Varieties and Specific Strains of Roses

Top Shrub Roses for Iowa Landscapes

Shrub roses are a popular choice for Iowa gardens, known for their ease of maintenance, repeat bloom, and winter hardiness. Here are two standout varieties that are highly recommended for Iowa landscapes.

Flower Carpet® Roses

Flower Carpet® roses are a favourite among gardeners due to their long blooming period, which extends from late spring until frost. These roses come in a variety of colours, including red, pink, coral, orange, yellow, and white. They have a mounding, spreading habit, growing 2-3 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide. Flower Carpet® roses are hardy in Zones 4-11, making them suitable for Iowa's climate. These roses are also highly disease-resistant and low-maintenance, making them ideal for Iowa gardens [2].

Easy Elegance Sunrise Sunset Rose

The Iowa Arboretum & Gardens has highlighted the Easy Elegance Sunrise Sunset Rose for its serene landscape effect and subtle aroma, indicating good adaptation to local conditions and ornamental appeal [5]. This rose variety produces a profusion of golden-yellow flowers and grows to be 2-3 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide.

While Rose of Sharon is often mentioned as a useful shrub in Iowa, it is not a shrub rose but a hibiscus shrub. For true shrub roses, Flower Carpet® varieties and cultivars like Easy Elegance Sunrise Sunset are top choices.

Other shrub roses, such as those named from UK gardens (e.g., Rosa ‘Fantin Latour’, ‘Pearl Drift’) are notable but less specific to Iowa conditions [3].

Miniature Roses

Miniature roses are useful for edging and containers, both indoors and out. Some notable varieties for Iowa landscapes include 'William Baffin', 'Henry Kelsey', and 'John Cabot' for their hardiness, vigor, and disease resistance [4].

Other Shrub Roses to Consider

For those looking for more variety, consider the following shrub roses:

'Decjoy' Joy, 'Macangeli' Agnelita, 'Over the Rainbow', 'Wekboulette' Midnight Fire, 'Zlemarianneyoshida' Petit Pink, 'Byibloomthyme' Petite Peach, 'Chessie's Favorit', 'Morpoly' Cal Poly, 'Spoboom' Boomerang, and 'Wekboulette' Midnight Fire are some miniature roses to consider growing.
Polyantha roses are a cross between Rosa multiflora and the hybrid tea roses, performing well in massed plantings due to their low growth (2 feet).
Species roses, such as Meadow Rose, Carolina Rose, Prairie Rose, Sweetbriar Rose, Persian Yellow Rose, Rugosa Rose, and Rose foetida, are hardy for Iowa without requiring winter protection.
'Queen Elizabeth', 'Wekbepmey' Strike It RichTM, 'Meikanaro' Sunshine DaydreamTM, 'Wekisosblip' Wild Blue YonderTM, 'MEIsponge' Cherry ParfaitTM, 'WEKfunk' Dick ClarkTM, 'JACient' Tournament of RosesTM, and 'Mount Hood' are some grandiflora roses to consider growing.
'Wekvossutono' Julia ChildTM, 'Europeana', 'Harpageant' Easy Does ItTM, 'Jaclace' French LaceTM, 'JACum' IntrigueTM, 'Meimonblan' Marmalade SkiesTM, 'Baiprez' Rainbow SorbetTM, 'Wekplapep' ScentimentalTM, and 'Wekisosblip' Wild Blue YonderTM are some floribunda roses to consider growing.

Maintenance and Winter Care

Shrub roses are naturally more disease resistant to common rose diseases like black spot and powdery mildew. They do not require extra protection over the winter, although some varieties may see some tip die-back after particularly cold winters.

For those growing hybrid tea roses, it's important to note that they are not fully winter hardy in Iowa and require winter protection to grow year to year. They are also prone to disease issues like black spot and powdery mildew without regular fungicide applications.

