Roses – the epitome of romance in the garden, with their colourful, scented flowers and famous glove-piercing thorns. There are thousands of roses available, in shades of pink and red to yellow, apricot, white and even blue (ish), as well as ones that climb and ramble, and ones that creep.
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In fact, there are a multitude of types, groups and forms that even experienced gardeners might find difficult to decipher. How can you tell what the difference is between them all, and which type you actually want for your garden?
Here, we break down all the confusing jargon surrounding rose types and offer expert picks of the best ones to grow.
Top rose types and forms
Species and wild roses
Roses can, in general, be classified as species roses, or cultivars, which are divided up again into old roses and modern roses. Species roses are what might be thought of as wild roses. They are large plants with simple, single flowers and tend to bloom once, in early summer, followed by hips.
Old roses
Old roses are typically roses that were bred and introduced up to the mid-19th century. This group is very large, and includes centifolias, albas, bourbons, China roses, damasks, tea roses, gallicas, noisettes, rugosas, moss, Scots, sweet briar and Portland types.
Modern roses
Modern roses include more recently bred varieties such as hybrid teas, hybrid musk, rugosa English roses, floribundas, miniatures, polyanthas, patio roses and groundcover or carpet types. Many are repeat-flowering, or ‘remontant’, when deadheaded regularly.
Shrub, climber or rambler rose?
As well as whether it is a species or cultivar and old or modern, roses also come in different forms, and this influences not only how they grow but how they should be pruned. Common rose forms include shrub or bush roses, climbers and ramblers, groundcovers and miniature types.
Species roses are usually climbers or shrub roses, and there are climbing and rambling forms of both old and modern roses. Other types within each group vary widely in growth habit, from upright to arching and trailing or low spreading types. Some are vigorous or suckering, while others are compact or lax. Ramblers like R. ‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk’ can reach up to 10m, while miniatures can be as small as 25cm.
Climbers, such as R. ‘Madame Alfred Carrière’, which often repeat flower, can be grown on structures and to cover surfaces; while the more vigorous, typically once-flowering ramblers, such as R. ‘Rambling Rector’, are often grown up into trees to give a wilder, romantic feel.
If you have inherited a rose in your garden and you are not sure if it is a climbing rose or a rambler, it is helpful to know that a climbing rose will repeat-flower through summer, but a rambler will only bloom once, in early summer.
Some roses, like R. spinosissima, are used as hedges, while others, like the Flower Carpet Series, are great for groundcover. Roses such as R. ‘Iceberg’ or R. ‘Bonica’ can be trained as standards – think of a lollipop shape, with a clear stem and a ball of flowers at the top - while smaller types, such as red-bloomed patio rose R. ‘Peter Pan’, work well in containers.
The flowers also differ greatly in form and colour, ranging from simple, five-petalled, flat or cupped blooms to complex, rosette-shaped, double flowers. Their scents can be fruity, musky, tea, myrrh, floral or the distinctive old rose fragrance.
What to know when buying roses
Roses are usually available to buy as either pot-grown specimens or bare roots. You can plant a pot-grown rose any time of the year, whereas bare root roses will be sent out in winter and should be planted as soon as possible – though not if the ground is frozen.
Simple rose planting and care
Although this vast array of types, forms and classifications can be daunting, caring for roses is straightforward, as they are hardy and easy to grow, and do not need much maintenance. They should be planted in an open position in full sun, and will grow in any moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil, as long as it is not waterlogged or too dry.
The best roses to grow
We asked two experts for their favourite roses: Sissinghurst head gardener Troy Scott-Smith, who has a penchant for old rose types; and rosarian Michael Marriott, who worked at David Austin roses for decades and grows many new, English and popular types in his own garden.
Rosa ‘Adélaïde d’Orléans’
One of the most beautiful ramblers, ideal for a pergola or trellis, with delicate flowers that hang like jewels along the length of its long, pliable stems. Pink buds open up into semi-double, pure-white blooms. Very lax growth makes it easy to train. 6m. AGM*. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b†.
Rosa ‘Albertine’
A well-known rambler you often see in gardens with a delicious fragrance of tinned pineapple. Can be grown on a wall or allowed to do as it likes among shrubs. 3.6m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b.
Rosa ‘Alchymist’
A modern floribunda climbing rose from the German breeder Kordes in 1956. Grown for its golden-yellow-orange blooms and striking copper-bronze foliage. 6m. RHS H6, USDA 4a-9b.
Rosa ‘Bleu Magenta’
A splendid, late-flowering rambler that can usefully extend the season. Little scent, but few thorns. 6m. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 5a-9b.
