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Ah, the classic red rose. I would bet if you asked ten people to picture a rose in their mind, at least eight of them would picture a red rose. Men in particular seem to be drawn to red roses. Let's take a look at some favorites, old and new.
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There are so many different types of roses and red ones can be found in almost all. I will try to to list some of the best. Just a word of caution at the outset, though. Before you purchase any rose for your garden, you should do your homework. Be sure that it will do well in your particular climate. Will it grow in your zone? Can it take your humidity? Almost all soils must be amended, be they clay or sandy, acid or alkaline, but some roses may do better in a particular type of soil. Just don't buy a rose only because it's beautiful. That said, let's start with that classic single red rose that I believe is the image that pops into most people's heads when they hear the word "rose"; the hybrid tea. Hybrid teas have large flowers at the end of a long stem, like the ones you buy from a florist, with a high center and many petals. Some of the older standbys that have not faded away, with good reason, are 'Chrysler Imperial' (1952, Lammerts)*, 'Mister Lincoln' (1964, Swim & Weeks) and 'Ingrid Bergman' (1984, Olesen). More recently, we have 'Opening Night' (1998, Zary), 'Veteran's Honor' (1999, Zary) and 'Ronald Reagan' (2005, Zary).  |  |  | | 'Chrysler Imperial' | 'Mister Lincoln' | 'Ingrid Bergman' | | photo credit: Calif_Sue | photo credit: happenstance | photo credit: jamie68 |  |  |  | | 'Opening Night' | 'Veteran's Honor' | 'Ronald Reagan' | | photo credit: Pianolady2 | photo credit: Jackson & Perkins {1} | photo credit: Jackson & Perkins {1} |
If you don't care about single blooms, floribundas are a good choice, and not as fussy as hybrid teas. The plants are generally more compact and have an abundance of blossoms, but do not have the long stems of the hybrid tea. 'Europeana' (1963, DeReuiter), 'Lavaglut' (1978, Kordes) and 'Showbiz' (1983, Tantau) are some of the older varieties you might want to look for. 'Black Cherry' (2006, Jackson & Perkins), 'Songs of Praise' (2003, Harkness) and 'Ruby Vigarosa' (2001, Kordes) are three of the best from recent years.  |  |  | | 'Europeana' | 'Lavaglut' | 'Showbiz' | | photo credit: Todd_Boland | photo credit: grampapa | photo credit: Calif_Sue |  |  |  | | 'Black Cherry' | 'Songs of Praise' | 'Ruby Vigarosa' | | photo credit: daryl | photo credit: Harkness Roses [2] | photo credit: Ashdown Roses[7] |
The miniatures and minifloras are always fun. The minis have tiny blooms, many of them exactly like a baby hybrid tea. They are classed as miniatures based on the size of their blooms, but the bushes may grow to 3 feet or more. There are also climbers in both of these classes. Well suited to smaller gardens or the front of a border, even pots, look for 'Why Not' (1983, Moore) or 'Starina' (1965, Meilland). Two excellent intoductions in the past decade are 'Red Scentsation' (1998, White) and 'Ralph Moore' (1999, Saville), the latter dedicated to Moore, the father of miniature roses, who was honored in 2000 for a lifetime of achievement as the first and most prolific miniature hybridizer[2]. Mr. Moore celebrated his 100th birthday in 2007. For something a bit more unusual 'Scarlet Moss' (1988, Moore), is a mini moss and 'Red Minimo' (1991, deRuiter), is a micro-mini with blooms 1" in diameter and reaching a height of only 6 to 12 inches. Minifloras are a newer class, created to accommodate those that are too large to be a mini and too small to be a floribunda. Try 'Harm Saville' (2004, Carruth) or, brand new for this year, 'Power Point' (2008, Benardella).  |  |  |  | | 'Why Not' | 'Starina' | 'Red Scentsation' | 'Ralph Moore' | | photo credit: Irene Lindsey[4] | photo credit: Nor' East Miniature Roses[5] | photo credit: Nor' East Miniature Roses[5] | photo credit: Irene Lindsey[4] |  |  |  |  | | 'Scarlet Moss' | 'Red Minimo' | 'Harm Saville' | 'Power Point' | | photo credit: Irene Lindsey[4] | photo credit: Nor' East Miniature Roses[5] | photo credit: Nor' East Miniature Roses[5] | photo credit: Nor' East Miniature Roses[5] |
