Roses: best varieties and how to grow them

Botany

Botanical data

• Latin name Rosa sp.
• Family Rosaceae
• Common name Rose
• Flowering from June, and until autumn for remontant varieties
• Height very variable, from 20-30 centimetres to over 10 metres
• Exposure sun or light shade
• Soil type rich and draining
• Hardiness -15 to -20 °C

Les rosiers sont des arbustes ou plantes grimpantes à feuilles caduques ou semi-persistantes et à tiges épineuses. Il existerait environ 150 espèces, originaires d’Europe, d’Asie et d’Amérique du Nord. En France, on compte un peu moins de 20 espèces à l’état sauvage. Certaines proviennent d’Asie mais se naturalisent, s’échappant des jardins où elles sont cultivées (Rosa multiflora, Rosa rugosa, Rosa banksiae…). Rosa canina, l’églantier, est sans doute l’espèce la plus fréquente dans la nature en France. Le rosier gallique, Rosa gallica, est protégé sur l’ensemble du territoire métropolitain.

Les rosiers sont cultivés depuis plus de 5 000 ans, et ont largement été hybridés, à tel point qu’il existe désormais des milliers de variétés, bien différentes au niveau du port ou de la floraison. Les croisements de rosiers botaniques ont permis d’obtenir une multitude de variétés… Pour s’y retrouver, on les classe dans différents groupes en fonction de leurs caractéristiques, de leur forme générale (rosiers grimpants, rosiers buissons…) ou de leur style (rosiers anciens, rosiers anglais…).

Rosa canina: botanical illustration

Le rosier a donné son nom à la famille des Rosaceae. C’est une famille importante, qui compte environ 3 000 espèces. On y trouve les arbres fruitiers les plus courants, comme les pruniers, pommiers ou cerisiers, ainsi que des plantes sauvages, fréquentes dans la nature en France : aubépine, ronce, sorbier… Et de nombreuses plantes ornementales : pyracantha, cotonéaster, laurier-cerise, spirée, photinia, potentille…

La hauteur des rosiers est extrêmement variable, entre les rosiers miniatures qui mesurent moins de 50 centimètres de haut, et les rosiers lianes qui peuvent grimper sur plusieurs mètres en escaladant des arbres ou des façades. Ainsi, Rosa gigantea, la plus grande espèce de rosier, peut atteindre plus de 20 mètres de hauteur, en grimpant sur les autres arbres.

Les rosiers peuvent prendre des formes extrêmement variées ! Ils sont souvent buissonnants ou arbustifs, mais de nombreuses variétés sont aussi grimpantes. Ils peuvent être conduits contre une façade, sur une pergola, une tonnelle, dans un arbre… Les rosiers grimpants les plus vigoureux sont appelés rosiers lianes (ex : Rosa banksiae). D’autres poussent en couvre-sol, avec un port bas et étalé. Il existe également des rosiers miniatures, bien adaptés à une culture en pot, et destinés par exemple à être placés sur un balcon ou une terrasse. Enfin, certains rosiers sont conduits sur tige. Ils sont formés d’une haute tige toute droite, d’où part une boule de feuilles et de fleurs. Cette forme n’existe pas dans la nature : elle est obtenue par greffage d’un rosier buisson. L’aspect est donc moins naturel que chez les autres types de rosiers, mais très élégant. Lorsque c’est une variété sarmenteuse qui est greffée, ces rosiers tiges prennent un port pleureur, retombant. On distingue également les rosiers paysagers, qui sont assez bas et poussent de façon très étalée. Enfin, certains rosiers, comme Rosa rugosa, sont drageonnants ! De nouvelles tiges émergent directement à partir des racines.

Les tiges des rosiers peuvent donc être dressées, grimpantes ou rampantes. Elles portent généralement des épines. Celles-ci sont parfois très décoratives, comme chez Rosa sericea var. pteracantha, aux épines rouges et très larges. Là encore, il n’y a pas vraiment de règles, elles peuvent prendre différentes tailles, être très fines ou bien plus larges, denses ou plus éparses. On trouve aussi des variétés inermes, sans épines.

