Sun Requirements for White Rugosa Roses

Rugosa Roses

• The rugosa rose is a reblooming shrub rose that grows up to 6 feet tall which, in combination with its prickly nature, explains why it is often used as a hedge rose. Rugosas are cold hardy and fairly heat tolerant, flourishing in the South and North, and even into into Canada, in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 3 through 7. Rugosa roses also grow the largest rose hips of any rose. Related to the apple tree, the fruit of the rugosa is edible -- preferably after a good freeze to sweeten them up -- and is a good source of vitamin C. Cut the rose hip in half and remove the seeds along with the hairs that will irritate your throat before eating or steeping for tea. Because this rose is so prickled, it's best to wear heavy work gloves when handling the rugosa.

Planting Locations

• Rugosa roses are tolerant of a range of soils but prefer an acidic well-drained soil. The rugosa can tolerate drier and more alkaline soils, salt and wind. Plant rugosa roses in full sun to partial shade. The definition of full sun varies depending on your latitude, which part of the day the sunlight hours occur in and summer temperatures. Generally, rugosa roses need more than four hours of sunlight and can stand considerably more sunlight -- 10 hours or more -- with sufficient watering. Blooming often suffers in shadier locations and increases with additional hours of sunlight.

Rugosa Blooms

• Rugosa roses have a bloom of roses in the late spring and then flower intermittently throughout the summer, especially if you deadhead the shrub. Most rugosa flowers are single flowers in white or pink with only one set of five petals presenting a flat open face much like a cherry blossom. Breeders have developed double-flowered hybrids of the rugosa rose at the same time that they developed deeper colored flowers in a wider variety of shades such as purple and yellow. Rugosas have a strongly perfumed scent. If you don't deadhead the flowers, the rugosa develops large bright orange-red rose hips that persist throughout the winter.

Unusual Leaves and Pesticides

• In Latin, rugosus means wrinkled and that well describes this unusual rose leaf. Rugosa's shiny, dark green leaf has a very wrinkled, leathery leaf surface with deep venation. These grooves tend to capture rainfall and any chemical that you apply to them. Because of the wrinkling, the rugosa leaves hold any compound sprayed on them while the water evaporates off, concentrating the chemical and leading to leaf burn. Experts advise not treating the rugosa roses with any chemical because of this concentration effect, including both pesticides and fungicides. Luckily, the rugosa rose is resistant to fungal infections and most pests, although it is susceptible to Japanese beetles.