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Rugosa Roses
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Everyone should have at least one of these marvelous Rugosa roses in their garden. Not only are they easy to grow but they have an incredibly "perfumy" scent, an old rose style bloom and fabulous hips!
Rugosa roses are originally native to northern Asia, Eastern Siberia, Western Alaska and the north-eastern North American continent. This means they are very hardy for northern growers but a little touchy in southern climates, where you need to look hard for specimens that can handle the hot, dry summers.
Rugosa actually means "wrinkled" in Latin and this refers to its dark green leathery leaves. The blooms are usually delicate single blossoms but the new hybrids from the 1970's are mostly doubles. They come in all sorts of colors and will repeat bloom if you deadhead! i.e if you remove spent blooms you will get re-flowering but if you don't you will get hips.These hips, by the way, are often spectacular in red and orange and last well into winter.
Stems are very prickly and will send up suckers if not grown on a separate root stock. Suckers should be removed of course. If you grow them on their own roots (no rootstock added!) allow lots of space for they will spread. Be careful to control these suckers as they have been known to take over the garden.
Rugosas are quite disease resistant and in fact, prefer not to be sprayed at all! Any of the usual sprays that you may have for black spot or aphids or rose rust, for example, are best not used, as even the smallest amount will affect the plant--the leaves will quickly drop! So, even small amounts of black spot are best left or at least the offending leaves pulled from the plant and destroyed.
These low maintenance rose bushes will grow in salt conditions (seaside?) partial shade, poor soil and even in sand, but always remember to plant where they will be well drained. Which reminds me, the stems, being prickly, make a great barrier to small animals, rabbits, moles, rodents whatever.
One of the nicest varieties, and one of the easier to grow is Hansa. This has red/pink/purple fragrant semi-double blooms and although quite small, produces wonderfull rose hips-- perfect for making rosehip jam or jelly.
Other Rugosa Varieties to consider:
Albo-plena
Disease resistant with white, double blooms but no hips.
Belle Poitevine
Few hips but nice yellow-orange coloring. Semi-double mauve/pink blooms.
Fru Dagmar Hastrup
Disease resistant, with good hip production. Silver/pink blooms with bright yellow stemens.
Blanc Double de Coubert
Semi-double white blooms. Very vigorous plant.
The rugosa rose is a tough and disease resistant shrub. Small, compact and vigorous, it produces wonderful scented blooms long into fall and then, many of the varieties develop superb winter rose hips, ready for your Vitamin C filled teas and jellies. One of the best values for money in the gardening world I'd say!
www.rose-works.com helping you get the most from your roses.
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