The thorns of roses can take various forms! From left to right, Rosa canina, Rosa spinosissima and Rosa omeiensis ‘Pteracantha’ (photo Wendy Cutler)

Certains rosiers ne fleurissent qu’une seule fois, généralement à la fin du printemps ou en début d’été. C’est souvent le cas des rosiers anciens et des rosiers grimpants. C’est le croisement avec les rosiers asiatiques Rosa chinensis, qui a permis d’obtenir des variétés remontantes. Ainsi, les rosiers modernes sont souvent remontants, fleurissant à partir de mai-juin, et jusqu’aux gelées.

À l’origine (donc chez les rosiers botaniques), les fleurs ont cinq pétales, qui entourent de nombreuses étamines. Ce sont l’hybridation et les croisements successifs qui ont permis d’obtenir des fleurs doubles, avec un nombre très important de pétales, parfois jusqu’à une soixantaine, comme chez le rosier ‘La France’. Il s’agit en réalité d’étamines modifiées, qui ont pris la forme de pétales, ce qui rend souvent ces fleurs stériles. Celles-ci peuvent donc être simples, semi-doubles, doubles ou très doubles. Elles peuvent être en coupe, en pompons, globuleuses, plates. Les variétés modernes (notamment les hybrides de thé) sont parfois turbinées, ce qui leur donne un côté extrêmement raffiné.

Les couleurs des fleurs de rosiers vont généralement du blanc au rouge, en passant par de subtiles variations de rose. Mais elles peuvent aussi être jaunes ou oranges. Le rosier ‘Black Baccara’ est d’un rouge si sombre qu’il semble noir. Il n’existe pas de variétés à fleurs vraiment bleues, mais certains s’en rapprochent, comme la floraison mauve-bleutée du rosier ‘Mamy Blue’, ou les fleurs violettes de ‘Rhapsody In Blue’. Les rosiers à fleurs blanc pur, comme la variété ‘Memoire’, sont particulièrement élégants. Les couleurs des roses ont une valeur très symbolique, et l’on apprécie les variétés rouges pour l’intensité de leur floraison, qui représente l’amour passionnel. Les pétales peuvent également être bicolores, comme chez ‘New Imagine’, ‘Betty Boop’ ou ‘Abracadabra’ ! Les fleurs offrent parfois de superbes dégradés, comme chez ‘Little Sunset’, jaune au centre puis rose-orangé sur l’extérieur. Quant au rosier ‘Blue Eyes’, il présente un remarquable contraste avec ses pétales blancs colorés de pourpre au centre de la fleur.

Roses offer a wide range of shades! From left to right and top to bottom, the varieties ‘Memoire’ / ‘Madame Isaac Pereire’ (photo Rictor Norton & David Allen) / ‘Rhapsody In Blue’ / ‘Black Baccara’ / ‘Golden Gate’ / ‘Orange Climber’ / ‘Botero’ / ‘Coral Babylon Eyes’

Les rosiers anciens sont particulièrement appréciés pour leur parfum ! Les variétés modernes sont souvent un peu moins odorantes, hormis les rosiers anglais. Le parfum peut être musqué, fruité, épicé, puissant ou plus subtil… L’odeur évolue au cours d’une journée, et elle varie également en fonction de l’exposition. Découvrez aussi nos variétés les plus parfumées !

Les fleurs de rosiers peuvent être solitaires, comme c’est le cas chez les rosiers hybrides de thé. Cela permet de bien apprécier la beauté de ces fleurs, souvent grandes, qui sont ainsi mises en avant de façon isolée. Mais les rosiers portent aussi parfois des fleurs regroupées en bouquets, comme chez les rosiers multiflora, polyantha et floribunda.

Les feuilles des rosiers sont divisées, généralement composées de cinq à sept folioles, au bord denté. Certains rosiers ont jusqu’à neuf folioles, voire davantage. Elles sont disposées les unes en face des autres, avec une foliole en position terminale. Les feuilles peuvent être très petites : celles des rosiers miniatures mesurent jusqu’à 3 centimètres de longueur, tandis que les variétés plus grandes (comme les rosiers arbustes ou grimpants) ont parfois des feuilles qui atteignent une vingtaine de centimètres de long. La base du pétiole est généralement munie de stipules (genre de petites feuilles placées au niveau du point de rattachement de la feuille sur la tige).

