Miniature
Petite Knock Out
Red · repeat-blooming · Zones 5-11
Miniature Rose
Little Flirt
Orange-red blooms with a yellow reverse.
The Little Flirt is a orange/yellow miniature rose valued for its reliable repeat flowering and clean, dependable habit. Below you'll find a full profile of Little Flirt — its characteristics, how to grow it, where to use it in the garden, and answers to the questions gardeners ask most.
About Little Flirt
Little Flirt belongs to the miniature roses, a class defined by small, perfectly proportioned double blooms. A miniature is a full rose in every respect but size, which makes it the answer for balconies, patios, and the smallest gardens.
In flower, Little Flirt is orange/yellow and fills the plant with bloom in wave after wave, carrying a light, pleasant fragrance. It is hardy across USDA zones 5-9, so it suits a wide range of gardens with the right seasonal care.
Characteristics and form
Little Flirt makes compact, dense, twiggy plant, typically around 1 to 2 feet tall and 1 to 1.5 feet wide. The blooms are small, perfectly proportioned double blooms, small in size, set against small and proportionate foliage. Knowing a rose's habit and mature size is the key to placing it well: give Little Flirt room to reach its full spread without crowding its neighbors, which also keeps air moving through the plant and disease at bay.
How to grow Little Flirt
Plant Little Flirt where it will get at least six hours of direct sun a day in fertile, well-drained soil with good air movement around it. In cold climates, set the graft union — the swollen knob where the variety joins the rootstock — at or just below the soil line; in mild climates, keep it at soil level. Once planted, water deeply and less often to encourage deep, drought-resistant roots.
- Light: Full sun, six hours or more; morning sun is best because it dries dew early and limits disease.
- Soil: Rich and well-drained, slightly acidic at about pH 6.0–6.5. Improve heavy or sandy soil with plenty of compost before planting.
- Water: Deep, infrequent soakings at the base rather than frequent light sprinkling; more in heat, sandy soil, or containers.
- Feeding: A balanced rose fertilizer in early spring, repeated after the first flush to fuel the next.
- Pruning: Prune it in late winter to an open, outward-facing framework, then deadhead through the season.
Bloom habit: Repeat (recurrent). Little Flirt blooms in repeated flushes from late spring until the first frost. Deadhead spent flowers to bring on the next wave.
Where to use Little Flirt in the garden
Little Flirt suits containers and window boxes, edging, the front of borders, and small gardens. Grow it in pots and troughs, or use it to edge a path where its small scale can be appreciated. For more ideas, see our guide to companion plants for roses.
Common problems and care
Keep containers airy and watch for spider mites in hot, dry spots. Watch for the usual rose troubles — black spot, powdery mildew, and aphids — and head them off with good air flow, base watering, and a tidy autumn clean-up. See our full guide to rose diseases and pests for identification and treatment.
Little Flirt — frequently asked questions
How big does Little Flirt get?
Little Flirt typically grows about 1 to 2 feet tall and 1 to 1.5 feet wide, forming a compact, dense, twiggy plant. Its final size depends on your climate and how you prune it.
Is Little Flirt fragrant?
Little Flirt has a light, pleasant fragrance; it is grown more for its orange/yellow color and habit than for perfume.
Does Little Flirt bloom more than once a season?
Yes. Little Flirt is a repeat-blooming rose that blooms in repeated flushes from late spring until the first frost, especially if it is deadheaded and fed through the summer.
What hardiness zones does Little Flirt grow in?
Little Flirt is hardy in USDA zones 5-9. That range describes the winter cold it can survive; gardeners colder than zone 5 should give it winter protection or grow it in a movable container.
Is Little Flirt easy to grow?
Keep containers airy and watch for spider mites in hot, dry spots. Give Little Flirt full sun, well-drained soil, and the ordinary seasonal care any rose appreciates, and it is a straightforward rose to grow.
How and when should I prune Little Flirt?
Prune Little Flirt in late winter to an open, outward-facing framework, then deadhead through the season — see our step-by-step guide to pruning roses for the full method.