Roses

Question

I planted a rose a few years back behind my house. I cannot remember the specific name to it. It was a yellow/orange rose that had a real good smell to it. The rose did not do well where I planted it. It bloomed the year I planted it then the next year it didn’t have any green. I dug what I thought was a completely dead rose up and planted it somewhere different and it came back. When it came back it wasn’t the same flower though. It came back and bloomed small pink roses that look like a rose Bush. What happened to my plant? Will it ever bloom the roses it once did?

Answer 1

Hi Kristi. What you have described has happened to many a rose loving gardener. Many rosebushes are what is called Grafted Rosebushes. The upper portion of that graft is the rose we buy it to be and the lower portion is a very hardy root stock to help the rosebush thrive and survive many climatic conditions. There are times when the upper part dies and the lower part takes over. That sounds like what has happened with your rosebush. The pink flowers are the rootstock rosebush blooming. The top part you loved is no more. At such a point we are left with two choices. Dig out the current rosebush and plans a new one there that you would like to have (perhaps look for Own Root rosebushes so that the rosebush can die way back and what comes up from the root is indeed that same rosebush.) or leave the current rosebush and buy one or two that you like and plant them on either side of the current one. Then enjoy them all! Keep an eye on the rootstock one as they can get a little unruly as they grow and try to take things over if not pruned back. Here is a link for you to an article I wrote on grafted and own root roses:https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/roses/own-root-roses-grafted-roses.htm