The next class is the shrubs, easy to grow and generally hardy, thay are often your solution for a hedge or other landscaping. Carefree and very disease resistant, 'Knock Out' (1999, Radler) has been extremely popular. To add to the popularity, there is now 'Double Knock Out' (2004, Radler), which has a fully double bloom. Some others of note; 'Isabel Renaissance' (1995, Poulsen), 'Hope for Humanity' (1995, Collicutt, Parkland series)' and a single, 'Cherry Meidiland' (1994, Meilland). 'Rockin' Robin' (1997, Carruth) is a jazzy addition, red, striped with white and pink.  |  |  | | 'Knock Out' | 'Double Knock Out' | 'Isabelle Renaissance' | | photo credit: boneyween | photo credit: venu2 | photo credit: rannveig |  |  |  | | 'Hope for Humanity' | 'Cherry Meidilland' | 'Rockin' Robin' | | photo credit: The Canadian Rose Society[3] | photo credit: Kell | photo credit: Calif_Sue |
 The English roses can be taken as a class by themselves and the outstanding name in this class is David Austin. There are a number of reds and the debate goes on as to which is the best. 'William Shakespeare 2000' (2000, Austin), 'L D Braithwaite' (1988, Austin) and 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' (1998, Austin) are three of the varieties that David Austin recommends. I am going to go out on a limb and recommend 'Tradescant' (1993, Austin) as it was recommended to me and currently grows in my rose garden. The David Austin web site describes it as a deep wine crimson, and indeed it is; a gorgeous bloom. The Romantica's, a group from Meilland in France, are reminiscent of the Austin English Roses. 'Rouge Royale' (2000, Meilland), technically a hybrid tea, is a wonderful example (photo at right [6]) .
 |  |  |  | | 'William Shakespeare 2000' | 'L. D. Braithwaite' | 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' | 'Tradescant' | | photo credit: Calif_Sue | photo credit: happenstance | photo credit: DonnaMack | photo credit: grampapa |
I actually took a poll on red climbers last year because I was looking for one myself. I settled on 'Dublin Bay' (1975, McGredy). Some of the other most popular are 'Blaze' (1932, Kallay), 'Quadra' (1994, Ogilvie), 'Altissimo' (1967, Delbard-Chabert), 'Don Juan' () and 'Red Eden (2002, Meilland). There is also 'Blaze Improved', aka 'Blaze Superior' or 'New Blaze' (1935, Böhm). From my reading, I understand that many of the plants offered as 'Blaze' today are actually 'Blaze Improved'.  |  |  | | 'Dublin Bay' | 'Blaze' | 'Quadra' | | photo credit: grampapa | photo credit: anix | photo credit: DonnaMack |  |  |  | | 'Altissimo' | 'Don Juan' | 'Red Eden' | | photo credit: Happenstance | photo credit: ladyanne | photo credit: Kell |
Of the hybrid rugosas, 'Hunter' (1961, Mattock) is an outstanding red (photo at right [7]). The rugosas actually do not like to be sprayed and are generally hardy in the colder zones. That leaves us with the OGR's (Old Garden Roses), of which there many. I will group some examples of these together. That's probably plenty for you to absorb now. There is a plethora of other choices. You can browse PlantFiles (the giant plant database here at Dave's Garden) for more. Huge thanks are due to the DG members whose excellent photographs from PlantFiles I have used in this article (credits are given underneath each photo). Here are a few other excellent resources for roses on the web: HelpMeFind Rose Index RogersRoses Rose-roses * In parentheses after each cultivar - (year of introduction, hybridizer) [1] Photo credit www.JacksonandPerkins.com [2] Photo credit Harkness Roses [3] Photo credit The Canadian Rose Society [4] Photo credits Irene Lindsey on Ralph Moore's Sequoia Nursery [5] Photo credit Nor' East Miniature Roses, a division of Greenheart Farms, Inc.
