What Are Angel Face Roses?

Growth Habit

• Angel Face is deciduous, it drops its leaves drop and goes dormant in the fall in cold climates. It is available in two forms. The shrub form is short and compact with a mature height of 2 to 3 feet and width of 1 to 2 feet. The climbing form grows 8 to 11 feet tall. Both forms have glossy, leathery, dark-green leaves and thorns on the canes and stems.

Blooming Habits

• Angel Face is a floribunda rose blooming from midspring to fall. The blooms form in sprays or clusters with up to nine flowers per spray. The 4-inch diameter flowers are larger than most floribundas. They are fully double with approximately 30 ruffled petals per flower. The flowers’ color is influenced slightly by the climate. They are generally silvery-lavender but are blue-lavender in hot climates. These are very fragrant flowers with a lemony or citrus scent. They won the James Alexander Gamble Fragrance Award in 2001. There were been 16 such awards given to roses since the program began in 1961.

Growing Requirements

• Plant Angel Face roses where they receive at least four to six hours of direct sunlight each day. They prefer loamy soil with a slightly acidic pH that drains well. Plant them 2 to 3 feet from structures and other plants for good air circulation. Water them in the morning several times each week. They need four to six gallons of water per week. Applying 2 to 3 inches of mulch around the base retains moisture and keeps the roots cool.

Winter Protection

• Angel Face is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 5a to 9b. While it survives winter temperatures down to minus 20 degrees, give shrubs and climbers winter protection in zones 5 and 6. Encourage the shrub to go dormant by withholding fertilizer and leaving the flowers on the plant as they fade, rather than deadheading them. Do this in late summer or early fall. After the first killing frost in mid- or late fall, mound 8 to 12 inches of fresh soil onto the shrub’s base. Do not pull the soil up from around the shrub. Place straw or dry leaves around the shrub. Encircling the shrub with chicken wire holds the straw and dry leaves in place and provides extra protection. Wrap burlap around the rose and loosely tie it in place. Commercial products are available that protect rose bushes from harsh winter weather. Protect climbing rose canes or stems. Wrap them in insulating material or take them down from their trellis, lay them out along the ground, and cover them with fresh soil and mulch.