The foliage of roses is composed of dentate leaflets

Les feuilles sont souvent vertes, mais peuvent prendre une teinte glauque, bleu-gris, comme chez Rosa glauca. Quant au rosier Rosa ferruginea, il a également des feuilles très glauques, bleu-gris nuancées de pourpre. Les jeunes feuilles des rosiers prennent parfois de jolies teintes rouges !

Les rosiers sont le plus souvent caducs, mais peuvent aussi être persistants, comme chez le rosier botanique Rosa sempervirens. Celui-ci a donné naissance à plusieurs hybrides semi-persistants (‘Adélaïde d’Orléans’, ‘Félicité et Perpétue’, etc.).

En automne, les rosiers portent des cynorhodons. Ils sont de forme sphérique ou ovale, plus ou moins allongés, et de couleur rouge, parfois orangé. Il contient à l’intérieur les akènes renfermant chacun une graine. Ces akènes sont munis de poils fortement irritants, ce qui leur vaut le nom de « gratte-cul ». Les cynorhodons sont comestibles, particulièrement riches en vitamine C, mais il faut évidemment retirer les poils urticants. On peut en faire de la confiture de cynorhodons. Privilégiez les fruits de l’espèce Rosa rugosa ou ceux de l’églantier (Rosa canina) : ce sont les plus gros et les plus intéressants à consommer.

Les cynorhodons, faux-fruits du rosier (Rosa canina)

Les espèces botaniques

Rosa canina

C’est l’églantier ! Il est assez fréquent en France. Les fleurs sont blanc rosé, à cinq pétales disposés autour de nombreuses étamines jaunes. Elles donnent ensuite des cynorhodons. On utilise parfois cette espèce comme porte-greffe, notamment en terrain calcaire.

Rosa rugosa - Beach Rose

Originating from Asia, the rough rose is a very hardy and resistant species. It forms dense, thorny bushes. Its flowers are composed of five crumpled petals, a deep pink. It then produces large, decorative and rounded fruits

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 1,25 m

See the product sheet

Rosa gallica Officinalis - Old Gallic Rose

The Rose of France is one of the oldest cultivated roses. It forms a fairly low and spreading shrub, with very uneven thorns. The variety 'Officinalis', known as the Provins Rose or Apothecary's Rose, was once cultivated for its medicinal properties. It has semi-double flowers.

• Flowering time July, August
• Height at maturity 90 cm

See the product sheet

Rosa centifolia Muscosa - White Moss Rose

The hundred-leaved rose has double, fragrant flowers, pink in colour, with a very large number of petals. It has given rise to moss roses, such as Rosa centifolia 'Muscosa', which have the particularity of bearing a kind of moss (formed of small growths) on their flower buds.

• Flowering time July, August
• Height at maturity 1,30 m

See the product sheet

Rosa x chinensis 'Mutabilis' - China Rose

Rosa chinensis is the ancestor of all remontant flowering varieties. Rosa chinensis 'Mutabilis' bears light flowers of variable colours, which evolve from orange-yellow to pink.

• Flowering time June to November
• Height at maturity 1,70 m

See the product sheet

Rosa glauca Rubrifolia - Gallic Rose

An interesting botanical rose for its dark, purplish-blue foliage, which beautifully highlights its soft pink flowers, white in the centre.

• Flowering time July, August
• Height at maturity 2,50 m

See the product sheet

The History of Roses

Roses have been cultivated for over 5,000 years in Asia, particularly in China. They were initially grown for their medicinal properties. These flowers were also appreciated by the Egyptians and Romans.

The Damask Rose, Rosa damascena, was brought to Europe in the 13^th century with the Crusades. At that time, in France, the cultivation of Gallic roses began, notably Rosa gallica ‘Officinalis’, also known as the Provins Rose or Apothecary’s Rose, for its medicinal rather than ornamental properties. Rosa gallica, through hybridization with other botanical species, gave rise to the cabbage roses, Rosa centifolia. They subsequently led to the development of moss roses. Old roses offered highly fragrant but non-perpetual flowerings.

In the 18^th century, roses from China, Rosa chinensis, were imported, which had the particularity of being perpetual. They thus gave rise to perpetual hybrids, the tea roses.

In the 19^th century, Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais became passionate about roses and created an enormous collection at the Château de la Malmaison.

