Types & Sizes of Rose Bushes

Bush, Shrub and Climbing

• The three main groups of roses are bush, shrub and climbing. Bush roses grow from 1- to 6-feet tall and do not need any support. Shrub roses, which are often grouped with bush roses, grow from 3- to 10-feet tall and are also self supporting. Climbing roses can produce 20-foot canes in a single season and need to be supported on a trellis or fence. Climbing roses can be left to grow along the ground, especially on hillsides, for erosion control. Each group is further separated into classes.

Hybrid Tea Rose

• When you picture a rose, you are probably picturing a hybrid tea rose, which is a bush rose that bears single, long-stemmed roses favored for cutting. The bush is winter hardy, disease resistant and blooms continuously through the growing season.

Polyantha

• The compact bush of polyantha roses makes them ideal as border plants and in containers on the patio. The small flowers grow in large clusters. Polyantha roses are hardy and easy to grow.

Floribunda and Grandiflora

• The floribunda rose is small bush rose and is a cross between the hybrid tea and polyantha roses. Floribundas produce dense clusters of small flowers throughout the summer. The grandiflora rose is a larger bush rose and is a cross between the hybrid tea rose and the floribunda rose. Large flowers grow in clusters with long stems suitable for cutting.

Miniature

• Miniature roses grow in small bushes from 6 to 24 inches tall and are ideal for adding the beauty of roses to a small space or in containers indoors.

Rambler

• Climbing roses that can grow to 20 feet in one season are ramblers. The small flowers measure less than 2 inches in diameter and grow in dense clusters which bloom only once in the season. Vines need the support of a trellis or fence and are susceptible to mildew.

Large-Flowered Climbers

• Large-flowered climbers grow slowly and can be trained on trellises, fences and posts. The flowers are large and useful for cutting but produce best when canes are trained horizontally. Large-flowered climbers can easily become unmanageable and may need heavy annual pruning.

Old-fashioned

• Old-fashioned or antique roses pre-date the first hybrid roses created in 1867 and include varieties grown in colonial gardens. The flowers are very fragrant and abundant in June but may not be as perfectly shaped as the hybrid varieties.