102 Roses for California

Rose Display at Amador Flower Farm

Here in California,  where we can garden year round throughout much of the state, January and early February is the best time to plant bare root roses, now available at nurseries.

Your success with roses depends on several factors, especially location: full sun, as well as decent soil with good drainage. Roses require regular fertilization and irrigation.

Tropicana (with cosmos)

In our garden, the top performing roses include the white-flowered floribunda/shrub rose, Iceberg; Summer Sunshine, a yellow hybrid tea; Tropicana, an orange-red hybrid tea; Olympiad (medium red hybrid tea), Rio Samba (yellow blend hybrid tea), Jeanne Lajoie (climbing miniature, med. pink) and Mlle Cecile Brunner (light pink polyantha).

 For a more thorough compilation, noted consulting rosarian Baldo Villegas has studied thousands of roses throughout California, and has put together this master list.

Although by no means a complete list, here are over 100 roses that do well in the local inland valleys, especially the southern Sacramento and northern San Joaquin valleys. Many of these roses will thrive in foothill regions and parts of the Bay Area as well. For a more complete guide, Baldo has a page that will link you to your area's rose society.

For gardeners in Sacramento and the surrounding area looking for fewer choices, here's a link to a previous post: The 10 Best Roses for Sacramento.

Thanks to rosarian Baldo Villegas for compiling the master list and pictures. Visit his website for more about roses, including rose pictures, planting tips, as well as pests and diseases of the rose garden. From his list of roses, here are choices for...

102 GREAT ROSES TO GROW 

MOST EVERYWHERE IN CALIFORNIA

(Rose variety / color / year of introduction / ARS Score, if any, on a scale of 1-10)



Hybrid Teas; Grandifloras (20)

Andrea Stelzer, light pink, 1992
Black Magic, dark red, 2000
Elizabeth Taylor, deep pink, 1985, 8.8
 Fragrant Cloud, orange-red, 1967, 8.1

Gemini, pink blend, 2000, 8.1
Gold Medal, medium yellow, 1982, 8.5
Honor, white, 1980, 7.6
Ingrid Bergman, dark red, 1984, 7.2
Marilyn Monroe, apricot blend, 2000, n/a
Moonstone, white, 1998, 8.2
New Zealand, light pink, 1989, 7.6
Olympiad, medium red, 1982, 8.9
Saint Patrick, yellow blend, 1996, 8.0
Secret, pink blend, 1992, 7.7
Signature, deep pink, 1996, 7.7
Stainless Steel, mauve, 1991, 7.5
Touch of Class, orange pink, 1984, 9.2
Tournament of Roses, medium pink, 1988, 8.0
Veterans' Honor, medium red, 1999, 8.0


  Floribunda Roses (15)

Betty Boop,  Betty Boop spray, red blend, 1999, 8.0
Bill Warriner, orange-pink, 1998, 8.0
Blueberry Hill, mauve, 1999, 8.0
Dicky, orange-pink, 1984, 8.7
Fabulous!, white, 2000
Glad Tidings, dark red, 1988, 8.1
Lady of the Dawn, light pink, 1984, 8.2
Lavaglut, dark red, 1978, 8.8
Margaret Merril, white, 1977, 8.4
Pasadena Star, white, 2002
Playboy, red blend, 1976, 8.2
Priscilla Burton, red blend 1978, 8.6
Sexy Rexy, medium pink, 1984, 8.9
Showbiz, medium red, 1983, 8.5
Sunsprite, deep yellow, 1977, 8.7



Polyantha Roses (10)

China Doll, medium pink 1942, 8.2
La Marne, pink blend, 1915, 8.8
Lovely Fairy, deep pink, 1990
Lullaby, white, 1953, 8.7
Margo Koster, orange blend, 1931, 7.5
Marie Pavie, white, 1888, 8.8
Mrs. R. M. Finch, medium pink, 1923, 8.9
Orange Morsdag, orange blend, 1956, 9.4
The Fairy, light pink, 1932, 8.7
Verdun, medium red, 1918, 8.7