From the obtaining of the variety ‘La France’ in 1867 by Jean-Baptiste Guillot, the first hybrid tea rose, we will now speak of modern roses. Roses considered old are therefore all those obtained before this date. Thereafter, the development of bush roses with clustered flowers occurred: floribunda and polyantha roses. Countless varieties were obtained by hybridizers such as Meilland or Georges Delbard. Finally, landscape roses were created, generous and wide roses that require almost no maintenance.

[variétés]

Large Flowered Bush Roses

Cluster Flowered Bush Roses

Shrub Roses

Ground Cover Roses

Miniature Roses

Climbing Roses

Rambling Roses

Old Roses

English Roses

These are hybrid tea roses: they are perpetual varieties that form dense and ramified bushes, shorter than shrub roses, and are suitable for mass planting or borders. The flowers are splendid: large, double, often turbinate. They are perfect for making bouquets!

Rosa La France

This is a historical variety, obtained in 1867, the first tea hybrid: it is truly the precursor to all other modern varieties! It has double flowers, pink in colour, and pleasantly scented.

• Flowering time July to December
• Height at maturity 1 m

See the product sheet

Rosa 'Black Baccara' - Hybrid Tea Rose

This rose is considered to offer the blackest roses! They are a very dark, velvety red, with black reflections. An intense and very elegant colour. It is perfect as a cut flower and for making bouquets!

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 90 cm

See the product sheet

Rosa 'Madame A. Meilland' - Peace Rose - Hybrid Tea Rose

This is also a historical variety, also known as 'Peace'. A symbol of peace, it was given to each of the delegations gathered in 1945 in San Francisco to form the UN. It is appreciated for its bright flowers, yellow tinged with pink.

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 90 cm

See the product sheet

Discover our wide range of large flowered bush roses.

These are Polyantha and floribunda roses. They are perpetual varieties that offer flowering in bouquets grouping a minimum of three and up to twenty flowers. Plant them in mass, in borders or as hedges.

Rosa 'Fée des neiges' (Iceberg) - Shrub Rose

It offers beautiful white flowers, which can sometimes be slightly tinged with pink. It has the ADR label, which guarantees good resistance to diseases and bad weather.

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 1,30 m

See the product sheet

Rosa Garden of Roses

A rose with double, soft pink, slightly orange flowers. It blooms for a long time, from early summer until the first frosts. It has obtained the ADR label which guarantees good resistance to diseases.

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 50 cm

See the product sheet

Rosa Amber Queen - Floribunda Rose

'Amber Queen' is a rose with a fairly compact and bushy habit. It offers double amber-coloured flowers, a soft and warm shade. A fragrant and long-lasting flowering.

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 60 cm

See the product sheet

Discover our cluster flowered bush roses.

This group includes old varieties (musk roses and rugosa roses), but also more modern roses, called “landscape” roses. Shrub roses differ from bush roses by their greater height. They are perfect for mass planting but can also be planted as solitary specimens.

Rosa x rugosa 'Roseraie de l'Haÿ' - Rugosa Rose

This is an old rose that offers purple-pink flowers, very fragrant. It is not very susceptible to diseases.

• Flowering time June to November
• Height at maturity 2 m

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Rosa Westerland (Korwest) - Hybrid Shrub Rose

This shrub rose is appreciated for its remarkable orange flowers that carry some nuances of red and yellow. They are fragrant. It is a resistant variety that has obtained the ADR label.

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 1,75 m

See the product sheet

Rosa Nevada

This rose offers semi-double flowers whose white petals reveal bright yellow stamens. It has obtained the ADR label.

• Flowering time July to September
• Height at maturity 1,50 m

See the product sheet

Find all our shrub roses!

Ground cover roses are low varieties that spread easily. They are perpetual and usually bear flowers grouped in bouquets. Among them are the ground cover roses! You can plant them on a slope or in borders.

Rosa Decorosier Emera - Shrub rose

'Emera' is one of the must-have varieties among ground cover roses! It offers a generous pink flowering and semi-evergreen foliage. It has obtained the German ADR label, which guarantees a robust and resistant plant. It therefore requires very little maintenance!

• Flowering time June to November
• Height at maturity 70 cm

See the product sheet

Rosa x polyantha The Fairy - Groundcover Rose

This variety offers delicate small pink flowers, gathered in bouquets. A generous and long-lasting flowering! It is a robust and fairly easy-to-grow rose.

