How often have you found a captivating rose, only to discover that it wasn't suitable for the zone where you live? Maybe we can help.

Following is a list of rose varieties specially developed here in Canada to survive the rigours of a Canadian winter.

The Parkland and Explorer series, which were developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, need minimal care and are environmentally friendly, requiring minimal sprays. They are hardy down to -35 C with only snow as protection, are disease resistant, flower repeatedly throughout the summer, require only minimal pruning and come in a variety of colours and sizes.

A glance at the list below will give you an idea of the range of varieties available and the zones in which they are generally winter-hardy. Cultivars in the Explorer series are identified by (E); those in the Parkland series, by (P).

The colour of the rose is registered by the hybridizer with the International Registration Authority for Roses and this is included in the listing below.

  • R - Russet
  • M - Mauve & Mauve Blend
  • RB - Red Blend
  • DR - Deep Red
  • MR - Medium Red
  • PB - Pink Blend
  • DP - Deep Pink
  • MP - Medium Pink
  • LP - Light Pink Blend
  • OR - Orange Red & Orange Red Blend
  • OP - Orange Pink & Orange Pink Blend
  • OB - Orange & Orange Blend
  • AB - Apricot & Apricot Blend
  • YB - Yellow Blend
  • DY - Deep Yellow
  • MY - Medium Yellow
  • LY - Light Yellow
  • W - White, Near White & White

You can find further information about these roses (e.g., parentage, plant height, disease resistance) in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's publication
Winter-hardy Roses
 which is available for purchase, ($5:00 plus $1:25 postage) from the
Canadian Rose Society
 

Zone 2 -45C to -40C
Zone 3 -40C to -35C
Zone 4 -35C to -29C
Zone 5 -29C to -23C
Zone 6 -23C to -18C
Zone 7 -18C to -12C
Zone 8 -12C to - 7C
Zone 9 - 7C to - 1C


Climatic Zones of Canada with minimum temperatures in Centigrade:

 (The Canadian Zone Map can be found on the internet by visiting:I Can Garden )

 

 

As promised, here are pictures and information on the Explorer and Parkland Series of roses.
(All images and text concerning Explorer and Parkland Series of Roses are the property of:
Minister of Public Works and Government Services 2000
Cat. No. A53-1922/2000E
ISN 0-660-17965-2
Revised Edition Printed in January 2000
and are reproduced here with permission.)

No pictures or text may be reproduced from this article without the express written permission of the Minister. For further details please contact:

Dr. Campbell G. Davidson
AAFC-Morden
Unit 100-101Route 100
Morden, MB
R6M 1Y5 Canada
Tel: 204-822-4471
Fax: 204-822-6841
'Explorer' Roses (click on variety name for pictures & descriptions)
Alexander MacKenzie shrub; deep red blooms resemble grandiflora or hybrid tea; survives winter in zone 3b without protection; RB
Captain Samuel Holland trailing climber; medium red; generally hardy in zone 3; MR
Champlain shrub; dark red blooms; generally hardy in zone 3; DR
Charles Albanel shrub; medium red blooms; fully hardy in zone 2; MR
David Thompson shrub; medium red; fragrant; zone 2; MR
De Montarville shrub; dark red buds (medium pink when fully opened); zone 3; MR
Frontenac shrub; deep pink; zone 3; DP
George Vancouver shrub; deep red bud (medium red bloom fading to pink); zone 3; MR
Henry Hudson semi-dwarf shrub; white blossoms with pink tinge; generally hardy in zone 2; W
Henry Kelsey climber; medium red; spicy fragrance; zone 3, MR
Jens Munk shrub; medium pink; fragrant; fully hardy in zone 2; MP
John Cabot climber; medium red; fragrant; generally hardy in zone 3; MR
John Davis trailing shrub; medium pink; slight, spicy fragrance; zone 3; MP
John Franklin shrub; medium red; slightly fragrant; zone 3; MR
J.P. Connell J.P. Connell, introduced in 1987, was the first yellow rose to be released from the Ottawa breeding program.
Lambert Closse shrub;deep pink blooms fading to pale pink when fully opened; zone 3; MP
Louis Jolliet climber; medium pink; spicy fragrance; zone 3; MP
Marie-Victorin shrub; deep peach bloom fading to pink when fully opened; zone 3; AB
Martin Frobisher shrub; soft pink blooms; fragrant; zone 2. Mystery Rose was the first Explorer rose. LP
Nicolas shrub; medium red; generally hardy in zone 3; MR
Quadra climber with spreading growth habit; dark red blooms fading to light red; generally hardy in zone 3; MP
Royal Edward semi-miniature spreading rose; deep pink blooms fading to pale pink; generally hardy in zone 3; MP
Simon Fraser shrub; medium pink blooms; zone 3; MP
William Baffin climber; medium red blooms; slightly fragrant; zone 2a; DP
William Booth trailing shrub; deep red buds changing to light red in fully opened flower; zone 3; DP
'Parkland' Roses (click on variety name for pictures & descriptions)
Adelaide Hoodless shrub; red, semidouble blooms; zone 2 and warmer zones; DP
Cuthbert Grant shrub; crimson; strong fragrance; survives well in zone 3; DR
Hope for Humanity shrub; blood red flowers; slightly fragrant; zone 3a. This variety, introduced in 1995, was named in honour of the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Red Cross. DR
Morden Amorette shrub; rose bengal /carmine blooms; zone 3; DP
Morden Blush shrub; light pink to ivory; zone 2b; LP
Morden Cardinette dwarf shrub; cardinal red; zone 3b; MR
Morden Centennial shrub; medium pink; lightly scented; zone 2; MP
Morden Fireglow shrub; scarlet blooms; zone 2b; OR
Morden Ruby shrub; ruby-coloured blooms; zone 2; PB
Morden Snowbeauty shrub; white, semi-double blooms; zone 2b; W
Morden Sunrise shrub; fragrant yellow to yellow-orange blooms; zone 3; YB
Winnipeg Parks shrub; looks more of a medium red than dark pink; slightly fragrant; zone 2b, DP