12 Types Of Old Fashioned Red Roses

Written by Em Casalena
Updated: August 22, 2023
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Unquestionably, one of the most well-known flowers in the world is the rose. There are few plants that can compare to the majesty and vivid color of its blossoms. Particularly captivating throughout history, red roses are a must-have in every garden due to their refined elegance. Due to the plant’s symbolic value, however, bouquets, table settings, and solitary cut flowers are also quite popular.

Unfortunately, it’s easy for even seasoned gardeners to become overwhelmed by the myriad of red rose types. In this article, we’ll examine the most exquisite and enchanting red rose varieties and cultivars available for you to select for your own garden.

The Meaning of Red Roses

Roses are frequently seen as a symbol of affection and love. However, many people are unaware that roses may have quite a distinct metaphorical meaning depending on the color. The vivid red rose continues to be a symbol of intense, almost unconditional love, making it a wonderful gift that should not be presented carelessly. A deep crimson, nearly black rose, on the other hand, should be handled with caution since while they signify mysticism and adventure, they may also connote melancholy or even death.

The ideal present to give someone to whom you want to express love, passion, or respect is a bouquet of red roses. Red roses are also said to represent courage and hope for a long, love-filled life. The number of roses given as a gift in addition to the color also has some significance. One crimson rose represents love, while a dozen represents appreciation. A bouquet of 50 crimson flowers represents unwavering love, while 25 roses represent congratulations.

Champlain Rose

Botanical Name: Rosa ‘Champlain’

The compact shrub rose known as the Champlain rose often reaches heights and widths of three feet. It is categorized as a Kordesii rose and is a complicated hybrid. It has many lightly scented, cherry red, three-inch, semi-double blooms that bloom all summer long and into the following fall. Additionally, it has gorgeous, glossy, dark green leaves. These roses work well in borders, cottage gardens, foundations, or rose gardens as a single little specimen or in groupings. The Champlain rose, one of the Canadian Explorer Series roses, is renowned for its repeat bloom habit, disease resistance, and cold hardiness.

A dense thicket of red, champlain roses peek through a black, wrought iron fence.

The Champlain rose (pictured) is an excellent red rose to plant along fences.

©Keri Delaney/Shutterstock.com

Roxanne Veranda Rose

Botanical Name: Rosa ‘’KORfloci46’

In search of the ideal miniature red rose for your small garden? The Roxanne Veranda rose, a tiny shrub with true-red floribunda clusters, is approximately two feet tall at maturity and stays fairly small. The Roxanne rose is a member of the Bloomables R line from Star R Roses and Plants. It will produce bursts of striking, heavily petalled blooms all summer. The simplicity of maintenance and disease resistance more than makes up for this cultivar’s lack of scent. The Roxanne rose will grow just as well in the front of your border as it would in a container to brighten your patio.

Darcey Rose

Botanical Name: Rosa ‘Darcey’

The Darcey rose is a well-known rose that is regarded as one of the greatest and healthiest varieties ever created. This absolutely stunning red rose unfolds to display all the petals that were tucked away inside the young bud. At maturity, golden stamens make an appearance in this flower’s center. In the bud, the Darcey rose is at its reddest. As it opens, it turns raspberry red, and as it grows toward maturity, it takes on a rich purple hue. The flower itself smells faintly like fruity perfume. The ideal flower for weddings, anniversaries, and Valentine’s Day is this lovely cultivar.

Lady in Red Rose

Botanical Name: Rosa ‘WEKvaldoam’

For red purists who prefer to stay away from pink or purple tones in their landscape, the Lady in Red rose is a fantastic option. It offers real crimson, vintage fluffy blossoms as an elegantly climbing shrub. This rose can be trained on a pillar or used as a solid privacy screen without the risk of it growing out of control like many bigger species, making it the ideal climber if you want one that will stay neat. Its quick growth will add drama to your landscape right away.

The Lady in Red rose maintains its color nicely in both sun and rain and has a faint raspberry scent. Place this rose in a busy place so that passersby and visitors may enjoy the dance of the sun on her blossoms. This rose does well in USDA hardiness zones four through 10 and can handle a bit of shade.

Deep Secret Rose

Botanical Name: Rosa ‘Deep Secret’

There is no denying this rose’s charm. It puts a deeper spin on traditional reds, with virtually black buds that open up to deep maroon. This recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit is extremely robust and vigorous. The flowers of the Deep Secret rose have a beautiful hybrid tea shape and a strong scent. This upright shrub has olive-green leaves. As well. The Deep Secret consumes a lot of food and benefits from frequent fertilization to function at its optimum.

Place the Deep Secret rose in the back of your garden’s border and contrast its hue with lime green foliage or flowering plants to create a striking contrast. For a quick aromatherapy session, be sure to inhale its wonderful smell as frequently as you can!

Mister Lincoln Rose

Botanical Name: Rosa ‘Mister Lincoln’

You may stop here if you’re seeking the perfect, traditional red rose. Many experts believe the Mister Lincoln rose to be the best classic red rose. This rose has it all, including the recognizable hybrid tea bloom, a rich and velvety red hue, and a seductive scent. Long stems on the Mister Lincoln rose make it easy to cut and use as the centerpiece of bouquets. The plant is a hardy shrub that blooms consistently from spring till frost in different regions. This variety was chosen as part of the All-America Rose Selection in 1965, and since then, few other red roses have surpassed it in popularity. It will serve as a respectable and lovely backdrop for the remainder of your garden if you add it to the back of a border or hedge.

