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I never cared for orange flowers. They seemed kind of garish. The color was ok for pumpkins or (ahem) oranges, but NOT for roses. Then I saw some of the gorgeous photographs of orange roses posted on the Rose Forum here at Dave's Garden.
I am a convert now! and I mean big time!! There was a thread[1] started on the Rose Forum about orange roses by my friend Kassia. Those of you who read my previous article on purple roses[2] will remember Kassia. I had no idea there were so many wonderful roses in all shades of peach, apricot, melon and orange. Now that I am in love I want to convert you, too. Let's have a look at some of the favorite orange roses discussed by our members.
Several of our regular members on the Rose Forum are, fortunately, big fans of orange roses and also fantastic photographers. The first of these is Kell, an accomplished rosarian and, with humble thank-yous for her contributions, I credit the following photos to her.
'Spice So Nice' (Carruth, 2002), climber, 8-12', zone 6a- 10b, very fragrant
'Vavoom' (Carruth, 2005), floribunda, 2-4', zone 6a- 10b, very fragrant
Another talented photog, Calif_Sue, who grows fabulous roses, regularly contributes her terrific rose pictures to PlantFiles (the huge plant database here at Dave's Garden). Luckily for us, there are many orange roses included. The following are credited to her with much gratitude.
'Tuscan Sun' (Zary, 2002), floribunda, 3-4', zone 6a- 10b, mild spice fragrance, clusters of 4" blooms
Here are some gorgeous roses from that discussion photographed by various DG members. With many thanks, the credits are listed with each photo. The last one in the group is one of Kassia's orange lovelies as she was the one who started the discussion on orange roses. Her love of her roses comes through in her photos. You can see by these photos that the same is true of all of these rosarian/photographers.
'Candelabra' (Zary, 1998), grandiflora, 4-6', zone 7a- 10b, slight fragrance, susceptible to blackspot
'Caramella' (Kordes, 2001), shrub, 3-4', very fragrant,
'Westerland' (Kordes, 1969), floribunda, 6-12', zone 5a- 9b, very fragrant, disease resistant,
Finally, I will share some oranges from my own garden. They are planted in the 'sunset' section, between the yellows and the reds. The opening thumbnail is 'Orange Waves' (Clements , 2005), a shrub rose, lightly fragrant, with a mature height of about 3.5' and hardy to zone 6. This is my brightest, 'orangest' orange rose. Here are some others.
'Abraham Darby' (Austin, 1985), English, 5', strong fruity fragrance, susceptible to rust, hardy to zone 4
'Baby Darling' (Moore, 1964), miniature, up to 12", very fragrant, zones 6b- 9b
'Gee Whiz' (Buck, 1984), shrub, 3', sweet fragrance (listed as yellow blend, but looks very orange), zone 4b & warmer
'Lion's Fairy Tale' (Kordes, 2002), floribunda, 2', mild sweet fragrance, very disease resistant, zones 6b- 9b
'Millie Walters' (Moore, 1983), miniature, 12", mild fragrance, zone 6
'Oranges 'n' Lemons' (McGredy, 1996), shrub, 30", striped, hardy to zone 4, very disease resistant
'What a Peach' (Warner, 2000), mini climber or tall shrub, 4-6', strong fruity fragrance, hardy to zone 4
Here is a climber I don't have...yet. It is one that particularly struck me from a thread[4] started by JeanneTX. As soon as I find a spot for it, it is MINE! (Oh! not Jeanne's, I'm buying my own.) This beautiful rose is 'Polka' (Meilland 1991), a large-flowered climber with an old rose fragrance. It will grow to 12', is very disease resistant and is hardy in zones 5b-9b. Just what I look for in a rose. Besides, it looks like scoops of orange sherbet. These 3 photos are Jeanne's with her kind permission.
I will close with the 'Disneyland Rose' (Zary/Walden, 2004). Nearly as popular as it's namesake, it is a floribunda that will grow to almost 5' and be in almost perpetual bloom in ideal circumstances. It is somewhat disease resistant, hardy in zones 6b-9b and has little to no fragrance. The vibrant color is what draws gardeners to this rose. And that's what all of the orange roses are about ... color with a capital O!
[2] The author's previous article on purple roses, "Purple Roses Majesty" . If you scroll to the bottom of any of the articles you can click on the "Read more articles written by ...". There are pink and red roses as well as others you might enjoy.
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.
Posted by Fairywinkle (from Lodi, WI) on April 15, 2008 at 12:50 PM:
Here is the other sweetie: Orange Chalis, also from Hortico.
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Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 15, 2008 at 1:29 PM:
Fairywinkle, it's just lovely. thanks for sharing
~ jan
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Subject: a couple of more lovely oranges to see
Posted by Fairywinkle (from Lodi, WI) on April 15, 2008 at 12:49 PM:
These I have in my garden, purchased from Hortico. Great delights!
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Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 15, 2008 at 1:30 PM:
Love the color on this one! I'll have to look for some of these singles.
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Subject: Orange YOU Beautiful!!!
Posted by mamoriah (from Maitland, FL) on April 15, 2008 at 11:18 AM:
Thank you for the wonderful article and pictures of the gorgeous ORANGE roses. They are fantastic!
