Rose Classes

The large family of roses (bot. Rosa) is divided into different classes. These should not be confused with botanical species/rose species which follow a biological taxonomy. 

There is no prescribed classification for roses, but the divisions shown here are widely used.

One approach is to distinguish first of all between wild roses and garden roses. Wild roses need no further division; garden roses are divided as follows: 

Old Roses

(optionally subdivided by origin)
=> detailed overview of the Old Roses 
(representative pictures of the various rose types)

Modern Rose Types

With modern roses, division by this system is very blurred, as most are the result of intensive breeding, often across several rose classes. Not infrequently a rose variety can be correctly placed in more than one class. 

Some of the classes are also a subset of a higher-level one; for example, all ramblers belong to the climbing roses, and polyantha roses are the older name for floribundas and the like.

• Hybrid teas / Hybrid tea roses
• Polyantha roses
• Floribunda roses
• Ground-cover roses / small shrub roses
• Moschata hybrids / musk roses
• Potato rose (rugosa hybrids)
• Climbing roses
• Rambler roses

The resulting uncertainty about which rose class a particular variety belongs to, and above all the question of where a suitable rose for one's own garden might be found, has given rise to a further classification.

Rose classes: by growth habit and use

Regardless of which botanical species a rose belongs to, its growth habit is often the deciding criterion. This way of building the rose classes is very practice-oriented. Origin and other botanical aspects are left aside.

It is particularly suited to sales areas and catalogues. Customers with a specific problem find their way quickly, and larger groups can additionally be subdivided by colour or growth height (e.g. low/medium/tall shrubs).

• Hybrid tea roses
  60-100 cm with tall, single blooms
• Floribunda roses 
  60 -100 cm with blooms in clusters
• Small shrub roses
  50 - 120 cm, blooms single or in umbels
• Shrub roses / park roses
  120 - 250 cm, non-climbing
• Climbing roses with ramblers
  up to 10 m and more
  Climbing roses with fewer, larger single blooms in umbels and stiff shoots, up to approx. 5 m
  Ramblers with (mostly) many small, single or lightly double blooms in clusters and soft shoots, up to 10 m and more
• Ground-cover roses for planting over large areas, with different bloom forms and growth characteristics
• Dwarf roses / patio roses / miniature roses 
  30 - 50 cm

(in the lists you will also find pictures of varieties of the respective type)

Even where fewer doubts remain, a clear classification is not always possible under this system. Depending on climate, location and care / pruning, some rose varieties can fall into one rose class as well as another. 

Classification of rose types by breeder

A not at all new alternative, often used in addition, of dividing roses is by the breeder. The designation 'Pernetiana', for instance, was already common very early on. More recent examples are the roses of David Austin or also the Delbard roses.