• Flowering time August to November
• Height at maturity 80 cm

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Rosa Decorosiers Calizia - Shrub Rose

This is a ground cover rose with semi-double orange flowers, highlighted by its dark green foliage. It is very resistant to diseases and requires little maintenance.

• Flowering time June to November
• Height at maturity 70 cm

See the product sheet

Find all our ground cover roses!

Dwarf roses measure less than 50 centimetres in height and are perfect for pot cultivation, placed for example on a terrace or balcony! They have small leaves and offer generous, perpetual flowering.

Rosa x polyantha - Lilliputs - 'Little Sunset' - Miniature Rose

'Little Sunset' is a dwarf rose with small flowers gathered in bouquets. Its flowering offers a lovely gradient of warm tones: yellow at the heart of the flower and pink on the outside.

• Flowering time June to October
• Height at maturity 40 cm

See the product sheet

Rosa x polyantha 'Charmant' - Miniature Rose

This rose offers double, bright pink flowers in bouquets. The flowering is generous and perpetual. It has obtained the German ADR label, which guarantees good resistance to diseases.

• Flowering time June to October
• Height at maturity 40 cm

See the product sheet

Rosa Sweet Dream

This is a small rose with double and fragrant flowers, apricot in colour. It has been awarded the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 40 cm

See the product sheet

Discover our range of dwarf and miniature roses in the nursery!

These varieties have long stems that allow them to cling to their support. They are perfect for dressing the wall of a house or for climbing on a pergola or arbour.

Rosa Pierre de Ronsard - Climbing Rose

'Pierre de Ronsard' is a climbing rose that offers a lovely double flowering, soft pink. It is perpetual.

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 2 m

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Rosa Ghislaine de Féligonde - Climbing Rose

An old rose that offers small grouped flowers, a very light orange colour, almost white. It is a fairly resistant variety.

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 3 m

See the product sheet

Rosa x Bourbon 'Zéphirine Drouhin' - Climbing Rose

This is a superb climbing rose with bright pink, fragrant flowers. It tolerates shady situations. And it has no thorns!!

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 3 m

See the product sheet

Discover our stunning climbing roses!

These are particularly vigorous climbing roses. They have a rapid growth and take little time to cover a facade or climb a tree, to which they cling with their thorns. Their flowering is abundant, but most of them are not perpetual.

Rosa banksiae 'Lutea' - Rambling Rose

This variety bears small double flowers, soft yellow, grouped. Its foliage is semi-evergreen. It is quite resistant to diseases.

• Flowering time May to July
• Height at maturity 12 m

See the product sheet

Rosa x wichuraiana 'Albertine' - Rambling Rose

A superb rose with double, soft pink flowers. Very vigorous and resistant, it offers exuberant vegetation that will quickly climb trees and pergolas! It is not perpetual.

• Flowering time June to August
• Height at maturity 6 m

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Rosa x moschata 'Paul's Himalayan Musk' - Rambling Rose

This is a rambling rose that offers countless small pompom flowers, pinkish white in colour, very fragrant.

• Flowering time July, August
• Height at maturity 8 m

See the product sheet

Find our rambling roses!

Old roses can be single or double flowering. The flowers are fragrant and generally have a very delicate side. They are often not perpetual.

Rosa x Noisette 'Madame Alfred Carrière'

This is a climbing rose that offers a superb fragrant flowering, pinkish white. It has few thorns and is not very susceptible to diseases!

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 4 m

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Rosa Jacques Cartier - Portland Rose

A bush rose, with a relatively compact habit, that offers very double flowers, soft pink in colour. They are fragrant and perpetual. It is a variety resistant to diseases.

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 1,20 m

See the product sheet

Rosa Ghislaine de Féligonde - Climbing Rose

This is a climbing rose with yellow-apricot flowering. The flowers become lighter as they bloom.

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 3 m

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Rosa Jacqueline du Pré - Hybrid Tea

A magnificent rose, with semi-double flowers, whose white petals reveal sublime pink stamens at the centre. The flowering is fragrant.

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 1,30 m

See the product sheet

Our old roses are a must-see!

English roses are bush or climbing varieties that offer double flowering, often fragrant. They are perpetual and are appreciated for their delicate and elegant appearance. They are generally David Austin cultivars.