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Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 15, 2008 at 11:48 AM:
mamoriah, thanks for the nice comment. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
~ jan
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Subject: Thanks, Jan! Here's a couple more!
Posted by bbhow (from Edinboro, PA) on April 14, 2008 at 9:49 PM:
Let's remember Joseph's Coat. Some of the most luscious orange shades as it shifts from yellow to scarlet. Just be careful to get a plant from virus-indexed stock. My mom's is all virused up, though it still blooms beautifully. Then there's the old floribunda Circus [a parent of Joseph's Coat]. It's to be had as own-root in one of the cool nurseries I've been browsing thanks to the Garden Watchdog. Folklore is a big ole healthy thing with flowers that seem to last for weeks. Vermillion-pink and beautiful spiral form!
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Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 15, 2008 at 11:47 AM:
bbhow, thanks for the suggestions. Joseph's Coat is a very popular climber, but although it has a lot of orange in it as it goes through it's many colors, it is listed officially as a red blend. I'm not familiar with Folklore, but I'd love to see it! Do you have a pic by any chance? If you do you should add it to PlantFiles, too.
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Posted by bbhow (from Edinboro, PA) on April 16, 2008 at 11:57 PM:
Hi Grampapa. Listen, there is a great site. Just go to helpmefind.com/rose/rose/php and you can learn all about all kinds of roses and see great photos and learn all about their families, etc. It's very addictive! Yours, Brian
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Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 17, 2008 at 9:20 AM:
Thanks for the link, Brian. I often include it in my articles, but missed it in this one. It is an excellent resource and, as you say, addictive for the rose lover. We have many rosarians here who contribute photos.
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Subject: Orange Roses
Posted by pattybotanic (from Lansdale, PA) on April 14, 2008 at 8:14 PM:
Very tempting and luscious colors. Blackspot is an enormous problem in the humid Philadelphia summers and I read somewhere that orange roses were especially susceptible. Are any of these lovelies especially resistant? I, too, love a clear orange flower. My eyes might be changing the way they process colors as I age as I am more and more drawn to these hues.
Thanks for a wonderful article.
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Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 15, 2008 at 11:38 AM:
patty, thanks. the ones that are listed as disease resistant should be resistant to black spot. you can try to find more information on the web on a specific cultivar. good luck.
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Subject: "Orange Passion"VERY Orange!
Posted by Gitagal (from Baltimore, MD) on April 13, 2008 at 10:21 PM:
Jan,
You missed one! Of course, I don't expect that anyone would know all that much about this one.
About 6-7 years ago, it was developed just for Home Depot by one of the big Rose Hybridizers. It is electric orange--just like our stupid aprons we all have to wear, but it is a beautiful rose.
Gita
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Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 14, 2008 at 6:57 AM:
Hi, Gita. Does it have a name, or is it one of those that's just labelled 'orange hybrid tea'? I'm assuming ht from the pic. Hey, do you get a discount? I'll bet you pick up all the sad half-dead mark downs and nurse them back to beauty.
~ jan
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Posted by Gitagal (from Baltimore, MD) on April 14, 2008 at 9:57 AM:
Jan,
The name is "Orange passion" and it was only for sale that one year at the Home Depots.
Just went outside to see if the hang-tag was still on it. NOPE! Wanted to see which Rose grower did the "honors"... In my mind--I think it was Jackson Perkins, but totally NOT sure. It is a so-so Rose as far as growth goes. It always seems to be less than robust--grows so-so, but the blooms are an amazing, brilliant orange.
It is also quite likely that it was never marketed to the general public--just in the Home Depots.
NO! We do not have a discount! Never have--never will. Many people think we do.....
NO! There are no markdowns to be had. Used to be.....For over 3 years now there are people from a BIG nursery that take care of all the plants--bring them in, water them, display them, service them etc. HD had NOTHING to do any more in that area. In out area it is Bell Nursery. If anything gets tossed, they do it and nothing is marked down any more....No broken bags of soils either. Down the chute they go!
I, personally, do not like messing around with half-dead plants. Not worth my time! They are just plants and replaceable. I have worked for too many years in this field to accept less that "perfect". There are exceptions--of course.
Gita
Here's another shot....edited to say: There is no "browse" option to add another picture....hmmmmm
This message was edited Apr 14, 2008 9:59 AM
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Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 14, 2008 at 11:57 AM:
Ah, I missed the name in the title. Looks like you have a 'limited edition'. It's too bad that they just waste the soil instead of marking it down or giving it to an employee. Same for half-dead plants. Give 'em away and make a customer for life.
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Subject: Oh, Jan!
Posted by MistyPetals (from North Augusta, SC) on April 13, 2008 at 4:57 PM:
I'm either going to not read your articles or get a grip on my shopping addiciton. I declare, everytime you write, I shop. It's a Palov sort of thing. read, shop, read, shop, rinse, repeat.
Thanks for a lovely Sunday afternoon read. Got my Ebb Tide last week in the mail.
Keep writing! On the other hand...(LOL)
Misty, with a smile
This message was edited Apr 15, 2008 11:03 AM
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Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 13, 2008 at 5:50 PM:
Misty, orange and deep purple go so well together. You really do need an orange to plant with your Ebb Tide. Maybe a nice peach. or maybe 2. (you'd think I get some kind of rose kickback, wouldn't you? LOL)
~ jan
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Subject: Wonderful
Posted by kniphofia (from Ashington
(United Kingdom)) on April 13, 2008 at 3:11 AM:
I adore orange flowers! There's just something so vibrant about them and I totally disagree with the notion that they're difficult to place in a garden.
Some gorgeous roses in your article. I just bought David Austin's Grace for a large pot so I'm excited to see that blooming in the summer.
Sue
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Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 13, 2008 at 8:44 AM:
Hi, Sue. I just looked at 'Grace' on the David Austin site. They suggest growing it with dark reds and purples. I can just picture that in my mind. I have 'Pat Austin' on order for later this month. My first orange Austin. Can't wait. Would love to see pics of your 'Grace' when it blooms.
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Posted by pixie62560 (from South China, ME) on April 13, 2008 at 9:04 AM:
I love the article Jan, and Orange is a lovely color! I have a daylily lady that I buy from now & then, she also recomends placing my peach DL's with dark purple perennials. It was stunning!!!!!
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Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 13, 2008 at 10:43 AM:
Thanks, Celeste. I learned to love peach & purple combos from quilting.
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Posted by kniphofia (from Ashington
(United Kingdom)) on April 13, 2008 at 11:24 AM:
Oh you will love Pat Austin, it's one of my very favourite orange flowers. I grew her in Maine but sadly lost her over the winter. I agree, orange goes so well with purples and blues, and I even like it with clashing colours like magenta, red and fuchsia :)
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Posted by pajaritomt (from Los Alamos, NM) on April 13, 2008 at 12:25 PM:
I thought I hated orange colored flowers as well -- until I rented a house which had a Tropicana rose in the yard. I was expected to take care of the roses if I wanted to stay in the house. So I read a book on roses and fed them monthly. I found myself so attracted to Tropicana that I had to plant one of my own. It took me some time to get to know orange roses, but I am a fan now.
Thanks for a great article!
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Posted by McGlory (from Southeast, NE) on April 13, 2008 at 1:46 PM:
I love orange flowers, roses in particular, although I only have one (Denver's Dream - a minature). I was looking around to see what other good orange roses are out there, and lo and behold...there was your article today! Great timing, and great article, Jan!
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Posted by tcs1366 (from Itasca, IL) on April 13, 2008 at 1:46 PM:
Great Article.
I didnt know Honey Perfume was hardy from zone6. I'm zone5 and i've had it a few years now and it does great. I dont cover them in the winters either... but they are south exposure and right next to my foundation.
Tanks Jan... learn something new every day!!
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Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 13, 2008 at 4:06 PM:
pajaritomt, you are most welcome! they do grow on you, don't they?
McGlory, I have a way of knowing exactly what you need and when you need it ;0) Glad to be of service. Let me know what you find.
Terese, the foundation can make a microclimate. And the folks who label them with zone hardiness don't know everything, either. Glad to know Honey Perfume is hardy for you. It's on my list :0)
Jan
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Posted by joegee (from Bucyrus, OH) on April 13, 2008 at 5:36 PM:
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 13, 2008 at 5:51 PM:
Thanks, Joe. Tropicana is a beauty, no doubt :0)
~ jan
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Posted by girlgroupgirl (from Atlanta, GA) on April 14, 2008 at 1:20 PM:
Orange is one of my very favorite garden colors, especially in roses. I think that most people do not expect to see a glorious orange rose! I have several, some of which are not mentioned in your article. I love them all! A very nice article with beautiful photographs!
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Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 14, 2008 at 5:10 PM:
3G, thanks so much. There is no way I could include all the beautiful orange roses. I have only touched the surface. And hopefully gotten a few people to start thinking about adding an orange rose to their gardens.
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Posted by Calif_Sue (from San Jose, CA) on April 15, 2008 at 3:00 PM:
Oh, what a wonderful article Jan and how exciting it is looking forward to the coming bloom season with these vibrant colors.
I sure wish I grew all the ones I took pictures of (and I'm so flattered you used several of them!) but I have such a small garden so I satisfy my craving for more by taking my camera to all the nurseries and public rose gardens.
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Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 15, 2008 at 3:37 PM:
Sue, you're fortunate to live near enough to public rose gardens to visit and we're lucky to have you to take those pics to share with us! Thanks again :0)
I work in my rose garden every day, but it will be a while before I have anything in bloom.
'Gypsy Dancer' (Dickson, 1994), floribunda, 2-4', zone 6a- 10b, slight fragrance, disease resistant 
I will close with the 'Disneyland Rose' (Zary/Walden, 2004). Nearly as popular as it's namesake, it is a floribunda that will grow to almost 5' and be in almost perpetual bloom in ideal circumstances. It is somewhat disease resistant, hardy in zones 6b-9b and has little to no fragrance. The vibrant color is what draws gardeners to this rose. And that's what all of the orange roses are about ... color with a capital O!
