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The Knockout rose, "Radrazz" was the 2000 All American Rose Selection winner, that was developed by a Wisconsin rosarian, William Radler. He was the director of the Minneapolis Botanical Gardens as well as a consultant for the Chicago Botanical gardens.
Mr. Radler has also grown roses for many, many years! He has been breeding new roses for over twenty years, focusing on those with repeat blooming, disease free bushes that were hardy.
In 1988 he crossed a "Carefree Beauty" and "Razzle Dazzle" which eventually became "Radrazz" after much testing by "Star Roses", who introduced it to the market in 2000, the same year it won at the A.R.S. Selling over 250 000 plants the first year, it became the fastest selling, new rose, in history.
The reasons for it's success are simple: great marketing of a great rose. The original 'Knockout' rose is a small shrub rose growing to about 36 inches in height. It has light red to deep pink flowers in small clusters.
The shrub is blessed with dark green foliage that is vertually disease resistant (especially Black Spot!)and a long, continuous blooming season. This hardiness and long repeat blooming makes it an ideal candidate for landscping or border planting, especially as it is so low, both in maintainance and size.
Knockout roses have been called the "closest you can get to plant and forget roses." Varieties do well with less than six hours of sunlight, they are very resistant to blackspot, and although they are shrub roses so they do look a bit scuffy in wintertime, they're carefree, old rose scented, everblooming, and have very nice fall hips for the birds: perfect for the part time gardener. Fertile well drained soil and regular watering is all you need! Anything in zones 4 thru 10.
Knockout roses are available nowadays in red, pink, red-pink blend and a double red. There is also a new variety called "Home Run" which is a golden eyed, flame red.
These roses of Mr. Radlers have taken the fast track to fame because of their ease of cultivation and hardy nature. All this with a bloom that lasts all season. Here are five of the best:
Red Knock Out Rose
Pink Knock Out Rose
Double Knock Out Rose
Home Run Shrub Rose
To quote a friend, "Knockout roses are a great new reason for non-gardeners to love roses". Few roses have less maintenance, are easier to cultivate and yet produce such a long, repeat blooming period as these: and all without too much concern for blackspot! Whatever the correct spelling may be, they certainly live up to their name. [checking the various sellers of these roses, and the A.R.S. listing (8.6 out of 10, by the way.) it looks like "Knock Out" is the spelling Bee winner!]
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