Rosa ‘Buff Beauty’
Apricot-yellow flowers of delicious scent are beautifully presented in small clusters against the red-brown stems and bronze tinted leaves. Rarely out of flower. 1.2m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 6a-10b.
Rosa Buttercup (= ‘Ausband’)
One of the most deliciously fragrant of all roses. The flowers are a rich yellow and loosely cupped. It repeat flowers well. 1.5m. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b.
Rosa ‘Cardinal de Richelieu’
A gallica rose, much loved by Vita for its sumptuous velvet-purple colouring. 1m. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b.
Rosa ‘Céleste’
Flowers of delicate pink emerge from beautiful buds all set among glaucous grey leaves. Associates well with roses of rich purple. 1.8m. AGM. RHS H7.
Rosa ‘Charles de Mills’
The crimson-purple to dark-lilac colouring is really splendid when planted with strong pink varieties. 1.2m. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b.
Rosa ‘Complicata’
A glorious gallica that will grow as both a free-standing shrub and climbing up a wall. Its large, single, pink flowers surround a circle of gold stamens. 3m. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b.
Rosa ‘Constance Spry’
This climber/shrub rose is named after the florist who did so much to popularise old roses. Clear-pink, double flowers are cupped at first and smell of myrrh. 2.5m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 5a-10b.
Rosa ‘De Resht’
A damask/gallica rose introduced by Nancy Lindsay. Fuschia-red flowers with purple tints are abundant and are held above the foliage on short stems. 1.2m. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 4a-9b.
Rosa ‘Duplex’
Formerly known as ‘Wolley-Dod’, this shrub rose will actually grow in deep shade, its pink flowers contrasting beautifully with the healthy foliage. 3m.
Rosa ‘Dusky Maiden’
A floribunda rose worth growing for its colouring. Healthy foliage is attractively tinted copper-red when young. 1.2m. USDA 6a-10b.
Rosa ‘Fantin-Latour’
A rose of centifolia origins has large, circular and cupped pale-pink flowers with a powerful scent. Forms a rounded bush with broad, dark-green leaves. 2.4m. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 4a-9b.
Rosa ‘Felicia’
Musk rose, whose flowers are pink with salmon shadings with a definite silvery finish and repeat well through the year. The foliage has a crisp, mid-green colour and is attractively crinkled at the edges. 3m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 6a-10b.
Rosa ‘Félicité Perpétue’
A late-flowering sempervirens rambler. Needs little pruning and is covered with double, creamy-white flowers, making it suitable for scrambling through a low hedge. 6m. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 6a-10b.
Rosa ‘Flora’
The rose expert Graham Stuart Thomas suggested growing this up a wall so new growths can fall forward and cover the plant with a sheet of bloom. 4.5m.
Rosa ‘Francis E Lester’
A modern, vigorous climber of interesting colouring and an intriguing fragrance of banana and oranges. Large trusses of flowers are followed by a rash of bright-red hips lasting into winter. 6m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 5a-10b.
Rosa ‘Fritz Nobis’
A worthy, modern shrub rose from the German breeder Kordes. Soft, blush-pink flowers are followed by impressively large hips. 2.4m. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 4a-9b.
Rosa ‘Geranium’
An extremely long-lived moyesii hybrid. 2.4m. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 5a-9b.
Rosa ‘Henri Martin’
The flowers are an intense crimson and are held in profusion on wiry stems. Will grow well in a shady, north-facing corner of a bed. 2.4m. AGM. USDA 4a-9b.
Rosa ‘Honorine de Brabant’
A bourbon rose with repeating, pale-pink flowers spotted and striped with darker tones of mauve to violet. Tall and healthy, but a little coarse in appearance so ideal for mid or back of the border. 2.4m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 5a-10b.
Rosa ‘Ispahan’
A damask rose that expert Graham Stuart Thomas said was the first of the old roses to open and last to finish, creating a brilliant display for the whole period. Healthy and shiny foliage and strong fragrance. 2.4m. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 3a-9b.
Rosa ‘Kathleen’
A hybrid musk rose from the 1920s, its silvery blush-pink flowers open from apricot buds with a pronounced musk scent. Foliage is coppery when young and healthy. 2.4m. USDA 5a-10b.
Rosa Kew Gardens (= ‘Ausfence’)
A particularly tough rose that grows and flowers well even in the shade. It is completely thornless. Excellent in a border or as a hedge. 1.25m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b.
Rosa ‘Kordes’ Magenta’
A modern shrub rose that somewhat resembles a musk rose. Its remarkable mauve flowers uncoil from lilac-pink buds and have cerise shadings of an antique quality seldom seen in modern roses. It’s also highly scented of myrrh. 1.2m.