→ Learn more with our guide How to choose an English rose

Rosa Graham Thomas - English Shrub Rose

A rose with yellow-orange flowers, pleasantly scented. It grows quickly to form an erect but dense bush. It is appreciated for its soft and warm hue!

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 1,50 m

See the product sheet

Rosa 'William Shakespeare 2000' - English Rose

This rose offers splendid double flowers, deep red-purple, very intense. It blooms for a long time, is fragrant, and is quite resistant to diseases!

• Flowering time July to November
• Height at maturity 1,25 m

See the product sheet

Rosa Gertrude Jekyll - English Rose

A vigorous and resistant bush rose, which has superb double pink flowers, fragrant. It has been awarded by the Royal National Rose Society.

• Flowering time June to November
• Height at maturity 1,20 m

See the product sheet

Discover our range of English roses!

Young plantation

Where to plant?

Install your roses in full sun or under light shade. Sunlight ensures beautiful flowering, although some varieties can tolerate shaded conditions.

Roses are greedy plants that appreciate soils rich in organic matter. It is advisable to add well-decomposed manure or compost. Your rose will thrive in deep, well-draining soil. Moisture must be able to escape to prevent the onset of fungal diseases. If your soil is heavy and clayey, ensure proper drainage. Avoid overly calcareous soils that may lead to chlorosis (yellowing of the foliage), unless the rootstock is Rosa canina, which tolerates lime well.

Choose a sheltered spot from the wind, but open. Avoid overly confined locations (for example, wedged against a wall and other plants). Air must be able to circulate to prevent the development of diseases. Similarly, do not plant your rose in a spot where one has already been, to limit the risk of transmitting fungal diseases.

When to plant?

The best time to plant roses is in autumn with bare roots. However, if your soil is heavy and clayey, it is better to wait until the end of winter to plant them. If you buy them bare-root, you can reasonably plant them between late autumn and early spring (from November to March), while container-grown roses can be planted all year round. Avoid especially periods of frost or extreme heat.

→ Read also: When to plant roses?

How to plant?

1. Start by pruning the branches to about thirty centimetres. Also shorten the roots.
2. Place the root ball in a basin filled with water to rehydrate it and facilitate recovery.
3. Dug a hole large enough, ideally about 50 centimetres deep. Add well-decomposed compost or manure as roses appreciate soils rich in organic matter. If your soil is heavy and clayey, work on the drainage by adding gravel or pumice, for example.
4. Gently untangle the roots.
5. Place the root ball in the planting hole. You can position the grafting point very slightly above soil level. Indeed, it is traditionally advised not to bury the grafting point. This is especially preferable if your soil is not well-suited for growing roses (limey soil…). However, you can also choose to bury the grafting point. If you live in a region with a harsh climate, this will help protect it from the cold.
6. Replace the soil and firm it down. You can create a watering basin.
7. Water generously.

Continue to water regularly during the first year. You can install mulch or a ground cover plant at the base to limit the growth of weeds and keep the soil cool for longer.

Some roses, especially dwarf varieties, adapt very well to pot cultivation! Learn more with our advice sheet Growing a rose in a pot

To learn more, discover our advice sheet on planting roses! Read also: Bare root roses in clumps: the right compromise and How to plant a climbing rose?

For everything you need to know about planting roses, check out our illustrated advice sheet: “Roses: how to plant them in pots or bare roots”

Maintenance and pruning

Roses are delicate plants that require a bit of maintenance. We advise you to regularly cut off the faded flowers, so as not to unnecessarily exhaust the plant, unless you wish to obtain rose hips. In addition to the aesthetic interest, removing these faded flowers will encourage the appearance of the next blooms.

Roses are greedy plants. We advise you to add fertiliser at the beginning of spring, before flowering. Make a second application of fertiliser in June-July. Choose one that is especially rich in potash, and, if possible, magnesium. You can also use an organic amendment: crushed horn, dried blood…

Roses require watering especially during dry periods. At other times, they can do without it. Water at the base of the bush, avoiding wetting the foliage, which would encourage the development of diseases. Water regularly in the year of planting. Watering should be much more frequent if you are growing your rose in a pot rather than in the ground. By installing a layer of mulch at the base of your rose, you can significantly reduce watering and weeding. Choose, for example, dead leaves or ramial chipped wood (BRF), but avoid pine bark.

