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Earth-Kind® Roses

Q: Are there any low maintenance roses I can plant in my landscape?

  1. If you desire a low maintenance rose bush, look to the Texas AgriLife Extension Service list of Earth-Kind® Roses. Roses cultivars are designated as Earth-Kind® roses after demonstrating excellent heat and drought tolerance and a high degree of pest resistance. Earth-Kind® roses are excellent landscape choices because they can tolerate a wide variety of soil conditions and require less fertilizer and water than other roses.

Selection

Belinda’s Dream rose in the Carolina Yard Demonstration Garden at Sandhill REC.

Belinda’s Dream rose in the Carolina Yard Demonstration Garden at Sandhill REC.
Regina Monteith, ©2018 Richland County Master Gardener

Rose cultivars underwent an intensive rigorous selection process to earn the designation Earth-Kind®. A team of seven specialists poured over research and data compiled from 12 field trials across the state of Texas. The growing conditions of the planting trial sites ranged widely in soil types and climates. The trials were held in USDA Cold Hardiness Zones 7 to 9. Most of the state of South Carolina is considered in Cold Hardiness Zone 8. One hundred roses were evaluated. The shrubs were planted with compost, mulched and drip irrigation was installed. During the eight-year trial, no conventional or organic pesticides were applied to the plants, nor was any fertilizer. The roses were not dead-headed and were only watered as needed after establishment. The roses were then evaluated for their beauty, low maintenance, and adaptability.

Twenty-one rose cultivars have earned the designation Earth-Kind® Rose. The roses range in size from dwarf shrubs to medium shrubs to vigorous climbing roses.

 

The Earth-Kind® Rose Cultivars:

Dwarf Shrubs

Cultivar Dimensions Dimensions Flower Color Bloom Notable
Marie Daly 3 ft. tall
3 ft. wide
5 ft. apart on centers
Pink Semi-double Resistant to spider mites
Very few thorns on stem
Souvenir de St. Anne’s 3 ft. tall
3 ft. wide
5 ft. apart on centers
Light pink Semi-double Fragrant
The Fairy 3 ft. tall
4 ft. wide
6 ft. apart on centers
Light pink Small double Abundant flowers
Cascading habit

Small Shrubs

Cultivar Dimensions Dimensions Flower Color Bloom Notable
Caldwell Pink 4 ft. tall
4 ft. wide
6 ft. apart on centers
Lilac pink Double blooms Excellent disease tolerance
Excellent heat tolerance
Cecile Brunner 4 ft. tall
3 ft. wide
5 ft. apart on centers
Soft, silvery pink Double blooms Looks like a hybrid tea rose in miniature
Perle d’Or 4 ft. tall
4 ft. wide
6 ft. apart on centers
Apricot buds opening to golden buff pink Double– petals fold back to look like a pom-pom Very drought tolerant

Medium Shrubs

Cultivar Dimensions Dimensions Flower Color Bloom Notable
Belinda’s Dream 5 ft. tall
5 ft. wide
7 ft. apart on centers
Medium pink Large double
100+ petals
Up to 4 in. diameter
Good disease tolerance
Fragrant
Can be used as a cut flower
Carefree Beauty 5 ft. tall
5 ft. wide
7 ft. apart on centers
Deep, rich pink Semi-double
Up to 4 in. diameter
Performs well in dry, hot summers
Produces abundant orange hips
Ducher 6 ft. tall
4 ft. wide
6ft. apart on centers
Ivory white Very double
Medium
Fragrant
Good heat tolerance
Duchesse de Brabant 6ft. tall
4ft. wide
6ft. apart on centers
Rose pink Very double
large
Very fragrant
Needs adequate spacing
Else Poulsen 5 ft. tall
5 ft. wide
7 ft. apart on center
Light pink Semi-double
Medium to large
Prolific bloomer
Has upright growth habit
Georgetown Tea 6 ft. tall
6 ft. wide
8ft. apart on center
Dark salmon pink centers fading to lilac pink Double
Star like blooms.
Fragrant
Good disease resistance
Requires well drained soils
Knock Out 6 ft. tall
6 ft. wide
8ft. apart on centers
Cherry red Single with medium size booms Black spot resistant
Drought tolerant
Prolific bloomer
La Marne 5 ft. tall
4 ft. wide
6 ft. apart on centers
Pink and white blend Single blooms Few thorns
Madame Antoine Mari 6 ft. tall
6 ft. wide
8 ft. apart on centers
Pink blend Double Fragrant
Drought tolerant
Excellent as a cut flower
Mutabilis 6 ft. tall
6 ft. wide
8 ft. apart on centers
Yellow changing to pink then to crimson Single Great heat tolerance
Covered with flowers of
various colors
Spice 5 ft. tall
4 ft. wide
6 ft. apart on centers
Blush pink to white Double Peppery fragrance
Drought tolerant
Good cut flower

Mannerly Climbers

Cultivar Dimensions Dimensions Flower Color Bloom Notable
Climbing Pinkie 10 ft. tall
7 ft. wide
9 ft. apart on centers
Medium pink Semi-double
Spring bloomer
Remove old canes after flowering each spring
Very few thorns on stem
Sea Foam 8 ft. tall
4 ft. wide
6 ft. apart on centers
Creamy white Double Fragrant

Vigorous Climbers

Cultivar Dimensions Dimensions Flower Color Bloom Notable
New Dawn 15-20 ft. tall
10 ft. wide
12 ft. apart on centers
Blush pink Double Good disease tolerance
Will tolerate partial shade.
Fragrant
Reve d O’r 10-18 ft. tall
8 ft. wide
10 ft. apart on centers
Medium Yellow with shades of apricot, gold, and copper Loose double
blooms
Very fragrant
Virtually thornless

https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkindroses/

 

If this document didn’t answer your questions, please contact HGIC at hgic@clemson.edu or 1-888-656-9988.

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