Rose Buying Guide

Rose buying guide

Types of roses

Hybrid Tea Roses
Large flowers borne singly, or several to a stem. They are the most commonly grown roses.
Height 1.5m to 2.0m, and up to 1.5m width.

Floribunda or Cluster Flowered Roses
Small to medium size blooms come in clusters; are usually very colourful and ideal for massed planting effect.
Good for a hedge row 1m to 2m tall and 1m width.

Standard or Stem Roses
Hybrid Tea, Floribundas, Shrubs or Miniatures are budded onto a single stem of a standard height,
ie: 75cm to 90cm tall. The rose grows to its usual height as a bush on top of the stem.
Gives height to a garden and allows under-planting.

Climbing, Rambling and Pillar Roses
Producing long climbing canes which are supported on a frame as a screening plant, on a single post as a pillar, or over an arch. Of various sizes to suit wide uses in a garden. Ramblers are usually only spring flowering. Most climbers repeat their flowers from spring to late autumn.

Weeping Standards
Budded onto 1.5m to 2m tall stems, flowering canes cascade downwards.
Best grown as a specimen plant.

Miniature Roses
Roses in miniature, small flowers on a very low bush. Suitable for pot plants.

Shrub Roses
Large bushes, often tall and spreading with many branching canes of a lax arching habit.

Ground Covers
Low spreading plants to 50cm in height. Small flowers in profusion.

Heritage and Species Roses
A wide collection of historic and very old rose types, usually only spring flowering
but very beautiful. Species are the original old roses, which often have decorative seedpods known as hips.

Garden

 
Choose roses that will grow well in South Australia.

Click here to view the Recommended Roses of the South Australian Rose Society.

Roses can be ordered from rose catalogues available in autumn from rose nurseries.

Click here to view South Australian and Interstate Rose Nurseries.

Roses are available for sale either as “barerooted” in plastic bags with the roots surrounded in damp saw dust or growing in a pot. Barerooted plants are dormant – they have no leaves or flowers and are only available in winter. Roses growing in pots are available for sale all year round and are actively growing with leaves and possibly flowers. Whether  you choose barerooted or container plants make sure that they have strong green canes.

All roses are grafted onto rootstock suitable for the conditions where they will be grown. Roses sold in SA generally are on Dr Huey rootstock while roses sold interstate will be on different rootstocks. Grafted means that the top part of the rose with the flowers that you have chosen is attached to a stem and roots of a different variety. The result is a strong and healthy rose bush. Roses can be grown on their own roots but generally will be smaller and less vigorous.