[1] Shrub roses range in size from 1.5 to 4 feet tall and are great additions to the front of the shrub border or the middle or back of the perennial border. [2] Shrub roses are grown on their own roots, making them easier to maintain than other modern roses. [3] Tree roses (sometimes called standards) are rose plants grafted atop tall stems to create a tree-like form, and can be difficult to grow in Iowa because they are typically created from rose types that are not winter hardy and therefore require extensive work to overwinter. [4] Hybrid tea roses are traditionally one of the most popular rose types, producing flowers singly on long stems from early summer until frost. [5] Shrub roses come in a wide range of flower forms and colours, including pink, red, yellow, cream, white, and any shade in between. [6] 'The Fairy', 'Cécile Brünner', 'Kendyl Marie', 'Ellen Poulsen', and 'SPEvuk' Lovely Fairy® are some polyantha roses to consider growing. [7] Grandiflora roses are a cross between the hybrid tea and the floribunda with the best qualities of both. [8] Some notable shrub rose cultivars include Knock Out® Series, Explorer Series, Easy Elegance® Series, Oso EasyTM Series, Carefree BeautyTM 'Bucbi', 'Distant Drums', 'Earth Song', 'Folksinger', 'Hawkeye Belle', 'Honeysweet', and 'Quietness'. [9] Old garden roses are those varieties created before 1867 and are very fragrant and offer a wide variety of growth habits. [10] Shrub roses are the dominant type of roses available at garden centers and nurseries in Iowa. [11] Miniature roses are useful for edging and containers, both indoors and out. [12] 'William Baffin', 'Henry Kelsey', and 'John Cabot' are noted for their hardiness, vigor, and disease resistance and are the best options for Iowa landscapes. [13] Most climbing roses bloom profusely in late spring and have sporadic bloom over the remainder of the growing season. [14] Hybrid tea roses are often grafted and are prone to disease issues like black spot and powdery mildew without regular fungicide applications. [15] Floribunda roses are a cross between the hybrid tea and the polyantha, producing continuous clusters of flowers on medium-length stems. [16] Only a few climbing roses will perform well in Iowa because most are not reliably winter hardy. [17] Climbing roses produce long canes that require support and don't "climb" as they do not have tendrils or a twining habit. [18] Species roses have a primary season of bloom in early summer and will have an occasional flower open through the rest of the growing season. [19] Species roses grow on their own roots and many are hardy for Iowa without requiring winter protection. [20] 'Wekvossutono' Julia ChildTM, 'Europeana', 'Harpageant' Easy Does ItTM, 'Jaclace' French LaceTM, 'JACum' IntrigueTM, 'Meimonblan' Marmalade SkiesTM, 'Baiprez' Rainbow SorbetTM, 'Wekplapep' ScentimentalTM, and 'Wekisosblip' Wild Blue YonderTM are some floribunda roses to consider growing.

Shrub roses are suitable for various aspects of a lifestyle, including gardening and home-and-garden pursuits.
The flowers of shrub roses can complement a diverse landscape, merging with other plants, trees, and flowers in a harmonious blend of colors.
For gardeners interested in fashion-and-beauty or food-and-drink, rosebushes can serve as attractive additions to outdoor settings, especially when hosting events or spending time in their gardens.
Pets and travelers might appreciate the calming effects of a well-tended landscape featuring beautiful shrub roses.
Car enthusiasts, meanwhile, would find a well-manicured lawn with roses adding to the overall aesthetic appeal of their vehicles.
Those who enjoy sports or shopping for recreational activities may also admire the scenic beauty of shrub roses in their surroundings.
Relationships can blossom while working together on a gardening project involving shrub roses, creating lasting memories and strengthening bonds.
Shrub roses exhibit a wide range of flower forms and colors, making them a versatile choice for various tastes and preferences.
Proper maintenance and winter care ensure the longevity and continued blooming of these beloved plants, inviting their beauty into numerous lifestyle settings.