The rose is the world’s most beloved flower, and centuries of breeding have produced thousands of varieties sorted into a handful of main classes. Understanding these rose types makes it far easier to choose the right one for your garden, whether you want a long-stemmed cutting rose, a low-maintenance landscape shrub, or a fragrant climber for an arch.
How roses are classified
Roses are grouped into three broad categories: modern roses (bred after 1867, when the first hybrid tea appeared), old garden roses (the fragrant heirloom classes that came before), and wild or species roses (the originals). Within those groups, roses are further divided by growth habit and flower form into the classes below.
The main types of roses
Here are the main types of roses you’ll come across, from florist favorites to tough garden shrubs.
Hybrid Tea Roses
The classic long-stemmed rose, hybrid teas produce one large, high-centered bloom per stem in a huge range of colors. They’re the roses you see at the florist and in formal rose gardens, prized for their elegant shape though sometimes less fragrant and more disease-prone than other types.
Floribunda Roses
Floribundas bear clusters of smaller blooms rather than a single flower, giving a long, generous display of color. Tough and free-flowering, they’re ideal for beds, borders and mass planting where you want continuous color all season.
Grandiflora Roses
A cross between hybrid teas and floribundas, grandifloras are tall, vigorous plants that carry clusters of large, hybrid-tea-style blooms. The famous pink “Queen Elizabeth” is the classic example.
Climbing Roses
Climbing roses send out long, flexible canes that can be trained along walls, fences, arches and pergolas. They don’t cling on their own, so they’re tied to supports, and many repeat-bloom through the season.
Rambling Roses
Ramblers are even more vigorous than climbers, producing enormous sprays of small flowers, usually in a single spectacular flush in early summer. They’re perfect for scrambling through trees or covering large structures.
Shrub Roses
Shrub roses are bushy, hardy landscape plants that include many modern, disease-resistant varieties such as the Knock Out series. Low-maintenance and long-blooming, they’re a great choice for gardeners who want roses without the fuss.
English (David Austin) Roses
Bred by David Austin, English roses combine the full, cupped shape and rich fragrance of old roses with the repeat-flowering and color range of modern ones. They’ve become hugely popular for romantic, cottage-style gardens.
Old Garden (Heirloom) Roses
These are the classes that existed before 1867 — gallicas, damasks, albas, bourbons and more. Often once-blooming but intensely fragrant and tough, they carry centuries of history and a classic, informal beauty.
Miniature Roses
Miniature roses are compact plants with scaled-down leaves and blooms, usually staying under two feet tall. They’re perfect for containers, edging and small spaces, and many flower prolifically.
Groundcover Roses
Low, spreading and disease-resistant, groundcover roses knit together to cover banks and borders with sheets of bloom. They need very little care and are excellent for landscaping.
Wild (Species) Roses
The original roses, species roses like Rosa rugosa and the dog rose bear simple single flowers, usually with five petals, followed by showy hips. They’re extremely hardy and beloved by wildlife.
Rose types by flower form
Roses are also described by the shape of their blooms, which ranges from simple to lavishly full:
- Single — 4–8 petals in one flat row, like wild roses
- Semi-double — two or three rows of petals
- Double — many petals in a full, rounded bloom
- Fully double / cupped / quartered — the packed, old-rose look with dozens of petals
How to choose the right rose
To choose the right rose, start with how you’ll use it. For cut flowers, pick hybrid teas or grandifloras; for easy garden color, choose floribundas or shrub roses; for walls and arches, choose climbers or ramblers; for pots, choose miniatures; and for fragrance and romance, choose English or old garden roses. Also check that the variety is hardy in your climate and, ideally, bred for disease resistance.
Caring for roses
Whatever the type, most roses want at least six hours of sun, rich well-drained soil, deep regular watering and a yearly prune. For full planting, pruning, deadheading and feeding instructions, see our rose growing and care guide.
Popular roses to grow
Once you know the classes, these classic named varieties are a great place to start:
- “Peace” — the legendary yellow-and-pink hybrid tea, one of the most famous roses ever bred
- “Iceberg” — a pure white floribunda that blooms almost non-stop
- “Queen Elizabeth” — the classic clear-pink grandiflora
- “New Dawn” — a reliable, repeat-flowering pale pink climber
- “Knock Out” — an incredibly disease-resistant red shrub rose for easy color
- “Gertrude Jekyll” — a richly fragrant deep-pink David Austin English rose
Roses and color
Roses come in nearly every color except a true blue — reds, pinks, whites, yellows, apricots, corals, lavenders and striped bicolors, each with its own traditional meaning. Breeders continue to chase a genuinely blue rose, but so far the closest are lavender and mauve shades. Whatever the type and color, choosing a variety bred for disease resistance and suited to your climate is the surest path to healthy, free-flowering roses.
Rose types FAQs
What are the main types of roses?
The main classes of roses are hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, climbing roses, ramblers, shrub roses, English (David Austin) roses, old garden (heirloom) roses, miniatures, groundcover roses and wild (species) roses. They differ in growth habit, bloom form and how often they flower.
What is the most popular type of rose?
The hybrid tea is the most popular and recognizable type of rose, with its single large bloom on a long stem — it’s the classic florist and formal-garden rose. For easy garden color, floribundas and modern shrub roses like Knock Out are also extremely popular.
What is the difference between a climbing and a rambling rose?
Climbing roses have stiffer canes, larger flowers and often repeat-bloom through the season, making them ideal for walls and arches. Ramblers are more vigorous, bear masses of smaller flowers usually in one early-summer flush, and are best for covering large structures or scrambling through trees.
What are David Austin roses?
David Austin roses, also called English roses, are modern varieties bred to have the full, cupped shape and strong fragrance of old-fashioned roses combined with the repeat-flowering and wide color range of modern roses. They’re popular for romantic, cottage-style gardens.
What are the easiest roses to grow?
Modern shrub roses such as the Knock Out series, along with many floribundas and groundcover roses, are the easiest to grow because they’re bred for disease resistance and bloom reliably with minimal care.
What is an old garden rose?
Old garden roses are the classes that existed before 1867, including gallicas, damasks, albas and bourbons. They’re typically very fragrant and hardy, with a classic full-petaled look, though many bloom only once a year.
See the rose flower profile, the rose growing guide, and rose meanings by color.