Roses are sensitive to powdery mildew, rust, and black spot disease. Powdery mildew is identified by the appearance of a white fluff on the leaves, while rust is recognised by small rust-coloured pustules on the leaves. As for black spot disease, it is caused by the fungus Marsonia. It is characterised by brown spots on the leaves. These spots discolour and turn yellow. Against these diseases, you can use nettle manure, horsetail decoctions, or a fungicidal. Roses are also frequently attacked by aphids.

Having a problem with your rose? Discover our advice sheets: “Rose Diseases – Identification and Treatments” and “Roses: Aphids and Other Pests”, Help for Spots on My Roses!; How to Revive an Old Climbing Rose?

And our podcast:

→ Learn more about plant galls, which can affect the rose.

Roses are generally grafted, but they can produce suckers, vigorous shoots that grow quickly and start below the grafting point. They should be removed by cutting them at the base.

To maintain a harmonious shape and provide generous flowering, roses need to be pruned regularly.

Consult our advice sheets and video tutorials on the subject:

• Pruning Roses
• How to Prune Old Roses?
• Pruning Modern Roses
• How to Mulch Roses?
• Why Isn’t My Rose Blooming?
• When and How to Prune a Standard or Weeping Rose?
• as well as Olivier’s mood piece: How to Fail… at Pruning Roses?

Multiplication

Sowing

Sowing roses is quite easy. Sowing seeds from horticultural varieties may yield random results in terms of flower colours and shapes, but you can try hybridising your varieties this way! Sowing botanical species will provide a more reliable outcome. Sowing species also allows for the production of subjects that can serve as rootstocks.

1. Harvest the rose hips, then dry them before extracting the seeds. Rose seeds require a cold period to break their dormancy (vernalisation). To do this, mix the seeds with sand, then place them in the refrigerator for one to two months.
2. Remove the seeds.
3. Fill a pot with a mixture of potting soil and sand. Firm it down and water to moisten the substrate.
4. Sow the seeds.
5. Cover them with a thin layer of sand.
6. Place the pot in a shaded and cool location.

Grafting

Most commercially available roses are the result of grafting. You can graft your roses using the shield technique. Preferably use Rosa multiflora or Rosa laxa as rootstocks, unless your soil is calcareous: in that case, you should choose Rosa canina (the dog rose).

Intervene in summer, around August. Select and cut a healthy shoot from the variety you wish to propagate. Prepare it by removing the leaves and thorns but leaving the petioles in place. Take a bud with its petiole by carefully incising the bark. If there is wood beneath the bud, you need to remove it. Then, on the rootstock, near the collar, make a T-shaped incision to open the bark without cutting into the wood (you will feel resistance when you reach the wood). Next, insert the shield, and if it slightly protrudes, trim the edges. Then tie the grafting point, leaving the grafted bud exposed.

→ Learn more in our advice sheet How to graft roses: the shield technique.

Propagation by Cuttings

Roses are propagated by cuttings at the end of summer, using semi-ripe shoots.

For more information, check out our advice sheet on rose propagation by cuttings, and Olivier’s video: When and how to take rose cuttings? Also discover the film La fine fleur which discusses the hybridisation of roses.

Association

Roses are undoubtedly an essential element for a romantic garden! Their fragrant flowering adds a lot of charm and delicacy to the garden. You can pair them with the delicate flowering of Weigelias and Deutzias. Also enjoy the white and airy flowering of gypsophilas, Crambe cordifolia, or Gillenias.

For a romantic flowerbed, combine blooms in soft shades: Rose ‘Gertrude Jekyll’, Weigelia florida ‘Nana Variegata’, Deutzia gracilis, and Delphinium (Photo: Friedrich Strauss – Biosphoto)

Don’t hesitate to install perennials or ground cover plants at the base of your roses, they make beautiful duos. This will help dress their sometimes bare base, limit the growth of weeds… And, depending on the chosen plant, bring colours even when the rose is no longer in bloom. You can choose alchemillas, hardy geraniums, or heucheras.

Roses come in a wide range of shades… take advantage of it to play with colours! You can create a stunning orange scene by pairing the rose ‘Grace’ and the heuchera ‘Marmelade’. You can also surround your roses with darker plants to highlight their bright blooms. If you pair them with other light shades, you will achieve a soft flowerbed. In general, roses pair very well with blue flowering plants in spikes, such as lavenders, nepeta, or sages, but also with delphiniums, aconites, or campanulas. A deep and intense blue can create a stunning contrast!

