A common question among a gathering of rosarians is what is your favorite rose? An honest answer would be the one I'm looking at right now. That may seem to be a facetious reply at first blush but, it would be accurate. All roses have something to catch the eye, from simple single blooms on old shrubs to the huge blooms of some modern hybrid T's.
Think about compiling a list of favorites in your own garden, and you'll likely find the task isn't an easy one.
Undaunted, the Canadian Rose Society compiled a list of favorites across Canada's 8 zones, by means of an informal survey of its members. Some of the results may surprise you as it did me. An example would be that the same rose topped the Most Fragrant list across all zones. Here's the list.
Overall
Favorite Roses | 1. Double Delight | 5. Mr. Lincoln | 9. Hansa |
| 2.Fragrant Cloud | 6. Bonica | tie Chrysler Imperial |
| 3.Graham Thomas | tie Peace | tie Angel Face |
| 4.Tiffany | tie Evelyn | tie Iceberg |
Most
Fragrant Roses | 1. Fragrant Cloud | 5. Hansa | 9. Graham Thomas |
| 2. Double Delight | 6. Evelyn | 10. Angel Face |
| 3. Mr. Lincoln | 7. Tiffany | tie Gertrude Jekyll |
| 4 Papa Meilland | 8 Chrysler Imperial |
Most
Fragrant Roses by ZoneZones 3-4 Fragrant Cloud, Double Delight, Mr. Lincoln
Zones 5-6 Fragrant Cloud, Double Delight, Evelyn, Graham Thomas, Mr. Lincoln
Zones 7-8 Fragrant Cloud, Gertrude Jekyll, Mme. Isaac Pereire, Papa Meilland
Most
Disease Resistant Roses | 1. John Cabot | 5. The Fairy | 9. John Davis |
| 2. Therese Bugnet | 6. Blanc Double de Coubert | 10. Grootendorst |
| 3. William Baffin | tie New Dawn | |
| 4. Bonica | 8 Hansa |
Most
Disease Resistant Roses by ZoneZones 1-2 Therese Bugnet
Zones 3-4 John Cabot, Blanc Double de Coubert
Zones 5-6 John Cabot, New Dawn, The Fairy, William Baffin,
Therese Bugnet
Zones 7-8 Bonica
Favorite
Hybrid Tea Roses| 1. Peace | 5. Fragrant Cloud | 9. Paradise |
| 2. Double Delight | 6. Chicago Peace | 10. Tiffany |
| 3. Olympiad | tie Just Joey | |
| 4. Folklore | 8. Mr. Lincoln |
Favorite
Hybrid Tea Roses By ZoneZones 3-4 Double Delight, Peace, Pascalli, St Patrick
Zones 5-6 Double Delight, Olympiad, Peace, Mr. Lincoln
Zones 7-8 no consensus
Favorite
Floribundas Roses
| 1. Iceberg | 4. Tabris | 7. Margaret Merrill |
| 2. Sexy Rexy | 5. Angel Face | 8. French Lace |
| 3. Europeana | 6. Amber Queen | 9. Apricot Nectar, Eye Paint (tie) |
Favorite
Floribundas by ZoneZones 1-2 no consensus
Zones 3-4 Iceberg Europeana, Sunsprite, Sexy Rexy
Zones 5-6 Iceberg, Europeana, Sexy Rexy, Tabris
Zones 7-8 Sexy Rexy, Tabris, Amber Queen, Gene Boerner, Iceberg
Favorite
Miniature Roses| 1. Minnie Pearl, Mountie(tie) | 6. Cupcake | 9. Sweet Chariot |
| 3. Magic Carousel, Winsome (tied) | 7. Jean Kenneally | 10. Reiko |
| 5. Rise n' Shine | 8. Starina |
Favorite
Miniature Roses by Zone
Zones 1-2 Winsome
Zones 3-4 Minnie Pearl, Starina
Zones 5-6 Mountie, Jean Keneally, Magic Carrousel, Minnie
Pearl, Cupcake, Debut
Zones 7-8 Gourmet Popcorn, Dresden Doll, Jeanne Lajoie, Pink
Petticoat, Reiko, Rise n' Shine
Favorite
Climbing Roses
| 1. New Dawn | 4. Blaze Improved | 7. Dortmund |
| 2. William Baffin | 5. America | 8. Don Juan |
| 3. John Cabot | 6. Altissimo | 9. Golden Showers |
Favorite
Climbing Roses by Zone
Zones 1-2 Iceberg
Zones 3-4 William Baffin, John Cabot, Blaze Improved
Zones 5-6 New Dawn, America, Blaze, John Cabot, William Baffin,
Altissimo
Zones 7-8 Altissimo, Compassion, Dublin Bay, Golden Showers
Favorite
Shrub Roses | 1. Bonica | 5. Sally Holmes | 9. Jens Munk |
| 2. Golden Wings | 6. Champlain | 10. Carefree Wonder |
| 3. Hansa | 7. Blanc Double de Coubert | |
| 4. Therese Bugnet | 8. Carefree Beauty |
Favorite
Shrub Roses by Zone
Zone 1-2 Therese Bugnet, Winnipeg Parks
Zone 3-4 Hansa, Champlain, Bonica, Golden Wings
Zone 5-6 Bonica, Golden Wings, Hansa, Therese Bugnet
Zone 7-8 Sally Holmes, Golden Wings, Constance Spry
Favorite
Canadian Shrub Roses| 1. Morden Blush | 5. Morden Centennial | 9. Jens Munk |
| 2. John Cabot | 6. William Baffin | 10. Morden Fireglow |
| 3. Winnipeg Parks | 7. Therese Bugnet | |
| 4. Champlain | 8. John Davis |
Favorite
Canadian Shrub Roses by Zone
Zone 1-2 Morden Centennial, Morden Blush
Zone 3-4 Champlain, Winnipeg Parks, Morden Centennial
Zone 5-6 Morden Blush, John Cabot, William Baffin
Zone 7-8 Winnipeg Parks, William Baffin, Morden Blush
Favorite
Old Garden Roses| 1. Louise Odier | 5. Austrian Copper | 9. Charles de Mills |
| 2. Mme. Hardy | 6. Felicite Parmentier | (tie Rheines des Violettes |
| 3. Rosa Mundi | 7. Stanwell Perpetual | |
| 4. Frau Karl Druschki | 8. Souvenier de la Malmaison |
Favorite
Old Garden Roses by Zone
Zone 1-2 Mme Hardy
Zone 3-4 Rosa Mundi, Mrs John Laing, Felicite Parmentier
Zone 5-6 Louse Odier, Austrian Copper, Frau Karl Druschki,
Rosa Mundi
Zone 7-8 Mme. Hardy, Konigin von Danemark, Souvenir de la
Maison
Favorite
David Austin Roses| 1. Graham Thomas | 5. Lillian Austin | 9. L.D. Braithwaite |
| 2. Mary Rose | 6. Charles Austin | 10. Winchester Cathedral |
| 3. Heritage | 7. Gertrude Jekyll | |
| 4. Evelyn | 8. Abraham Darby |
Favorite
Austin Roses by ZoneZone 3-4 Graham Thomas, Charles Austin
Zone 5-6 Graham Thomas, Mary Rose, Heritage, Evelyn, Golden Celebration, Lillian Austin
Zone 7-8 Graham Thomas, Gertrude Jekyll, Heritage, Mary Rose, Evelyn