15 feet. They stand up to cold weather well and produce lots of flower bunches. Shrub roses also have many subdivisions. For example, the David Austin English Rose category consists of older garden roses that have a pleasing aroma.
Polyantha Roses
These look like floribunda, but the blooms aren’t as large and the plants aren’t as tall. You’ll often see polyanthus used on hedges and edgings.
Miniature And Miniflora Roses
Miniature roses are smaller, shorter versions of Grandiflora or Hybrid Tea roses. The flowers are also small; they usually grow in between 15 to 30 inches. Miniflora roses have medium-sized flowers. They’ll be bigger than a miniature, but more compact compared to floribundas.
10 Types Of Roses
Now that we’ve covered the main classifications of roses, you’ll understand the characteristics that appear on roses better. If you’re selecting a rose for your garden or patio, you’ll want to look at its color, scent, hardiness, and shape before deciding on one.
Here are 10 types of roses that you can try planting for yourself.
Rosa Papa Meilland
This Hybrid Tea rose is both beautiful and bold. If you think of a classic red rose, chances are you’re thinking of this one. The Rosa Papa Meilland produces 35 large petals that have high centers. The flowers are deep red, have a velvety texture, and produce a strong aroma. The fragrance is reminiscent of old roses. This rose has long resilient stems and has a long life span, so this will work well in cutting gardens. It generally blooms in cycles from spring to fall.
- Hybrid Rose
- Normally reaches 3-4 ft in height and 2-4 ft in width.
- Good for borders, hedges, beds, and containers. Look great when they are mass-planted.
- Grow well in strong sunlight in rich, fertile, suitably moist soil.
- Can be prone to blackspot and mildew.
Rosa Double Knock Out®
This small shrub rose creates amazing clusters of bright pink-red flowers. They are normally 3 inches in diameter and are filled with around 24 petals. The flowers stand up against heat and the deep green foliage resists disease well.
The Double Knock Out® blooms from spring to the first frost without interruption. In fall, the foliage changes into a burgundy shade. This shrub rose is a popular choice as it is low maintenance, easy to grow, and resilient against drought.
- Shrub rose
- Reaches 3-4 ft in both height and width.
- A nice choice for beds and borders.
- Grows well in both full and partial sun. The soil must be rich, fertile, drained, and sufficiently moist. This rose can bloom in just 3 hours of direct sunlight.
- Blackspot resistant and disease-free.
Rosa Mother Of Pearl
This Grandiflora rose has a pleasing pale pink color. The petals are large, measuring 3.5 inches in diameter. They grow in little groups, reaching 35 petals when full. The blossoms don’t produce much fragrance, blooming in cycles from spring to fall. The pale pink color contrasts well with the glossy green foliage. It grows well in both cooler temperatures and hotter humid conditions.
- Reaches 3-4 ft in height and width.
- A nice choice for borders, beds, hedges, and containers. Looks best when they are mass planted.
- Grows well in full sunlight and rich, moist, fertile soil.
- Resists blackspot well.
Rosa Iceberg
This Floribunda rose is one of the most popular roses of all time. The Iceberg has full clusters of soft, round, and white petals. The petals range from 30-40 in number and can occasionally have a slight pink tint to them. The blooms have a light fragrance and flower through spring up until winter.
The shrub has big, light green, and shiny leaves that look great against the light petals. The Iceberg is seen as a bush, but you can also find it as a climbing rose and in a traditional weeping form.
- Floribunda rose
- Blooms continuously from late spring to winter.
- Reaches 4ft in height as a shrub, and 12ft with a 3ft spread when grown as a climber.
- Good choice for beds and borders. Looks best when mass planted.
- Grows well in direct sunlight, in rich, moist, fertile soil.
- Can be black spot prone. Needs adequate air circulation to stop humidity.
Rosa Gruss An Aachen
This polyantha rose has beautiful clusters of petals that reach over 40 in number. The flowers reach up to 3 inches in diameter and produce a light fragrance. They are peachy pink in color but change to white after a while. These bloom from summer to winter, contrasting well against the shiny deep green leaves. The Gruss an Aachen is a circular, little shrub that suits beds and borders well. It also holds up against disease well.
