Rose Varieties of Every Kind for You

There are thousands of different rose varieties from which to select the roses for your garden.

There are many different ways of categorizing roses as well, namely:

• By color, e.g., red vs. yellow
• By species, e.g., hybrid tea vs. floribunda
• By fragrance, e.g., sweet vs. spicy
• By size, e.g., miniature vs. standard
• By type, e.g., climbing vs. bush

Let's look at each classification in a bit more detail...

But by far, the most widely-recognized and desired color of all the rose varieties is red.

Red roses are known to be the color for romantic love. They are often times used for Valentines Day or to show passion or love towards one that is special to you. (Read more about the meaning of different colors here.)

Beyond the color red in roses, are different shades and styles that can be used to compliment each other in either a bouquet or your garden.

One consideration is to know what will have the best growing capacity in your area. Different types of roses will do better in the area that you live in than others. For more information on growing zones for roses, click here.

If you are looking to plant red roses, there are several different red rose varieties that you can choose from to suit your needs, both by the climate of where you live, and also the styles that you are looking for. Here are some varieties of red roses that you can plant in your garden.

F.J. Grootendorst

These are hybrid red roses that are easier to grow in a lot of regions, as they do not require as much sunlight as other roses. They usually grow in clusters of two, with a bright red for the petal shade. The leaves are often smaller. They usually grow to be about five to six feet in length, and are good for zones 5 to 9.

Mr. Lincoln Hybrid Tea Roses

Tea roses are a cross between tea roses and hybrid roses. They usually have long stems and have a nice fragrance to go with their blossoms. They will usually reach to be about four to five feet tall and can grow up to two feet across. The blossoms on Mr. Lincoln tea roses usually bloom in doubles, and are large in size. Hybrid Tea Roses are often easier to take care of then other types of roses.

Danny Boy

If you are more interested in growing shrub roses, there are several different types of red shrub roses available. Danny Boy is one. It is a smaller shrub rose, being about two and a half inches in size. It has semi-double blooms that can become fairly wide. Shrub roses are known to be good for things such as screens, hedges and mass plantings. These types of roses will also have repeat blooming.

Crimson Pillar

This type of rose is categorized, among others, as a climbing rose. They are originally from France, but do well in several different types of climates. They, like most climbing roses, will usually bloom both in the late spring and in the fall. The leaves with these particular types of climbing roses are a dark, olive green.

Prairie Valor

This type of rose is a cross between a hardy rose and a hybrid tea rose. These particular roses are disease resistant, and are known to be able to survive through harsh winters without having to be covered. They will usually grow to be three and a half feet tall. They are more fragrant than most other roses. They have double blooms that are known to be large. On the reverse side of the petals is usually some silver. They are bushier in their appearance. The leaves are usually a darker green.

These, as well as several other rose varieties, can be used in your garden to create a mixture of red roses. There are more than twenty available types of red roses, all in different styles, height, form, and capacity for growth.

Whether they are used with bushes, climbing, or several other different rose varieties, each kind of red rose can be used and arranged in your garden.

The best thing to do when looking for the right types of red roses in your garden, is to decide what will grow best in your area, and where and how you will be planting them. This will help you to know how to arrange the roses in order for them to bloom to their full capacity, in several different heights and styles of red.

Every different color of rose has a different height and style, as well as uniqueness. Each can be used to complement each other, allowing your garden to bloom with the idea of love throughout the year.

Listing every species of rose here goes way beyond the scope of this site, and probably wouldn't interest you anyway, unless you happen to be a botanist. Suffice it to say, there are more than 100 rose varieties these days.

Some of the more common ones include:

• Hybrid tea roses
• Floribundas
• Wild roses

But, according to the American Rose Society, all rose varieties should be classified first according to these 3 groupings:

1. Species rose varieties, commonly known as wild roses, which were the naturally-occuring predecessors of all other rose species. Wild roses have 5 petals, bloom once, and are usually thorny and climbing. Examples include Cherokee Roses, Dog Roses, and Redleaf Roses.

2. Garden roses, also known as heirloom or antique roses, which are all cultivated species in existence prior to 1867—you can read more about heirloom roses here. Garden roses tend to be pastel or white in color and can be either a shrub or vine. They bloom once in early summer and are fairly easy to care for. Examples include China, Moss, Damask, and Noisette roses.

3. Modern roses, which are the rose varieties you're likely to be most familiar with. They're known for their vibrant colors. The Modern Rose species are the result of cross breeding hybrid tea roses with the polyanthus. They can bloom over and over when cared for correctly. Examples include Hybrid Tea, Floribunda, and Grandiflora rose varieties.

Roses are also classified by the different size blooms they can come in. One of the most common variations on the usual size blooms is miniature roses. Miniature roses are quite versatile and they are also extremely hardy in most climates. Read more about this rose variety here

Roses can also be looked at in terms of the type of plant they come on. Some roses grow on vines that can climb up trellises or walls. Other roses grow in low-lying shrubs or higher bushes.

Here are some of the world's favorite roses for growing in your home garden...

1. Hybrid teas are probably the most popular roses in the US, because they bare several huge cluster blooms at one time. Hybrid teas will create vivid and full displays with handsome buds and big fragrant flowers. They need some help getting through frigid temperatures but they are worth the trouble, and require little maintenance during the growing season.

2. Floribundas are clever choices to grow in your rose garden if you don’t have a lot of time for pampering. They are also strong plants that, with protection, can live through the winter months without much loss. Floribunda roses bloom in bunches of individual to groups of double flowers.

3. Grandifloras bring forth charming petals, grow to great heights and bloom continuously throughout the season. Grandifloras are very showy flowers that produce white petals and bloom in the latter part of the spring. They are a cross between Floribundas and hybrid teas. Gladifloras are a tall, studious plant that breeds classic clusters of flowers.

4. Rugosas will grow in just about any area. They can handle less than perfect soil and only need about three hours of sunlight a day. That means that they are especially suited for the lower number hardiness zones.

5. Climbing roses live up to their name. They have lengthy, reaching canes full of blooms. Lengthy reaching canes are full of blooms. Train your climbing roses to weave their way over fences and archways.

6. Landscape roses work to bring your lawn or garden alive. They grow in the form of hedges and enrich the color scheme of your garden area. They vary in size and can produce a full, robust bloom in the fall. Theses roses require pruning in the winter to get rid of old wood and for shapeliness after they flower.

7. Standard tree roses are comprised of tough root stock connected to a long stem that grafts to a rose bush at the tip of the stem. Tree roses are sassy additions to gardens, fabulous along the side of homes and reach decent heights. They will need some covering in the winter.

8. English roses mix the fullness of bloom with tangy aromas, are much easier to grow than hybrid teas, and are very disease resistant. Some can become short climbers if not pruned. They are reminiscent of antique roses and need some assistance making it through the colder months.

9. Tea roses need a lot of tender loving care. They derive their name from their distinctive scent. They are decedents of roses grown in very mild climates so they may grow fragile blossoms in the hardiest zones. They don’t withstand inclement weather well at all and can be rather demanding. But they won’t disappoint you if you can get them to grow. Many consider them to be the cream of the crop.

10. Miniature roses are adorable little plants that have the ability to captivate and dazzle. Their popularity is fueled by the excitement over these cute tiny versions of bigger roses. Miniature roses are enchanting and turn landscapes and borders into playgrounds. Dress up your driveway or perk up your deck with miniature roses.

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