[6] Photograph of 'Rouge Royale' courtesy of Gindee77 [7] Photo credit Ashdown Roses I browsed the The Canadian Rose Society Favourites Survey for some input into this article. The thumbnail at the top of the article is 'Red Sunblaze' (1988, Meilland). It is a miniature and the very first rose I planted at my current home. (Photo by author)
 | I'm a 'dabble' gardener. Been gardening for over 40 years. I will plant anything that will grow for me and some things that won't, indoors or out. Outdoors I have theme gardens: roses, butterfly/hummingbird, heathers/dwarf conifers, a rock garden (in progress) and a new English-style cottage garden with an herb garden at it's 'heart'. Indoors I try to concentrate on orchids, African violets, anything that will flower or has lots of color and unusual houseplants. I try to stay organic and keep chemicals to a bare minimum. My non-gardening interests include quilting, counted cross-stitch and watercolor painting. I am a proud grandma and before my recent retirement, I was a clinical systems analyst (computer geek) for 24 years. |
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Subject: Red Roses
Posted by mwperry (from Brandon, MS) on March 25, 2008 at 3:56 AM:Great article, Jan. The simple, informative way you categorized red roses along with their pics beats any heavy, voluminous rose book or catalog I own. Your article will be my new guide to reds. I have several roses you named -- Don Juan, Ingrid Bergman, Knockout. Another I love is Home Run, although not mentioned.
Thank you for your special talents.
Martha
... Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on March 25, 2008 at 7:14 AM: Martha, thank you for the very nice comments. There are so many lovely reds it was very difficult to pick just a few. 'Home Run' is indeed another winner.
~ jan ...
Subject: Red roses
Posted by ejanelli (from San Francisco, CA) on March 24, 2008 at 12:24 PM:Two of my favorite reds for growing here in the San Francisco area are 'All That Jazz' and 'Saraband'. Saraband is such a solid trouble-free performer and seems never to go out of bloom. It works well in the ground but also in a pot so you can have its color on a terrace or balcony. All That Jazz is just such an astounding and exuberant color it hardly matters what the plant's other characteristics are, but the fact is it's a big vigorous undemanding bush, and when those blooms are out I defy anyone not to smile. ... Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on March 24, 2008 at 1:36 PM: ejanelli, thanks for sharing your favorites. I love to see what everyone else is growing.
~ jan ...
Subject: An excellent over view of the Red One's
Posted by gloria125 (from Greensboro, AL) on March 22, 2008 at 3:37 PM:Hi Jan: I love roses and I was so glad to see you include the Austin's and the Old Garden Roses in your survey.
Some people have banned red roses from their gardens ---- too common, too Mr. Lincoln. But there's nothing like gathering up an armful of roses with a few reds in there to punch up the apricots, pale yellows, ivory, lavenders, and pink.
Also, many people think the miniature roses are delicate little indoor plants (the way they are displayed at the local Walmart) next to the African Violets. But they do deserve a place in the landscape.
Thanks, Jan. Hooray for RED. ... Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on March 22, 2008 at 5:04 PM: Thanks, gloria. I love the pastels, but I can't imagine not wanting a red rose in your garden. And you're right about the minis. People don't realize that they are not a 'hothouse' plant. They are tough little guys that will survive just fine along side their bigger cousins in the garden.
~ jan ...
Subject: Lovely, just lovely
Posted by doccat5 (from Fredericksburg, VA) on March 22, 2008 at 9:24 AM:Thanks Jan. I see a couple on there I'd like to have. My favorite though is Mirandy.....this picture doesn't do it justice.
... Posted by vossner (from Richmond, TX) on March 22, 2008 at 11:28 AM: Great, great article. I have made this my "official" red rose shopping list. ... Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on March 22, 2008 at 1:39 PM: What a treat!
Thanks for the tour... I'm loving your rose articles, and I appreciate the way you group them into their various classes. For me, the classes translate as "yes" (landscape roses and tougher shrub roses), "maybe" (ie, "maybe if I can put up another trellis") and "no" (hybrid teas, which don't do well for me because I just don't give them the attention they need), LOL. ... Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on March 22, 2008 at 4:59 PM: cat, Mirandy is a beauty! thanks for sharing.
voss & critter, thanks much. ...
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