Old Roses (Heritage Roses, Antique Roses) are again finding a well deserved place in many gardens. Thanks to the development of David Austin's English Roses, which he describes as 'New' Old Roses, many people are gaining an appreciation for roses of the past. Read a brief History of Old Roses.

The attractiveness of old roses arises from the fact that most are disease resistant, wonderfully fragrant, and display growth habits which makes them ideally suited for the garden. Each class has distinctive traits. In general, roses introduced before the Chinas (Species to Centifolia) are native to Europe, cold hardy, and may only bloom once or twice during the season. China and Tea roses brought remontant capability to roses, but also reduced their cold tolerance. Noisettes, Portlands, Bourbons and Hybrid Perpetuals (descendents of China and Tea Roses) are remontant and but not reliably hardy north of Zone 6. The recent trend is (especially among Old Roses) to grow them on their own roots, so even if winter dieback to the ground does occur in more northern locations, the plant will survive. You must rely on local knowledge and experience in determining what roses will survive in your region.

All gardeners who value graceful form and ease of maintenance should consider raising Old Roses. While many modern roses have the reputation of requiring the attention of a green-thumbed gardener, most Old Roses provide reliable beauty in the garden of beginner and expert alike.

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