Pair intense red roses with the pure white blooms of astilbes or Gillenia! Generally, we recommend marrying your roses especially with other plants in pastel shades: soft pink, white, mauve, blue. Also enjoy plants with silver foliage: the softness of Stachys bizantina, or the finely cut foliage of Artemisia.

Play with colours by creating harmonies or contrasts! Rose ‘Grace’ and Heuchère ‘Marmelade’ (Photo: Howard Rice – GAP Photos) / Rose ‘Sir John Betjaman’ and Gillenia trifoliata (Photo: Nicola Stocken – GAP Photos) / Rose ‘The Fairy’ and Gypsophila rosenschleier (Photo: Pernilla Bergdahl – GAP Photos)

Clematis are perfect for accompanying roses! They come in a wide range of colours and shapes. You can train a climbing rose and a clematis side by side on a facade or pergola.

Roses can also be part of a wild and natural garden! Choose botanical roses, or at least varieties with simple flowers, such as Rosa chinensis ‘Mutabilis’… And pair them with light blooms: gypsophilas, alliums, asters, nigellas, erigeron karvinskianus, or even poppies and cosmos… Don’t hesitate to add some grasses: pennisetum, stipa, or calamagrostis. You can also enjoy the delicate flowering of astrances, foxgloves, or squills.

→ Read also Grasses and roses: a winning combination and Garden naturally with botanical and wild roses

Need more ideas? Follow Olivier as he presents beautiful combinations in this video:

Did you know?

• Hips Jam

You can make jam with the hips produced by rose bushes in autumn. These berries are very high in vitamin C and boost the immune system. Preferably use those from the dog rose, Rosa canina, or those from Rosa rugosa. They are commonly referred to as “itchy bum” due to the urticating hairs contained in the berries. These need to be removed, along with the achenes, to consume only the pulp and skin.

• Various Uses!

Aside from hips jam, rose bushes are widely used in cosmetics and perfumery.

Rose petals are edible. You can add them to your salads. Dried, they can be used in potpourri, for decoration, or in infusions. Rose water (or hydrosol, obtained from Rosa damascena or Rosa centifolia) is known for its many benefits for the skin. Damask rose is also used in essential oil form. Of course, the rose is also an irreplaceable plant in bouquets or decorations, for example, for weddings. Finally, depending on the countries and regions of the world, hips are used to make decoctions, ice cream, juice, beer, or liqueur…

• Longevity Record

In Germany, the Hildesheim rose bush is considered the oldest in the world. Legends say it is over a thousand years old. Its true age is uncertain, but it is confirmed to be at least 400 years old. It survived the bombings of 1945: the rose bush and the cathedral against which it grows were damaged, but shoots sprouted from beneath the ruins.

• Rose Gardens to Visit!

In France, there are some beautiful collections of roses. For instance, the rose garden of Val de Marne, in L’Haÿ-les-Roses, near Paris, is a superb modern rose garden, boasting over 3,000 varieties. The three rose gardens in the Parc de la Tête d’Or in Lyon are also worth a visit! And in Germany, the Sangerhausen Rose Garden has the largest collection of roses in the world, with over 8,000 varieties.

• Curiosities – Unusual and Original Roses!

Roses offer such diversity that there are several astonishing or strange varieties! For example, Rosa chinensis ‘viridiflora’ has green flowers, as they are composed not of petals, but of numerous elongated bracts, sometimes marked with red. Similarly, while the vast majority of botanical roses, and even Rosaceae, have five petals and sepals, Rosa sericea is a surprising rose with four petals and four sepals. As for Rosa omeiensis ‘Pteracantha’, its stems bear very large, translucent red thorns. There are also moss roses, whose flower buds are covered with a kind of “moss” made up of epidermal outgrowths. Finally, the ‘Wild Strawberry’ rose bears flower buds that never open! The size, red colour, and conical shape of its buds resemble small strawberries.

Rosa omeiensis ‘Pteracantha’ (photo Pancrat), Rosa chinensis ‘Viridiflora’ and Moss Rose ‘Marie de Blois’ (photo Salicyna)