super hardy roses

12 years ago

We are looking for 'no fuss' winter hardy roses to grow. We are in zone 5a but we'd rather have roses hardy to at least zone 4, for safety. We don't want to have to cover them in the winter or rely on snow cover for them to survive.

That being said, we also want more showy roses, like fully double and continuous blooming. (Are we asking to much?)

Here is a list of roses we are considering. Tell me about your experience with them in zone 4 or colder:

Lambert Closse
Austrian Copper
J.P. Connell
Hansa
Prairie Joy
Quietness
Heaven on earth
Pretty Jessica
Alchemist
Kashmir easy elegance
Freckles
Champlain

Have you lost any over the winters? Thanks!

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Comments (4)

don555
12 years ago
Hansa (and other rugosa roses) will be super-hardy for you, the city of Edmonton (zone 3a) uses it in lots of city plantings and it appears to survive right to the tips without any care. Some rugosas can look a bit straggly without pruning, Hansa seems better shaped. It gives one big flush of flowers in early summer, then comes back with another flush later on, though not as impressive as the first flush. At least that's how it grows here. I personally prefer Therese Bugnet, a rugosa hybrid, as it has a more delicate appearance and nicer looking flowers but it can get very large.

The Explorer and Parkland series of roses should do well for you, and will have more repeat bloomings. The Parkland were developed in Morden Manitoba I believe, so should definitely be hardy in zone 5. Champlain is part of the Explorer series of roses. I personally find these semi-hardy in my zone 3 backyard, with the lower foot or two of branches surviving without protection, but winterkill above this. Some people here find them fully hardy, maybe it depends on microclimate.
cheryleb
12 years ago
I've grown Hansa in the past and it held up very well in my Zone 3 garden. Another one that did very well is Winnipeg Parks. Lovely deep pinky red and compact form. As mentioned, any of the Morden hybrids will do well in zone 3 and up.
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ashtongardener(5aON)
12 years ago
I have many Explorer roses growing successfully in zone 5 (Champlain is beautiful right now in my garden). I also grow several old garden roses without problem, like Rosa Mundi, Mme Hardy, Apothecary's Rose, & Blanc Double de Coubert. This was a long cold winter, but I just pruned off the winter kill and they're covered in blooms. You might also consider Polareis, which is another gorgeous hardy rose developed in Russia.
ashtongardener(5aON)
12 years ago
I have many Explorer roses growing successfully in zone 5 (Champlain is beautiful right now in my garden). I also grow several old garden roses without problem, like Rosa Mundi, Mme Hardy, Apothecary's Rose, & Blanc Double de Coubert. This was a long cold winter, but I just pruned off the winter kill and they're covered in blooms. You might also consider Polareis, which is another gorgeous hardy rose developed in Russia.