- Polyantha rose
- Grows through summer until winter.
- Reaches 1-2 ft in height and 2-3 ft in width.
- Grows well in direct sunlight in rich, moist, drained, fertile soil.
- Resists disease well.
Rosa Ballerina
This hybrid musk rose is a small, round shrub that creates a lot of little individual flowers. The petals are pink on the edges and white in the middle. The blooms have a light fragrance and flower from summer until fall. The flowers are made in large amounts and look great next to the light green foliage.
The Ballerina is adored all over the globe as it works well in many different ways. It can be planted as a hedge, in containers, or as a border.
- Hybrid musk rose.
- Reaches 4-6 ft in height and 3-5 ft in width.
- Grows well in full and in partial sunlight. Needs rich, sufficiently fertile, moist, and drained soil.
- Disease resistant when in contact with enough sunlight.
- Can be pruned in the period from late winter to the beginning of spring.
Rosa Banksiae Lutea (Lady Banks’ Rose)
This climber rose is large and has many clusters of little light yellow flowers. The Lutea blooms in early spring, creating flowers that are just 2cm wide. The blooms produce a light aroma and are held on thin, thorn-free branches. The foliage appears in small, smooth leaves that are bright green.
Lutea is considered one of the best roses for dry gardens, as it grows well in medium temperatures.
- Climber rose.
- Blooms in one cycle. Depending on the area, it either blooms in spring or at the beginning of summer.
- Reaches 15-20 ft in height and 6-10 ft in width.
- Looks good in gardens within cities and cottages. It’s also a good choice for arches and pergolas.
- Grows well in direct sunlight. Needs moist, fertile, humus-rich soil.
- Can handle a little shade, but needs direct sunlight to resist disease and flower well.
Rosa America
The America is a climbing rose that produces bright pink and orange flowers. They are 10 cm in diameter and are filled with around 43 petals each. The coral petals initially form as pointed buds, then open up into their larger shape. They usually bloom as an individual rose on each stem, but they sometimes form in little clusters.
The flowers form from the end of spring up until fall. America’s vivid coral shade looks appealing next to the dense deep green leaves. It holds up against disease well and produces a potent, yet pleasing, fragrance.
- Climber rose.
- Reaches 10-15 ft in height and 4-6ft in width.
- Grows well in full sunlight. Needs rich, fertile, moist soil.
- Resists disease well.
Rosa Apricot Candy
As the name suggests, the Apricot Candy possesses bright petals in different shades of orange, ranging from coral to apricot. The petals look tousled as they bloom, forming flowers that are 3.5 inches in diameter. The flowers are filled with 25 petals and produce a spicy fragrance.
The Apricot Candy blooms in cycles during spring and finishes in fall. The foliage looks like shiny and soft green leaves. This rose resists disease and can stand up to heat relatively well.
- Hybrid Tea rose.
- Reaches 5-6 ft in height and 2-3 ft in width.
- Needs full, direct sunlight to grow well. The soil must be rich, sufficiently moist, and fertile.
- Looks best in beds and borders.
Rosa Angel Face
The Angel Face produces large groups of vivid lavender flowers. They measure 3.5 inches in diameter, possess 25-30 petals each, and occasionally have dark red edges. The flowers bloom from the end of spring until the beginning of winter, producing a potent citrus fragrance.
As they open, bright yellow stamens are visible in the center. The flowers look amazing against the thick, shiny green leaves. The Angel Face holds up well against heat, making this a good choice for those that live in dryer climates.
- Floribunda rose.
- Reaches 3.4 ft in height and 3ft in width.
- Grows well in full sunlight. Needs soil that is rich, fertile, and sufficiently moisturized.
- Looks good in borders, containers, and beds.
- Can be prone to blackspot.
Plants have always been a big interest of mine, and I’ve always wanted to learn more about the different types of species. I have gained a vast knowledge of the subject over the years, and I have decided to share this information with others.
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