Latin for “many flowering,” the floribunda rose bush is a popular type of rose known for its profuse and long-lasting blooms.
Floribunda roses are easy to grow, making them a favorite among gardeners of all skill levels.
In this article, we will take a brief look into the world of floribunda roses and explore the characteristics, care requirements, and uses of 10 popular floribunda varieties.
Advantages Of Growing A Floribunda Rose Bush
- Abundance of blooms: Floribunda roses are known for their abundant clusters of blooms, with each stem producing multiple flowers. In addition, floribundas have a long growing season and can repeat bloom throughout the season.
- Easy Care: Floribunda roses are generally easy to care for and can thrive in a variety of growing conditions. They are also relatively disease-resistant, which means they require less maintenance compared to other types of roses.
- Floribunda roses can be used in a variety of ways, including as standalone plants, in mixed borders, or as part of a formal garden design. They also make great cut flowers, adding beauty and fragrance to any indoor arrangement. As you’ll see later on in this article, most of these roses can be used in more than one way.
Top 10 Floribunda Rose Bush Varieties
These 10 floribunda rose bushes were carefully selected because we think they are the ideal choice for anyone’s garden.
1. Simply The Best Rose
Simply the Best rose was bred by Samuel Darragh McGredy IV in 1990.
| COLOR: Apricot | BLOOM SIZE: Small To Medium | FRAGRANCE: Strong, Fruity, Musk Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 3ft – 4ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
In addition to being a floribunda rose bush, Simply the Best roses can also be classified as a hybrid tea rose.
They grow on long stems and have a delightful fragrance.
We suggest using these roses as a cut flowers for vases and arrangements.
RELATED: 10 Long Stem Rose Bush Varieties To Buy
Simply the Best roses have a full, high-centered bloom form, with each rose containing around 26 to 40 petals.
The plant itself has a bushy growth pattern with an abundance of large, medium-green leaves.
They have a slight susceptibility to blackspot and therefore require careful cultural practices.
Ensure that your roses are being watered from the base and watch out for overhead watering.
USDA growing zone: 6b and warmer.
2. Remembrance Rose
Remembrance rose was bred by Harkness & Co. in United Kingdom, before 1992.
| COLOR: Red | BLOOM SIZE: Medium | FRAGRANCE: Mild Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 2ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun, Partial Shade |
Remembrance roses have a high-centered bloom form.
Each rose can contain around 32 petals.
The plant itself is bushy with glossy, dark green leaves.
These roses are cold hardy and can tolerate zones as low as 4b.
If you live in a cold climate, we suggest pruning at least 1/3 of your red rose bush in the spring when all frost has passed.
Remembrance roses are small in size so they can be used for beds, containers, or a low border.
Their stems are stiff, which also makes the Remembrance rose perfect for vases or arrangements.
USDA growing zone: 4b and warmer.
3. Purple Tiger Rose
Purple Tiger rose was bred by Jack E. Christensen in the United States, in 1991.
| COLOR: Purple | BLOOM SIZE: Medium | FRAGRANCE: Strong Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 2ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
Purple Tiger roses earn their name from the mauve and purple streaks that adorn these roses’ petals.
This rose has a high-centered bloom form with full petals (about 40 per flower).
The bush is nearly thornless and grows glossy, medium-green leaves.
Purple Tiger roses are hardy to warmer zones, specifically zones 6 through 11.
As the climate gets hotter, we suggest growers take more precautions to protect their roses from the blistering heat.
Closely monitor your roses’ soil moisture.
Generally, roses do best when their soil is uniformly moist, not too dry, and not too wet.
When the first few inches of soil have dried up, water your roses deeply, ensuring the moisture has permeated throughout the entire root system.
USDA growing zone: 6b through 11.
4. Pink Abundance Rose
Pink Abundance rose was bred by Harkness & Co. in United Kingdom, before 1997.
| COLOR: Pink | BLOOM SIZE: Medium | FRAGRANCE: Sweet Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 3ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun, Partial Shade |
Pink Abundance roses have a very full, rosette bloom form.
There is an abundance of petals on this flower, with each rose having a minimum of 60 petals.
This pink rose bush grows compact with glossy, dark green leaves with red veins on them.
Pink Abundance roses are shade tolerant, which is ideal for gardens that cannot get a full day’s worth of sunlight.
One advantage of growing your rose in partial shade is that the blooms’ color will remain vibrant much longer compared to that of full-sun plants.
However, partial-shade roses tend to produce smaller roses.
USDA growing zone: 6b and warmer.
5. Margaret Merril Rose
Margaret Merril rose was bred by Harkness & Co. in United Kingdom, before 1977.
| COLOR: White | BLOOM SIZE: Large | FRAGRANCE: Strong, Citrus, Spice Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 3ft – 5ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
The Margaret Merril rose produces large blooms with a cupped, semi-double bloom form.