 
Climbing Roses (12)
Altissimo, LCl, medium red, 1966, 8.5
America, LCl, orange-pink, 1976, 8.4
Candy Cane, Cl Min, pink blend, 1958, 8.2
Dublin Bay, LCl, medium red, 1975, 8.5
Fourth of July, LCl, red blend (striped), 1999, 8.2
Handel, LCl, red blend, 1965, 8.1
Jeanne Lajoie, Cl Min, medium pink, 1975, 9.3
New Dawn, LCl, light pink, 1930, 8.5
Pearly Gates, LCl, medium pink, 1999, 7.8
Pierre de Ronsard (Eden Climber), LCl, pink blend, 1987, 8.2
Rainbow's End, Cl Min, yellow blend, 1999, 7.9
Soaring Spirits, LCl, pink blend, 2005



Shrub Roses (13)

Abraham Darby, orange-pink, 1990, 7.5
Cocktail, red blend, single, 1961, 8.3
Gartendirektor Otto Linne, deep pink, 1934, 8.8
Golden Celebration, deep yellow, 1993, 7.8
Prospero, dark red, 1983, 8.6
Raven, dark red, 1992, 7.5
Robusta, medium red, single, 1979, 9.5
Rockin' Robin, red blend, 1997, 7.5
Sally Holmes, white, single, 1976, 8.9
Sharon's Delight, white, single, 1996, 7.7
Sunny June, deep yellow, single, 1952, 7.7
Tamora, apricot blend, 1992, n/a


Old Garden Roses (12)
Baronne Prevost, Hybrid Perpetual, medium pink, 1842, 8.7
Crested Moss, Moss, medium pink, 1827, 8.6
Green Rose, Hybrid China, green, before 1854, 7.4
Henri Martin, Moss, medium red, 1862, 8.7
Marchesa Boccella, Hybrid Perpetual, medium pink, 1842, 8.9
Mons. Tillier, Tea, orange-pink, 1891, 8.1
Mutabilis, Hybrid China, yellow blend, 8.7
Paul Neyron, Hybrid Perpetual, medium pink, 1859, 8.1
Rose de Rescht, Portland, deep pink, 8.9
Sombreuil, Cl Tea, white, 1850, 8.8
Souvenir de la Malmaison, B, light pink, 1843, 8.7
Yolande d'Aragon, Portland, mauve, 1843, 8.3

Miniatures and Minifloras (20)

Baby Ballerina, pink blend, 1997, 8.1
Baby Love, deep yellow, single, 1992
Black Jade, deep red, 1985, 8.2
Butter Cream, Miniflora, light yellow, 2002
Child's Play, pink blend, 1991, 8.0
Dr. John Dickman, mave, 2004
Elfinglo, mauve, 1977, 7.5
Giggles, medium pink, 1987, 9.1
Glowing Amber, red blend, 1996, 8.0
Gourmet Popcorn, white, 1986, 8.7
Hot Tamale, yellow blend, 1993, 8.2
Irresistible, white, 1989, 9.3
Jean Kenneally, apricot blend, 1984, 9.4
Loving Touch, apricot blend, 1983, 8.4
Luis Desamero, light yellow, 1989, 7.7
Marriotta, red blend, 1998, 8.2
Minnie Pearl, pink blend, 1982, 9.4
Peggy "T", red bend, single, 1988, 8.5
Pierrine, orange-pink, 1988, 9.2
Rainbow's End, yellow blend, 1984, 8.9
Ruby Pendant, mauve, 1979, 8.6
Soroptimist International, pink blend, 1995
Will-o-the-Wisp, Miniflora, pink blend, 1998

Want the above list as a one sheet document? Click Here.

 

And, my personal favorites:

Lyda Rose

Lyda Rose

Oklahoma

Brandy

Pink Peace

Iceberg

Summer Sunshine

Rio Samba

Voodoo