Rosa Lady of Shalott (= ‘Ausnys’)
One of the best English shrub roses with large apricot-orange blooms that are produced very freely. 1.5m (can also grow as a climber to more like 3m). AGM. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b.
Rosa ‘Madame Alfred Carrière’
Popular, long-lived, white climbing rose with the occasional hint of soft pink and cream. 6m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 6a-9b.
Rosa ‘Madame Lauriol de Barny’
This bourbon rose flowers only once in midsummer and gets blackspot, but it’s worth persevering with for its highly scented and deeply cupped, dark-pink flowers. 3m. USDA 5a-10b.
Rosa Mary Delany (= ‘Ausorts’)
A repeat-flowering English climbing rose with fragrant, soft-pink, semi-double flowers. Ideal for walls or large, robust obelisks. Very few thorns. 3.5m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b.
Rosa ‘May Queen’
From the lucia group of ramblers and therefore one to encourage into flowering a second time by giving the plant a good soaking after flowering and a feed. Like R. ‘Félicité Perpétue’, this is a rose that benefits from minimal pruning. 9m.
Rosa ‘Mrs Honey Dyson’
A quality rose with unusual soft-apricot flowers that fade to a creamy-white. A strong, healthy plant that is happy growing through long meadow grass. 3m.
Rosa ‘Noisette Carnée’
An old rose also known as Blush Noisette, often grown for its unmistakable rich, clove fragrance. Flowers are borne in large clusters from rosy-red buds opening to creamy-lilac. 1.8m. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 6a-10b.
Rosa nutkana ‘Plena’
A shrub rose that is showered with lilac-pink flowers all along the arching branches in midsummer. Planted by Vita and still performing well. 2.5m. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 6a-10b.
Rosa Olivia Rose Austin (= ‘Ausmixture’)
A particularly healthy cultivar with large, very double, soft pink flowers. It repeat flowers very quickly and has a light fruity scent. 1.25m. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b.
Rosa ‘Penelope’
A musk rose that flowers through the summer. Later in the season it signs off by throwing up beautiful coloured foliage and hips. The scent, as with most musk roses, is strong and carried far on the air. 2.4m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 5a-10b.
Rosa Princess Anne (= ‘Auskitchen’)
A fragrant English shrub rose, with deep-pink flowers that fade to a rich pink. 1.2m. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b.
Rosa Queen of Sweden (= ‘Austiger’)
A particularly upright English shrub rose with very neat, light pink, cup-shaped blooms. Good as a cut flower. Light myrrh fragrance. 1.25m. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b.
Rosa ‘Rambling Rector’
A vigorous rambler with large heads of white, semi double, strongly fragrant flowers followed by small orange hips. 7m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b.
Rosa rubiginosa
Forms an arching shrub some 2.4m high and 1.8m wide if allowed to go unchecked. 2.4m. RHS H7, USDA 4a-9b.
Rosa ‘Sissinghurst Castle’
When Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West arrived at Sissinghurst, this gallica rose was growing like a weed among a few aged apple and nut trees in the Orchard. They later named it ‘Sissinghurst Castle’. 1.2m.
Rosa ‘Souvenir du Docteur Jamain’
A dark-red, sweetly scented rose with an exceptional scent. 3m. USDA 4b-10b.
Rosa ‘The Garland’
This beautiful old rambler has a rich orange scent that carries well in the air from the masses of creamy-white clusters of flowers. 7m. AGM. RHS H6.
Rosa ‘Variegata di Bologna’
A bourbon rose from 1909 with pale flowers striped with purple. 1.2m. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b.
Rosa ‘Wickwar’
A rambler that is healthy and vigorous with grey foliage and creamy-white flowers, and it has the added attraction of small, red hips in the autumn. 2m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 4a-10b.
Rosa ‘William Lobb’
An old velvet moss rose named after a Cornish plant collector. Its dark, crimson-purple flowers, which fade to lavender-grey, emerge from heavily green-mossed stems and buds. 3m. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 4a-9b.
Rosa x polliniana
A hybrid between R. gallica and R. arvensis, this rose with single flowers of clear rose-pink with yellow stamens, can spread to around 2.4m across. It is very useful for sprawling over mounds and tree stumps, or trailing down slopes. It also has a delicious scent. 1.2m.
Rosa ‘Zigeunerknabe’
This shrub rose, formerly known as ‘Gipsy Boy’, has intense, crimson-purple colouring. In midsummer it’s covered with blooms, which are followed by orange-red hips. 1.5m. USDA 5a-10a.