As a semi-double rose, Margaret Merril roses contain around 9 to 16 petals per flower.
The foliage of the Margaret Merril rose is dark green and glossy, with serrated edges and a leathery texture.
Margaret Merril roses are hardy to moderate to warm climates and are resistant to most diseases.
USDA growing zone: 6b through 10b.
6. Louisa Stone Rose
Louisa Stone rose was bred by Philip A. Harkness and Robert B. Harkness in United Kingdom, before 1997.
| COLOR: Apricot | BLOOM SIZE: Medium | FRAGRANCE: Mild, Old Rose Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 3ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
Louisa Stone roses have an old-fashioned bloom form.
Their white petals open up fully to reveal the contrasting yellow centers.
These are full roses, each flower has roughly 26 to 40 petals each.
When Louisa Stone roses blossom, they do so in large clusters together.
The bush itself is medium in size with a spreading growth habit.
The leaves are large in size with a glossy, dark green hue.
Louisa Stone roses are hardy to warm climates (zone 6b and above) and can be used for beds, borders, gardens, containers, and cut flowers.
USDA growing zone: 6b and warmer.
7. Cream Abundance Rose
Cream Abundance rose was bred by Harkness & Co. (United Kingdom, 1999).
| COLOR: Cream | BLOOM SIZE: Medium | FRAGRANCE: Strong, Citrus Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 2ft – 3ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
The Cream Abundance rose has a full, high-centered bloom form.
Each flower can contain between 30 to 40 petals.
Its bush is compact with a rounded shape. Its leaves are glossy and dark green in color.
Cream Abundance roses are very disease resistant, which makes them ideal for beginner gardeners.
However, despite being resistant to diseases, they should still be given the same care other rose bushes have.
Minimizing unnecessary foliage moisture while maximizing airflow only further ensures your rose will never suffer from the disease.
USDA growing zone: 6b and warmer.
8. Betty Harkness Rose
Betty Harkness rose was bred by Harkness & Co. in United Kingdom, in 1998.
| COLOR: Orange | BLOOM SIZE: Very Large | FRAGRANCE: Strong, Clove Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 3ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
Betty Harkness roses are large flowers with a high-centered, double-bloom form.
Each rose can contain around 17 to 25 petals.
This orange rose bush blooms in small clusters.
The bush itself has glossy, dark green leaves and grows small in size.
Betty Harkness rose bushes can be grown as a border, cut flower, bed, or container rose.
This floribunda rose bush is hardy to moderate to warm climates, the lowest zone being 6b where winter is moderate with a good chance for snowfall.
To protect your in-ground roses, we suggest laying down a thick layer of mulch to help retain moisture and stabilize the internal soil temperature.
Look for materials such as shredded leaves or bark to insulate your dormant rose bushes.
USDA growing zone: 6b and warmer.
9. Amber Queen Rose
Amber Queen rose was bred by Jack L. Harkness in United Kingdom, before 1981.
| COLOR: Apricot | BLOOM SIZE: Large | FRAGRANCE: Moderate, Musk, Spice, Sweet Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 2ft – 3ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
The Amber Queen rose has a cupped, ruffled bloom form.
Each rose can contain between 26 and 40 petals, making this a full rose.
When in bloom, these golden roses blossom together in small clusters.
The bush itself is compact, yet very vigorous and bushy.
It has large, semi-glossy green leaves.
The plant grows relatively small and has a variety of uses, ranging from beds, borders, containers, and cut flowers.
USDA growing zone: 5b and warmer.
10. Escapade Rose
Escapade rose was bred by Jack L. Harkness in United Kingdom, in 1962.
| COLOR: Lilac-Pink | BLOOM SIZE: Medium | FRAGRANCE: Strong, Musk Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 3ft – 4ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
The petals of the Escapade rose have a cupped bloom form, their petals open up all the way to reveal their yellow center which contrasts beautifully with their mauve petals.
These roses have a semi-double bloom form with about 12 petals per flower.
Escapade flowers can be used for mixed borders or containers.
If you choose to grow your roses in a container, it is necessary to amend your soil with well-draining materials such as perlite.
This will prevent the soil from becoming too compact; light, well-draining soil is essential for root growth and development.
USDA growing zone: 5b through 10b.
Conclusion
In conclusion, floribunda rose bushes are a wonderful addition to any garden or landscape, offering stunning beauty and ease of care.
By following the proper care techniques and selecting the right variety for your space, anyone can enjoy the beauty of floribunda roses for years to come.
So go ahead and plant some floribunda roses in your garden today, and enjoy their colorful blooms throughout the growing season.
