Whether you garden in the ground, in raised beds, or on the patio, roses are a great addition or re-addition to your plant family. Read on for simple, straightforward specifics about growing roses.
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Family | Container Size | Good Companions | Bad Companions | Soil Conditions | Germination | Sun | Water | Temperature Range | Height | Lifespan | Reproduction | Yield Per Plant | Ingestibility | Further Reading
What Family Do Roses Belong To?
Roses (Rosa spp.) belong to the Rosaceae family, also known as the rose family.
Some of their relatives include blackberries, strawberries, and hawthorn.
What Size Container Should I Use for Growing Roses?
The minimum container size recommended for roses is 5 gallons.
Most 5-gallon buckets and planters are about 12 inches deep. But the total capacity of 5 gallons is important to ensure that the rose plant has room to spread its roots and does not become stunted.
Learn more in our Choosing the Right Planter for Your Container Garden article here.
What Are Good Companion Plants for Roses?
Some of roses' best companions are as follows:
- Chives, onion, garlic, and other alliums, as they protect roses from common pests such as aphids, ants, and slugs
- Geranium, as it repels rose beetles
- Parsley, as it repels rose beetles
- Tomato, as it protects roses from a serious fungal disease called blackspot
- Marigold
- Basil
- Mints like peppermint and spearmint
- Echinacea
- Aster
- Lavender
- Sage
- Violet
- Yarrow
- Iris
- Oregano
- Eucalyptus
- Ferns
- Camellia sinensis and other Camellias
- Huckleberry
- Pansy
- Thyme
- Salmonberry
- Chard
- Catmint
- Catnip
What Are Bad Companion Plants for Roses?
Roses are not compatible with every plant. Some things to avoid planting with roses are as follows:
- Fuchsia
Marshmallow - Watercress
- Fig
What Soil Conditions Do Roses Need?
Roses prefer rich, loamy soil that is moist but not waterlogged.
How Long Do Roses Take to Germinate?
Roses grown from seed take about 6 weeks to germinate at a temperature of 35-70°F.
How Much Sun Do Roses Need?
Roses can grow in full sun to part shade.
In other words, they grow fastest in full sun. They will still grow in dappled shade or part shade, just at a slower rate.
Sun recommendations can vary by region, and roses grown in hot areas or in warmer conditions than the ideal temperature range noted below may need more shade.
How Much Water Do Roses Need?
Roses need at least 3 inches of water per week.
What Is the Ideal Temperature Range for Growing Roses?
Roses grow fastest in temperatures of 60-70°F.
This is their ideal temperature range. Although they will grow in temperatures both cooler and warmer than this range, growth could be slower or even stunted.
In fact, most roses tolerate temperature extremes well, with tolerances ranging from -40°F to over 100°F, depending on the variety. But again, they may grow more slowly than if they were in their ideal temperature range.
Minimum and maximum temperatures will vary by variety. Some rose varieties are bred for hardiness and others for warmer climates.
How Tall Do Roses Get?
The average height of the most common varieties of roses is 8-15 feet.
However, the height range of roses in general is quite wide. "Mini" varieties may only reach a height of 8 inches, while certain wild vining varieties can grow up to 50 feet tall.
Are Roses Annual, Biennial, or Perennial?
Roses are perennial, meaning that they live for more than a couple years.
Most common varieties live for 6-10 years. Some varieties can live for 50 years or more.
How Do Roses Reproduce?
Roses reproduce by seed and by suckers.
They can also be propagated by cutting.
How Many Roses Are Produced Per Plant?
For roses, how many flowers and hips are produced per plant (also called the yield) largely depends on their variety, size, and health.
On average, roses produce 50-60 flowers and 100 hips per plant per year.
Can Roses Be Ingested?
Rose flowers, leaves, and buds are edible.
Rosehips are the fruits of the rose plant. They are also edible.
Rose flowers have anti-inflammatory, nervine, and euphoriant properties and can be used in herbal preparations. The most common preparations are tea (infusion) and tincture. An herb:solvent weight ratio of 1:2 at 50% alcohol is suggested for a rose flower tincture.
Rosehips have antihistamine, antioxidant, and nutritive properties and can be used in herbal preparations. The most common preparations are tea (decoction or long infusion) and syrup.
Rose leaves have astringent and vulnerary properties and can be used in herbal preparations. They can be added to tea blends or prepared as a poultice.
Be sure to only consume organically-grown roses. Most roses that are used in floral arrangements or grown in parks and other public places are heavily sprayed with chemicals that are toxic when ingested.
There are no known safety concerns associated with ingesting rose flowers, leaves, or buds that have not been sprayed.
Rosehips contain small seeds and fine hairs. Some people are sensitive to compounds in the seeds, and the hairs can irritate the digestive tract if not removed. For these reasons, removal of the seeds and hairs is recommended before ingesting rosehips.
There are no other safety concerns associated with ingesting rosehips.
Further Reading
This article is intended as a quick-reference guide for gardeners. Consult your seed packet or seed catalog for variety-specific information.
When you have a bumper crop of roses rolling in, you may not have enough time for long, complicated recipes or many-step preservation procedures. Check out my article on quick, simple uses for roses here!
Roses are featured in these Plant to Plate articles: