Are you looking for a rough, tough, drought-tolerant shrub for your garden? Chances are, the rose wasn’t the first thing that came to mind, right? Well, maybe it’s time for a second look.
Cut blooms from ‘The Fairy’ have a long vase life.
Photo Credit: Antique Rose Emporium
Developed in 1881, ‘Cécile Brunner’ is also known as the Sweetheart Rose.
Photo Credit: Antique Rose Emporium
‘Old Blush’ was developed in 1752 and has been a garden favorite ever since.
Photo Credit: Antique Rose Emporium
‘Blaze’ grows fast and will cover a wall, trellis or fence with a blanket of bright red flowers.
Photo Credit: Antique Rose Emporium
The rose gets a bum rap when it comes to Xeriscaping. Maybe it’s because we put that plant up on a pedestal. Celebrated in poetry and song for centuries, the rose is all too often the standard for beauty. But while we prize the rose for its exquisite form, color and scent, we also see this queen of flowers as high maintenance, needy and delicate.
And sure, that’s true for some roses. And these fragile beauties have their devotees and a deserved place in the garden. But look to the West and Southwest, where there are some rugged older roses that have earned their keep over the years. Not only are these vintage types gorgeous, but they’re super-tough.
The revival of these old roses was led by the Texas Rose Rustlers. This loose confederation of rose lovers scavenged old cemeteries, homesteads and other abandoned sites for survivors from another era. Their finds had survived decades of neglect. And now, as rose lovers increasingly turn to plants less fussy than the fragile Hybrid Teas, scores of these antique types are finding their way into modern gardens all over Texas and beyond.
That’s because it’s not just the arid West and Southwest where drought-resistant roses are a plus in the landscape. Any region can experience dry times. (Take a look at the recent drought in Florida and Georgia.) The good news is that if you want a Xeric landscape, you don’t have to stop planting roses. The solution is to carefully choose your roses from the known survivors.
First, it’s good to know a little about the classes of roses, so you know how to fit these vintage beauties into your own garden:
China roses are repeat bloomers. These shrubs were brought from China in the 18th century and bred with European roses to take advantage of this characteristic.
Hybrid Bracteata roses are vigorous climbers hybridized from Rosa bracteata. They’re repeat bloomers with fierce thorns and glossy foliage.
Hybrid Foetida roses are hybrids of Rosa foetida, a yellow-flowering species rose.
Large-flowered climber roses and “ramblers” are pretty similar. They’ve both got long canes that can be trained to climb along fences, trellises, etc.
Polyantha roses are a cross of China rose with Japanese multiflora rose. These beauties are quite floriferous (bear many flowers), very hardy and have compact growth.
Species roses are found growing naturally in the Northern Hemisphere, from the extreme northern reaches of Canada all the way south to the equator. They’re extremely hardy and disease-resistant.
There are many beautiful, drought-tolerant roses out there. The ones listed below do well in full sun in Xeric conditions, and they tolerate high temperatures, as well as those well-below freezing. (That said, gardeners in Zones 1-3 may want to consult lists of roses developed specifically for cold areas.) Although the average size of the roses is provided with each description, remember that the ultimate size is up to you. You can prune your roses into the best size and shape for your garden.
Rosa wichuraiana. Species rose. This highly fragrant beauty has single, white blooms that average 2 inches wide and appear just once each spring. This rose also has glossy, green foliage and long canes. It’ll grow into a mound a couple of feet high, but it can be trained as a climber, reaching about 15 feet tall.
‘Blaze’. Large-flowered climber. What’s a list of drought-tolerant roses without a red one? ‘Blaze’ climbs about 7 feet and is ever-blooming – not to mention ever-popular. It’s got a medium-red color, double flowers and a light fragrance.
‘Cécile Brunner’. Polyantha. This rose blooms over and over with graceful, lightly scented, light pink flowers. It’s got a neat, small-shrub shape when pruned, but as a climber, it can reach as big as 30 feet tall and 10 feet wide. So if you don’t want that size, be sure to give it a good pruning!
‘Harison’s Yellow’. Hybrid Foetida. The creamy-yellow, mildly scented flowers of this plant pop in springtime – the only time it blooms. The shrub grows about 5-6 feet tall and 3 feet wide.
‘Mermaid’. Hybrid Bracteata. This one’s a vigorous climber, and it needs regular pruning to keep it under control. In fact, ‘Mermaid’ can climb as tall as 15-20 feet. The beauty is worth the extra care. It’s got a wonderful fragrance and tons of single, yellow, five-petaled blooms that keep on coming from spring to fall.
‘Old Blush’. China rose. In warmer climates, this plant’s an ever-bloomer. ‘Old Blush’ is a slow grower, averaging only 5-6 feet tall and 3-6 feet wide. It’s got lightly scented, semidouble, medium-pink flowers.
‘The Fairy’. Polyantha. Look for double, bright pink clusters of small, lightly fragrant blooms in springtime. The little flowers fade to light pink and then to white in heat. The plant’s small size (3 feet tall and 2 feet wide) makes it perfect for smaller landscapes or wherever you need a splash of color.
So if you love roses but have feared caring for them, look to the old ones and give them a try. Rose lovers everywhere are sure to find at least one hardy antique variety that’ll flourish in the good times and weather the bad with minimal watering and chemical applications.
