The 6 types of roses (and their characteristics)

Roses are the most requested flowers for all kinds of events around the world. For centuries this flower has been symbol of beauty, love and elegance. Even today, where there is a very wide diversity of flowers, roses are still the favorites.

There are many colored roses, and each color is said to represent something specific. But beyond that variety, there are other types of roses that are classified according to their origin, the shape of their leaves and stems and of course, the shape of their flowers.

Know the 6 types of roses and their characteristics

Roses that are normally sold in bouquets are not the only type of rose. It is the most common commercially, due to its useful features for making bouquets and decorations. But there are other types of roses that also dramatically adorn gardens.

The first rose bushes that existed are now called wild rose bushes. From there other types of rose bushes arose, in addition to those that have been generated by means of grafts, giving rise to those that we know more daily today. We explain here

how many types of roses are there, with this list showing the most common rose bushes.

1. Wild species

Wild type roses are those that are born in nature. Actually, all rose bushes are derived from these species. They require little care and are divided into many types according to their shapes and characteristics. We mention some varieties that are the most similar to the common rose.

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1. Banksiae

It is a rose bush that reaches up to 6 meters long. It is used as a "climber" and although it has strong branches, it requires support to grow properly. It has no thorns and the flowers appear in very small bouquets of roses.

2. Damascena

The rosebush or damask rose is also known as the "rosebush of Alexandria." Although it is a wild species, today it is cultivated in Bulgaria for use in the manufacture of essential oil. Its rose bush reaches 2 meters in height and its flowers sprout in pairs.

3. Other types of wild roses

There are at least 7 other species of wild roses. However, these are not normally recognized as part of the rose family, because their resemblance to them is very slight. However, they are part of the classification of wild roses because of their genealogical relationship.

2. Old rose bushes

All kinds of roses that existed before 1867 they were known as old rose bushes. Because on this date the first hybrid of tea appeared, which is the most popular rose today and from which the so-called “modern rose bushes” appear, which we will list later.

Old rose bushes stopped being used for many years, but in recent decades they have regained popularity. This is because unlike current rose bushes, these are more resistant and do not require as much care. Here is a list of the most representative types of rose bushes of these ancient rose bushes.

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1. Sunrise

They are rose bushes that bloom in bunches of between 5 and 7 flowers. The plant has very lush, green foliage and the flowers are sturdy, making them widely used for long-lasting flower arrangements and ideal for the garden.

2. Bourbon

Bourbon roses are very fragrant. They are used more like decorative elements in gardens than in bouquets. This is because the rose bush can be adapted with supports to make it climb like a vine.

3. China

The Chinese rose is a small shrub with equally small roses. Although they are a very resistant type of roses, they are not exactly the favorites for their size and shape. In addition, they must be outdoors but require protection.

4. Damascene

The flowers of the Damascene rose bush are very beautiful and fragrant. They are open shrubs and throughout the summer the buds of damascene roses appear. There are many colors and they go very well to decorate a garden.

5. Gallica

Also known as the old rose bush. The roses of this type of rose bush are very similar to some types of wild rose bushes. The colors of its buds are very intense and they have a great scent. They usually grow in bouquets of 3 flowers.

6. Perpetual hybrid

The "perpetual hybrid" roses have large flower sizes. They sprout one by one and unlike the others, their greatest flowering occurs during the fall. They give flowers with many petals, which is why they are distinguished by their large volume.

7. Sempervirens

Rose bushes sempervirens are a plant that looks great on fences. They are climbing shrubs and bloom in late summer. At this time the bush fills with flowersThe characteristic of this rose bush is that it has many buds at the same time.

8. Portland

Portland roses resemble a common rose, but with ripples on the petals. They grow vertically and their flowers are somewhat fragile. The buds occur during the summer and are not as fragrant as in other types of roses.

3. Modern rose bushes

Modern rose bushes are the most commonly planted today. There are many varieties around the world and the versatility of all of them is what has made people prefer them to have them in their gardens.

From the creation of hybrid tea rose bushes in 1867, the derivations of the types of roses are named as modern rose bushes. At least 9 types of roses that we mention below correspond to this classification.

1. Shrubby

The shrubs are very similar to the old rose bushes due to their resistance and shape. They grow in very large bushes, although they do not reach more than 2 meters high. Single flowers or sometimes double clusters sprout from them. What's more bloom all year round.

2. Tea Hybrids

Hybrid tea bushes are what we know as a common rose. It is the most popular and well-known all over the world, both for planting in the garden and for cutting into decorative bouquets. They are bushes up to 1 meter high and their roses bloom throughout the year.

3. Floribunda

The floribunda is very similar to the common rose. The main difference between floribunda and tea hybrids is that the former blooms in abundant racemes, although their flowers are smaller, which makes them visually attractive and colorful.

4. Grandiflora

The flower of the grandiflora shrubs is often mistaken for the common rose. However, the most notable difference between them is that the petals are slightly thicker and smaller. They are very hardy and can even be planted and grown without great care during the first year.

5. Polyantha

Polyantha bushes look great in gardens. They are small but very thick bushes, with a lot of small flowers. They bloom throughout the summer and fall. They are widely used to create fences, although they also work very well for bouquets.

6. Climbers

As their name implies, they are rose bushes that are used to climb columns or fences. Because they have tall, semi-flexible stems, they are arranged in such a way that they cover surfaces upward. Some of them bloom steadily, but some types of climbers only do it once a year.

7. Sarmentosos

Sarmentous roses are similar to climbers. So they are also used to install them on trees, fences, columns and walls. They have very abundant foliage and are not very flowering.

8. Miniature

An excellent choice for pots or small spaces are miniature rose bushes. Both the shrub and its flowers are very small, with flowers that sprout in bouquets of up to 11 flowers, accompanied by a very thick foliage.

9. Upholstery

The type of upholstered rose bush spreads across the floor. They grow more horizontally than vertically and clusters of between 3 and 11 flowers emerge from it. In addition to settling on lawns, they also look great over fences, so they have a cascading drop.

4. Rosebush standing tall

The standing rose bush is a hybrid graft of other types of modern rose bushes. The hybrid tea rose, the floribunda or the miniature rose is usually used as graft, which is grafted to a base trunk of wild rose. The goal is to create small rose trees.

To achieve this, the wild rose is cultivated and when it reaches between 1.5 and 1 meters, the other type of rose is grafted onto it. This takes about 3 years and it has a really beautiful effect. They can be grown in pots or in meadows.

5. Weeping rose bush

This type of rosebush it is also the product of a graft. Like the tall standing rose bush, a wild rose is used to obtain the base trunk. A graft is made with different varieties of flowers in bundles.

The branches that result from this graft are very flexible, so that as it grows, the branches bend down close to the trunk, reaching the ground. The result is a beautiful tree with abundant flowers that cascade down.

6. Roses for bouquets

Bouquet roses are created especially for this. The most common rose we know of and used to create bouquets and flower arrangements, comes from a type of rose grown for the specific purpose of cutting flowers.

They are derived from long, straight and thorny stems. Tea hybrids, floribundas and miniatures, are used for this purpose. Although they can grow well in home gardens, the truth is that they do not look as splendid as other types of roses.

Bibliographic references

• "rose". The Plant List. Version 1.1. 2013. Retrieved on 08-20-2019.
• Goody, Jack (1993). The Culture of Flowers. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521424844.