Shrub · Rosaceae
Old Garden Rose
Rosa
Tough, fragrant, and easygoing on their own roots, old garden roses earn their keep year after year.
Full sun
Every 5–7 days
USDA 4–9
3–8 ft · 0.9–2.4 m
Overview
Old garden roses are the heritage classes introduced before 1867, the gallicas, damasks, albas, and their kin that gardeners grew long before modern hybrids arrived. They tend to be hardier and more forgiving than today's florist roses, and many shrug off the diseases that keep newer types on a spray schedule. Grow them for the scent as much as the bloom.
The classes split into two camps that decide how you handle the plant. Once-blooming roses like gallica, damask, alba, centifolia, and moss flower in a single early-summer flush on old wood. Repeat-bloomers such as bourbon, Portland, China, tea, and noisette come back through the season on new growth, and that one difference changes when and how hard you prune.
These are sturdy shrubs that ask for less than their reputation suggests. Give them sun, decent soil, and air to move through the canes, and most will settle in and grow on their own roots for decades. The main thing to respect is the thorns.
Care
The short version: full sun with good morning light, loose well-drained soil rich in organic matter, a deep weekly soak at the base in the morning, and pruning timed to whether your rose blooms once or repeats.
Light
Old garden roses want full sun, ideally with strong morning light that dries the dew off the leaves early. They'll take a little partial shade, but you trade bloom and invite disease when the canes sit damp. Aim for 6 to 8 hours of direct sun.
Water
Water deeply in the morning so the foliage dries quickly, which keeps black spot and powdery mildew at bay. A soak every 5 to 7 days suits most plants, more in heat or sandy ground. Skip the evening overhead watering that leaves leaves wet all night.
Soil
Plant in loose, well-drained soil worked with plenty of organic matter. A pH between 6.0 and 7.0, slightly acidic to neutral, is the sweet spot. Heavy, soggy ground is the one thing roses won't forgive.
Temperature
These are tough shrubs, hardy from roughly -20°F to 100°F (-29°C to 38°C) depending on the class. Many old roses take zone 4 winters in stride, which is part of why they've lasted so long. Heat rarely troubles an established plant with steady water.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity is no problem, so there's no number to chase. Airflow matters far more than the moisture in the air, since still, crowded canes are how black spot and mildew get started. Space and thin so the wind can pass through.
Feeding
Use a balanced rose or general-purpose fertilizer, starting when growth begins in spring and again after each flush of bloom. Stop about six weeks before your first frost so the plant can harden off. Too much nitrogen just flushes soft, mildew-prone growth.
Pruning
Pruning hangs entirely on the class. Once-blooming roses flower on old wood, so prune them lightly right after they bloom to shape up and clear out dead canes. Repeat-bloomers can take a harder cut in late winter or early spring before growth starts.
Repotting
Old garden roses are long-lived shrubs and rarely need repotting once they're in the ground. In a container, move up a size when you see roots circling the drainage holes, water running straight through, or stunted growth despite regular watering. Most are happiest planted out for good.
Size & spacing
These shrubs run from about 3 to 8 feet (90 to 245 cm) tall and spread roughly 3 to 6 feet (90 to 185 cm) wide depending on the class. Give each plant room to match its mature spread so air moves freely and disease stays down.
When to plant
Old garden roses go in dormant, not from seed. Set out bare-root or container plants in early spring once the soil can be worked, or in fall where winters stay mild. The once-blooming classes give a single early-summer flush, while the repeat-bloomers carry on into fall.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: Not typically grown from seed by home gardeners; propagate vegetatively instead
- Plant: Plant dormant bare-root or container plants in early spring after the soil can be worked, or in fall in mild-winter regions
- Harvest: Late spring to summer; once-blooming classes flower in a single early-summer flush, repeat-blooming classes rebloom into fall
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 4–9
Temperature: down to -34°C
Troubleshooting
Most rose trouble shows up on the leaves first, and damp, crowded foliage is behind nearly all of it. Catch the early signs and a quick cleanup usually settles things. Match what you see below, then act before it spreads up the plant.
Black spots with yellow halos on the leaves
This is black spot, a fungus that spreads by splashing water whenever the leaves stay wet for more than about 7 hours. It starts low on the plant and works its way up, dropping leaves as it goes. Strip off the marked leaves, rake up what's fallen, and water at the base in the morning so the foliage dries fast.
Fix:
- Remove and dispose of infected leaves and prune out infected canes
- Rake up and discard fallen leaves to reduce spore sources
- Water at the base in the morning so foliage dries quickly
- Apply a labeled fungicide (such as neem oil, potassium bicarbonate, or sulfur) when conditions favor severe infection
White powdery coating on new growth and buds
A white, dusty film on young shoots and buds means powdery mildew, which takes hold in shade and humidity at 68°F to 86°F (20°C to 30°C). The new growth twists and the leaves may yellow then brown. Cut out the worst shoots, open the plant up for better airflow, and go easy on the nitrogen that feeds soft, shaded growth.
