Choosing Rose Varieties

It is a great help in selecting roses to see them growing in an established garden. You can do that by touring the rose gardens at Independence Park or at the Burden Center on Essen Lane. Here is an overview of the different kinds of roses available along with a few recommended varieties for our climate.

Hybrid Teas:  If you want to grow bushes with large blooms for bouquets, look for hybrid teas or grandifloras.They make an excellent cutting garden.Some healthy hybrid teas are Double Delight (red blend), Mr. Lincoln (red), Elina (light yellow), Queen Elizabeth (pink), and Chrysler Imperial (red).

Floribundas:  Floribundas have clusters of flowers and the flowers are smaller than those of the hybrid teas.The bushes are lower growing in most cases than hybrid teas or grandifloras.Floribundas are ideal for landscaping.Some top varieties are Gruss An Aachen (light pink), Julia Child (yellow), Sunsprite (yellow), Cinqo de Mayo (dusty orange) and Hot Cocoa (burnt orange).

Miniatures:  These roses are very versatile.They’re equally at home planted in the ground or in containers on a sunny patio.Climbing minis are beautiful in a hanging basket. Blossom size varies widely but averages around 1-1.5 inches. Bush size goes from 6 inches to 4 ft in height. For best landscape effect, group bushes with those of similar growth habit.Recommended varieties include: Magic Carrousel (red blend), Rise ’N Shine (yellow), and Red Cascade (red climber).

Shrubs:  If you have very little time or energy to devote to your garden but still want to grow roses, try the shrub roses.This is a versatile class of roses that grows in number every year with the introduction of new disease resistant varieties. Some good choices are: Belinda’s Dream (pink), My Girl (pink), Knock Out (red, pink, or yellow), and Bonica (pink). All the Drift roses do well in Baton Rouge.

Old Garden Roses:  If you have plenty of space and want carefree roses put in old garden roses.Many of the Teas and Chinas bloom almost all year and thrive in our climate.Some excellent choices are Mrs. B. R. Cant (pink), Monsieur Tillier (orange-pink), Cramoisi Superieur (medium red), Mrs. Dudley Cross (white-pink blend), and Souvenir de la Malmaison (pink). There are many outstanding climbers in this class such as Sombreuil (white), New Dawn (pink), Lady Banks (white or yellow) and Souvenir de Mme Leonie Viennot (once blooming, pink).

Ground cover roses:  Drift Roses: 

Best Roses for Baton Rouge

1. Easiest to Grow

    a. Shade - Mermaid, Knock Out

    b. Survivor Instinct – Old Blush, Mrs. B R Cant, Souvenir de St. Anne, Cramoisi Superieur, Napoleon, Knock Out, Isabella Sprunt, Mrs. Dudley Cross, Duchesse de Brabant, Ann Olivier, Gilbert Nabonnand, Barn Dance, April Moon, Folksinger, Vincent Godsif            Mrs. Dudley Cross         Souvenir de St. Anne's

2. Best Shrub
    a. For Hedge – Old Blush, Mutabilis, Natchitoches Noisette, Le Marne, Vincent Goidsiff 

 
 Le Marne
    b. For Specimens – Mrs. Dudley Cross, Mrs. B. R. Cant, Marie Van Houtte, Archduke Charles,Belinda's Dream and other Teas. 

              Archduke Charles in back, Valentine in front
 Archdule Charles flower

3. Best Climbers
    a. Mannerly – Red Cascade, Climbing Rainbow’s End, Don't Rain on My Parade, Graham Thomas

Red Cascade on a pole 

    b. Vigorous – Lady Waterlow, Souvenir de Mme Leonie Viennot (once blooming), Mermaid, yellow/white Lady Banks (once blooming), Climbing Cramoisi Superieur, Climbing Old Blush, Climbing Reve d'Or, Climbing Pinkie


 Lady Banks in the garden

4. Best Fragrance - Duchesse de Brabant, Abraham Darby, Darrows Enigma b. Most Fragrant Hybrid Teas: Mr. Lincoln, Double Delight, Fragrant Cloud, Eiffel Tower, Lemon Spice, Chrysler Imperial
                 Duchesse de Brabant - Favorite Rose of Teddy Roosevelt

5. Best Container Rose – Cecile Brunner, Perle d’Or, the Knock Outs, Lindee, Lavender Pink

                    Pearl D'Or                      Blushing Knock Out

6. Most Versatile Rose – Don Juan, Belinda’s Dream, Double Knock Out, Double Pink Knock Out

 Belinda's Dream

7. Best Naturalized Rose – Mermaid, Lady Banks, & Cherokee will all grow into trees, Mutabilis  
  Mermaid

8. Most Historic – The Peggy Martin Rose, Lafter, Cherokee Rose

9. Best Cut Flower – Mrs. B. R. Cant, Polonaise, Belinda’s Dream, Mr. Lincoln, Veterans Honor, Don Juan 
                         Don Juan            Polonaise

10. Most Unusual – Green Rose, Ebb Tide, Night Owl

11. Best Hips – Carefree Beauty, Dortmund

 Carefree Beauty in bloom

12. Best Fall Color – Carefree Beauty, Caldwell Pink

13. Most Polite – Vincent Godsiff, Belle Story, Valentine, Julia Child 

14. New Roses to Try: Homerun, Julia Child, My Hero, About Face, Easy Does It, Drifts

15. Griffith Buck Roses to try: Countryman, Winter Sunset, April Moon, Kathy's Find, Do-Si-Do, Musicale, Golden Princess, Simon Estes, Gee Whiz, Allemand Ho, Prairie Sun, Aunt Honey, Bright Melody, Polonaise
                             
                                                             Winter Sunset