12 Great Landscape Roses

Thanks to breeding breakthroughs, nearly anyone can grow roses. Classic roses that demanded weekly sprays and endless pampering have been replaced by new, tough-as-nails beauties that blend flower power, winter hardiness and disease resistance. These new rose selections are called landscape roses.

This rose group includes many different types, but floribunda, climber, miniature and shrub roses often fit the category. These rose types truly deliver, blending strong flowering with best disease resistance. Once landscape roses start blooming, flowers keep coming the entire growing season. Blossoms are typically gathered in clusters.

Whether you're making your first excursion into rose growing or have a yard full of roses, you won't go wrong trying one of our favorite landscape roses.

Altissimo

Red climbing rose (shown above).
Single blooms. Plants grow 8-15 feet tall; space 6-10 feet apart. Sets hips, which add winter interest. Stems are moderately thorny. USDA Zones 5-10.

Carefree Roses

Shrub roses in various colors (pink, rose, orange, peach, yellow, cherry red with white eye).
Flowers single or semi-double. Plants grow 2-6 feet tall and wide. USDA Zones 4-10; some varieties die to the ground in USDA Zone 4, but re-sprout in spring.

Easy Going

Orange-yellow floribunda.
Double blooms. Plants grow 2-6 feet tall (taller in warmer regions); space 2-3 feet apart. USDA Zones 6-10.

Europeana

Red floribunda.
Double blooms. Plants grow 24-36 inches tall by 18-24 inches wide. USDA Zones 5-10. 

Gourmet Popcorn

White miniature.
Double blooms. Plants grow 18-24 inches tall in most zones, but can reach 3 feet in warmest regions. Space 15-24 inches apart. USDA Zones 5-10.

Home Run

Red shrub.
Single blooms. Plants grow 24-36 inches tall and wide. USDA Zones 4-10

Iceberg

White floribunda.
Double blooms. Plants grow 2-6 feet tall by 3-4 feet wide. USDA Zones 4-10

Imposter

Pink shrub.
Single blooms with bright pink spattering on light pink background. Plants grow 24-36 inches tall and wide. USDA Zones 4-10 

Knockout

Red shrub.
Semi-double. Look for Knockout roses in pink, yellow, and bicolor blends. Plants grow 2-4 feet tall; space 3 feet apart. USDA Zones 4-10

Sally Holmes

White shrub.
Single to semi-double blooms. Plants grow 6-12 feet tall by 3-6 feet wide. Growth varies based on region, forming a 6-8-foot-tall rose in colder climes and reaching climber size (10-12 feet tall) in warmest zones. USDA Zones 5-10.

Sexy Rexy

Pink floribunda.
Double blooms. Plants grow 24-36 inches tall by 18-24 inches wide. USDA Zones 5-10.

Sunsprite

Yellow floribunda.
Semi-double to single blooms. Plants grow 24-48 inches tall; space 18-24 inches apart. USDA Zones 5-10.

Pruning Tips

Landscape roses don't require tricky pruning, but regular pruning keeps plants compact. Pruning is vital for roses tucked in tight planting situations, such as entries or along sidewalks, and improves flowering in hedges.

Many ground-cover roses don't require pruning at all, unless canes begin to reach into areas surrounding plantings. Alternatively, you can prune plants back annually by one-third to one-half to encourage fresh growth.

Using hedge shears, lightly prune plants to maintain size. Prune in winter (just before plants break dormancy in coldest zones). Also trim lightly after a flush of blooms, as flowers fade. This type of post-bloom pruning increases flower number, yielding plants blanketed with blossoms.

Your local Cooperative Extension System office is an excellent source for information on which plants will grow best in your area.

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