Fix:
- Prune out and dispose of heavily infected shoots and leaves
- Improve air circulation by thinning and proper spacing
- Wash spores off foliage with a morning water spray
- Apply a protectant or eradicant fungicide at the earliest sign on susceptible plants
Sticky clusters of tiny insects on buds and shoots
Those dense green, pink, or black colonies on the tender tips are aphids, and the sticky film they leave behind is honeydew. They rarely do lasting harm. Blast them off with a strong morning spray of water, leave the lady beetles and lacewings to mop up the rest, and skip the broad insecticides that kill those helpers too.
Fix:
- Hose aphids off plants with a strong stream of water in the morning
- Tolerate light infestations and conserve natural enemies such as lady beetles and lacewings
- Avoid broad-spectrum insecticides that kill beneficial predators
Toxicity
Good news for pet owners: true roses are non-toxic to cats, dogs, horses, and every other animal in the home or pasture, and the petals and hips are even edible for people. There is no poison here to fear. The one real hazard is mechanical, the thorns, which can scratch a mouth or paw, so the only care needed is around the prickles.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
True roses carry no toxins for cats. The only thing to watch is the thorns, which can scratch a curious mouth or paw.
Dogs None
A dog can chew a rose without any poisoning. Bolting down a mouthful of thorny stem is the real risk, since the prickles can scratch the gums or, in quantity, block the gut.
Horses Safe
Horses graze roses with no ill effect, and many browse the canes by choice. Keep an eye out only for the prickles catching soft lips.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits can nibble rose leaves and even the petals safely. The thorns are the sole hazard worth a thought.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep handle roses without trouble, and goats in particular relish the foliage. Nothing in the plant poisons them.
Birds Safe
Birds are in no danger from roses, and many feast on the ripe hips through autumn. The hips are a natural part of their diet.
People Safe
Roses are safe for people, and the hips and petals are edible. A snagged finger from the thorns is the only thing to mind.
The plant is non-toxic, but thorns (prickles) can cause mechanical injury to mouths, paws, and skin, and ingesting large amounts of stem material could risk gastrointestinal obstruction.
Varieties
Old garden roses fall into a handful of classes, each with its own habit, scent, and pruning needs. These are the ones worth knowing by name.
Gallica (e.g. Rosa gallica 'Officinalis', the Apothecary's Rose)
A stocky upright shrub to about 4 feet with fine prickles and deep green leaves, carrying intensely fragrant flowers in a single early flush.
Damask (e.g. Rosa × damascena 'Kazanlik')
A vigorous arching shrub of 5 to 8 feet with the powerful scent distilled for attar of roses, and tough enough to hold up in zone 4.
Alba
A tall, nearly thornless rose with smooth arching canes and blue-green foliage that shrugs off hard winters and blooms once a year.
Bourbon
A repeat-bloomer that flowers on both old and new wood, so you can prune it harder before bloom than the once-blooming classes.
Centifolia (Provence or Cabbage Rose) and Moss
Full, many-petaled fragrant blooms, with the moss types adding a sticky, scented growth over their buds and stems.
How to propagate
Old garden roses are easy to multiply, and most grow well on their own roots without any grafting. Pick the method that suits your patience and the shape of the plant.
Stem cuttingsModerate
Take softwood or hardwood cuttings from late spring through summer or fall · Several weeks to root; one growing season to establish
Most old garden roses root well from cuttings and grow happily on their own roots, no grafting needed. Take softwood or hardwood pieces anytime from late spring through fall. They strike root over a few weeks and need a full growing season to settle in.
LayeringEasy
Spring to summer while canes are flexible · One growing season for layered canes to root before separating
Layering is the easiest route with the arching old types. While the canes are still bendy in spring or summer, pin a low one to the ground and let it root in place. Give it a full growing season before you cut it free from the parent.
GraftingDemanding
Dormant season or late summer budding · One season to unite and establish
Grafting is the demanding option, done in the dormant season or by budding in late summer. It joins a chosen cultivar onto a rootstock and takes a season to knit together and establish. Most old garden roses skip it entirely and grow fine on their own roots.
Myths
Roses are dangerously poisonous to dogs and cats.
The ASPCA lists true roses as non-toxic to both dogs and cats, with no toxic principles at all. The only real danger is the thorns, which can scratch a mouth or paw, and a belly full of woody stem could in theory snag the gut. There is no chemical poisoning to worry about.
All old garden roses are fussy and disease-prone like modern hybrids.
Plenty of old garden roses shrug off the pests and diseases that plague modern hybrids. They tend to ask for less water and fertilizer, grow happily on their own roots, and stand up to cold far better than the newer types.