Rose BushesA Grower's Guide to Roses
Rose Types

Old Garden & Heirloom Roses

Old garden roses — the gallicas, damasks, albas, bourbons and their kin — are the historic roses prized for legendary fragrance and full, romantic form.

Roses with history

"Old garden rose" is the umbrella term for classes that existed before the first hybrid tea in 1867 — gallicas, damasks, albas, centifolias, mosses, bourbons, chinas, and hybrid perpetuals among them. These are the roses of old paintings and older gardens: intensely fragrant, full-petaled, and often quartered or cupped in form.

Some, like the gallicas and damasks, bloom once in a memorable early-summer flush. Others, like the bourbons and chinas, repeat. All carry a depth of scent and character that many modern roses cannot match.

Quick tip: Prune once-blooming old roses right after they flower. They set next year's buds on this year's wood, so a late-winter prune would remove the coming season's flowers.

Growing old garden roses

Most are hardy, forgiving, and long-lived. Give them sun and decent soil, prune according to whether they bloom once or repeat, and otherwise let them develop their natural, often arching character.

Popular old garden & heirloom roses

The 71 roses below are among the most widely grown and dependable in this group. Each profile covers color, fragrance, size, hardiness, and how to grow it well.