At BioAdvanced, we love roses. With such a wide variety of types and sizes and colors, there is a favorite for everyone. But there are some rose varieties that stand out from the rest – these are better known as "All-America Rose Selections (AARS) winners". These outstanding roses earn the award after two years of rigorous testing in environments that simulate a home garden. Unfortunately, AARS was discontinued after 2013.
If you're considering adding roses to your yard (and you should!), try one of our favorite award-winning beauties. These roses boast tough, easy-growing personalities that embody the best of what the classic bloomer has to offer.
Common USDA zone recommendations are included for the varieties below. In the West, most can also be grown in USDA Zone 11. In the coldest zones, varieties may need winter protection (LINK TBD)
Francis Meilland
Intense, fruity fragrance graces this beautiful, huge pink Hybrid Tea. Fully-formed bloom have over 60 petals and are born abundantly among dark green, disease-resistant foliage. Wonderful cut flower.
- Size: 5-6 feet tall, 4 feet wide
- Hardiness: USDA Zones 5-10
- AARS winner: 2013
Sunshine Daydream
Light-yellow blooms unfurl with an abundance of petals that fade to creamy yellow. Glossy, dark-green leaves shrug off disease, including Black Spot. This Grandiflora type rose has a round, bushy form; flowers open continuously throughout the growing season.
- Size: 5-6 feet tall, 4 feet wide
- Hardiness: USDA Zones 6-10
- AARS winner: 2012
Carefree Spirit
Single, cherry-red flowers with white centers open in clusters on a plant that blends disease resistance with non-stop beauty. Leaves are glossy and deep green, providing a striking backdrop to the bright-red blooms. This is an ideal landscape rose that doesn't need coddling.
- Size: 5 feet tall and wide
- Hardiness: USDA Zones 5-10
- AARS winner: 2009
Strike It Rich
If you like long-stemmed roses, you'll love this gem. "Strike It Rich" opens golden-yellow flowers suffused with orange and red tones. Dark-red stems complement blooms, as do deep-green leaves. Petal-rich flowers boast a fruity fragrance and make a gorgeous addition to garden-fresh bouquets.
- Size: 5 feet tall, 3-4 feet wide
- Hardiness: USDA Zones 5-10, Zone 4 with winter protection
- AARS winner: 2007
Julia Child
Butter-gold blooms exude an intense, sweet licorice fragrance on this pretty rose, selected by the famous chef herself. This is a free-flowering Floribunda shrub rose, tossing open blossoms featuring many petals. Disease resistance is excellent.
- Size: 2-3 feet tall and wide
- Hardiness: USDA Zones 5-10, Zone 4 with winter protection
- AARS winner: 2006
About Face
You want this unusual rose if you like to cut flowers for bouquets. Petals showcase two colors: light golden-orange inside, backed with dark bronzy-orange outside. The effect is striking in the garden, and disease-resistant foliage only strengthens the show. Plant this, "Julia Child" and "Hot Cocoa" roses for stunning rose bouquets.
- Size: 4-6 feet tall, 2-3 feet wide
- Hardiness: USDA Zones 5-10, Zone 4 with winter protection
- AARS winner: 2005
Hot Cocoa
Rust-tinted buds open to reveal ruffled, eye-catching flowers in shades of cinnamon brown and chocolate orange with smoky purple overtones. The effect is gorgeous, and blossoms offer a light apple scent to boot. Deep-green, glossy leaves complement blooms on this free-flowering Floribunda rose. Stems are thorny; site this beauty away from play areas.
- Size: 3-6 feet tall, 2-3 feet wide
- Hardiness: USDA Zones 6-10
- AARS winner: 2003
Starry Night
Pure white 3-inch blooms decorate this landscape shrub rose throughout the growing season. Passersby frequently mistake it for a dogwood with its five-petaled flowers. Disease resistance is superb, and flowers don't require deadheading. If you want a white shrub rose, you want "Starry Night."
- Size: 3 feet tall and wide in cool climes; 6 feet tall and wide in warmer regions
- Hardiness: USDA Zones 6-10
- AARS winner: 2002
Marmalade Skies
Some gardeners call this easy-growing, shade-tolerant rose a tangerine machine, because it's always opening dazzling orange roses. The plants are compact and disease resistant. This Floribunda-type rose opens 3-inch-wide flowers in clusters of five to eight, creating a single-stemmed bouquet.
- Size: 3 feet tall and wide
- Hardiness: USDA Zones 6-10
- AARS winner: 2001