Rose BushesA Grower's Guide to Roses
Rose Types

Species & Wild Roses

Species roses are the wild originals from which all others descend — tough, single-flowered, often once-blooming, and generous with autumn hips.

The ancestors of every garden rose

Species (or wild) roses are the naturally occurring roses that gave rise to the entire cultivated family. They typically bear simple, five-petaled single flowers in one early-summer flush, followed by colorful hips that feed birds and brighten the fall garden. Many, such as the rugosas, are exceptionally hardy and disease-resistant.

What they lack in repeat bloom they make up for in toughness, wildlife value, and an informal, naturalistic beauty well suited to hedges and wilder corners of the garden.

Quick tip: Leave the spent flowers on species roses rather than deadheading — that is how you get the ornamental hips, which are often the plant's best feature.

Growing species roses

Most are remarkably self-reliant: give them sun and reasonable soil and they thrive with little care. Prune only to remove dead wood or to shape, and do it right after flowering since most bloom on old wood.

Popular species & wild roses

The 26 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.