A closeup of a few red Mister Lincoln variety roses in a garden

Mister Lincoln roses (pictured) are one of the most classy and traditional of the red rose varieties.

©eebrothers/Shutterstock.com

Chrysler Imperial Rose

Botanical Name: Rosa ‘Chrysler Imperial’

One of the most majestic and regal-looking roses is this one. It has hefty bright red buds that open to show off a stunning rich bloom with silky-soft petals. The beautiful rose bears green leaves on a sturdy, thornless stalk. This blossom will undoubtedly win over the recipient of this rose’s heart. This hybrid tea rose’s dark green color is accompanied by a strong scent. From late spring through late October, the flower blooms. This flower has a long stem and creates great cut flowers because of its durability.

George Vancouver Rose

Botanical Name: Rosa ‘George Vancouver’

This multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an erect, spreading habit of development is the George Vancouver Rose. Although its typical texture fades into the environment, it can be effectively adjusted by one or two trees or bushes that are finer or coarser. The George Vancouver rose is a shrub with an unusually large number of clustered blooms that bloom along its lush green leaves. The roses start out as buds, and as they completely unfold, they turn fuchsia crimson. This shrub has excellent, disease-resistant leaves and is quite robust and healthy. The shrub is a strong climber and, if allowed to, may reach unbelievable heights. It has a somewhat sweet scent and is quite pleasant.

Firefighter Rose

Botanical Name: Rosa ‘ORAdal’

It’s not for the weak of heart to plant the Firefighter rose. True to its name, the flowers’ fiery red hue is guaranteed to catch people’s attention in your yard. The bushes are rather tough, too. Once grown, it can easily withstand dry conditions and hot temperatures. However, due to the vibrancy of its roses, it can overpower the aesthetics of a garden. Only choose this showstopper if you want a real eye-catching rose!

The Firefighter rose has a wonderful aroma. Long branches and a profusion of fragrant musk-scented blossoms make this plant a fantastic option for cut bouquets. This stunner’s near-thornlessness is a huge benefit; it makes it a fantastic choice for walkways or kid-friendly settings. Due to its tolerance for shade, gardeners have more planting options with this stunning red rose. 

Brick House Rose

Botanical Name: Rosa ‘Meitraligh’

Check out the Brick House rose if you’re seeking a true-red rose that requires little maintenance and will draw pollinators. This tiny, cluster-flowering shrub has a lot of bloom power. It is barely 3 to 4 feet tall, but from May until frost, it will be covered in stunning blossoms that open to bright yellow stamens. Add this rose to your wildlife garden for an additional red punch because pollinators adore its open shape. The Brick House rose is an exceptional red rose for novices since it is the ideal size to be hidden anyplace in the garden. For optimal results, plant it in direct sun with some afternoon shade.

Eternity Rose

Botanical Name: Rosa ‘Eternity’

This vivid and vibrant red rose, wonderfully crafted in the traditional rose shape, is called the Eternity Red Rose. The flower’s firebrick red petals contrast brilliantly with the plant’s lush green foliage. Every year, from summer until spring, this flower blooms. Like typical red roses, it has a very fragrant aroma. This flower will undoubtedly catch people’s eyes as they pass by. Combining bouquets of the Eternity rose with miniature white, and pink roses would look absolutely stunning.

Blaze Rose

Botanical Name: Rosa ‘Demokracie’

The Blaze rose is the most widely grown climbing rose, and it makes sense why. It differs from the majority of other rose cultivars on the market with its pure red double blooms and big, stacked petals. This rose thrives in direct sunlight in USDA hardiness zones six through nine. The Blaze rose is the one for you if you’re seeking a rose that can fit into bigger spaces and fill up trellises. This is the ideal climbing rose for border walls and taller arches as well.

Blaze Rose

The Blaze rose (pictured) is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a solid red climbing rose.

©RussieseO/Shutterstock.com

There are many other red rose varieties out there outside of the varieties included on this list. If you do enough research, you’ll definitely be able to find the perfect red rose for your garden or floral-arranging needs!

Summary of 12 Types Of Old Fashioned Red Roses

Red Rose
1Champlain Rose
2Roxanne Veranda Rose
3Darcey Rose
4Lady in Red Rose
5Deep Secret Rose
6Mister Lincoln Rose
7Chrysler Imperial Rose
8George Vancouver Rose
9Firefighter Rose
10Brick House Rose
11Eternity Rose
12Blaze Rose

The photo featured at the top of this post is © JohnatAPW/Shutterstock.com


Sources

  1. NCSU Staff, Available here: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/rosa/
  2. Sheryl Geerts, Available here: https://www.bhg.com/gardening/flowers/roses/ultimate-rose-care-guide/
  3. Danielle Sherwood, Available here: https://www.allaboutgardening.com/red-rose-varieties/
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About the Author

Em Casalena is a writer at A-Z Animals where their primary focus is on plants, gardening, and sustainability. Em has been writing and researching about plants for nearly a decade and is a proud Southwest Institute of Healing Arts graduate and certified Urban Farming instructor. Em is a resident of Arizona and enjoys learning about eco-conscious living, thrifting at local shops, and caring for their Siamese cat Vladimir.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) 

What do red roses symbolize?

Red roses symbolize love and romance across many different cultures and eras.

What is the mythology behind red roses?

According to Greek mythology, red roses were made by the goddess Aphrodite after she injured herself on the thorn of a white rose.

Can red roses be used for funerals or mourning?

While often a symbol of romantic love, red roses can also be used for memorials or funerals to signify devotion and respect.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team.