Species Rose

If you favor a slightly wilder look in your garden, look to the ancestors of roses you grow and enjoy for many of the same admirable qualities. Most species roses offer small blooms, and they usually appear only once a season, but the landscaping benefits make them worthwhile to include in borders and background plantings. Most species roses can tolerate extreme weather conditions and because of their colorful hips (fruit), they are good choices for attracting birds and other wildlife to the garden. The canes are often vigorous and arching. Stems may be highly colored but are almost always thorny, making large species good candidates for privacy hedging and deer-frequented areas.

Light:

Sun, Part Sun

Zones:

4-9

Plant Type:

Rose

Plant Height:

4-20 feet tall, depending on species

Plant Width:

3-10 feet wide, depending on species

Landscape Uses:

Containers, Beds & Borders, Slopes

Special Features:

Attractive Foliage, Fragrant, Winter Interest, Attracts Birds, Deer Resistant, Easy to Grow

Top Varieties

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Apothecary rose

(Rosa gallica 'Versicolor') boasts vibrant, carmine-pink blooms that are scented. The cupped, semidouble blooms appear in spring to early summer and are followed by orange-red hips at the end of the season. R. gallica plants are rounded and compact, growing 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Zones 3-9
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Austrian briar rose

(Rosa foetida) bears skunky-scented, single radiant-yellow blooms that open to reveal very showy golden stamens. Red hips follow the flowers in fall. Canes on the open, upright plants arch. Blooming in spring or summer, the plants grow to 5 feet tall and wide. Zones 3-8
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Eglantine rose

(Rosa eglanteria) bears single, dainty flowers in shades of light pink, which appear in late spring to early summer. The foliage bears a distinct apple-like fragrance, too. In fall, the plant produces red hips that draw overwintering birds. It grows 8 feet tall and wide. Zones 4-9
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Father Hugo's rose

(Rosa hugonis) features reddish new stems, fern-like foliage, and cupped single, lightly fragrant pale yellow flowers that appear in late spring. This Western Asian species forms a dense shrub and grows 6 feet wide. It's also known as Rosa zanthia var. hugonis. Zones 5-9
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Moyes rose

(Rosa moyesii) is a charming species that deserves to be more widely grown. Its bright-red, single flowers provide a beautiful backdrop for the showy golden stamens. Large, orange-red hips follow. The Moyes rose produces large, vigorous canes that grow 12 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Zones 4-9
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Rosa glauca

(Rosa glauca) has blue green foliage and reddish new stems that are highly ornamental in a mixed border. The abundant, small red hips add spark of color to winter landscapes. Flowers appear on the arching canes in late spring or early summer. It grows 6 feet tall and 5 feet wide. Zones 2-8
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White rugosa rose

(Rosa rugosa alba) offers large hips, prickly thorns, and wavy leaves. Its white flowers open from pink-tinged buds, are sweetly tea-rose scented, and appear through the season. It grows 8 feet tall and wide. Zones 2-9
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Winged thorn rose

(Rosa sericea subsp. omeiensis f. pteracantha) is known for its showy red thorns. It bears white flowers in spring and grows 8 feet tall. Zones 6-9
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Yellow Lady Banks rose

(Rosa banksiae 'Lutea') is a favorite of southern gardeners. It bears double yellow flowers in late spring and climbs to 20 feet. Zones 8-9
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