Appearance

Growth form

Most are woody shrubs, but some cultivars climb or stay compact.

Flowers

Blooms can be single or packed with petals, and fragrance varies widely by cultivar.

Look-alikes

Multiflora roseRosa multiflora

Multiflora rose usually has clusters of small, five-petaled white or pale pink flowers and fringed leaf bases. Some garden roses also cluster, so check leaves and the whole plant as well as the bloom.

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• gardens
• landscape beds
• cut flower plantings

Range

Across the United States, gardeners grow many rose cultivars; the label covers cultivated plants with varied ancestry.

Growing it

Care

Choose a cultivar suited to your local climate and give it sun and good air circulation. Some bloom once; others flower again during the growing season.

Name and classification

About the name

A cultivar name identifies a particular garden rose more precisely.

Varieties and forms

Hybrid tea roses often have large flowers on long stems; floribundas tend to carry clusters. Miniature and shrub roses add more growth forms. The old white rose hybrid Rosa × alba is a separate hybrid, not a name for all garden roses.

Conservation

IUCN Red List

NENot Evaluated·Not yet assessed