17 Roses That Thrive on Neglect

Do you admire rose gardens but shy away from planting your own because you’ve heard they’re high maintenance? You are not alone. Roses are known to be demanding and difficult for beginners. Don’t get me wrong, they have a reputation for good reason, but all varieties are not created equal. Here, we’ll share roses that thrive on neglect!

The advent of rose hybridization in 1867 started rosarians on the road to creating new varieties that combine qualities of their parent plants, such as heat or cold tolerance or disease resistance. The result has been a wide variety of rose plants that can stand up to environmental stressors with relatively little intervention from gardeners. 

Thanks to some brave pioneers in the world of hybridization, we now have consistent, reliably hardy, vigorous roses that stand up to the elements and require much less maintenance. Here are 17 different varieties of roses easy enough to grow for novice gardeners!

Ballerina 

	botanical name Rosa ‘Ballerina’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-6’
	hardiness zones 5-10

To kick off our list of low-maintenance roses is a charming hybrid musk rose variety that can be grown as a midsized shrub or groundcover. Ballerina has all the grace and loveliness of its namesake and an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society to prove it. This perfect little rose makes an excellent container plant, reaching 4-6’ tall at maturity. 

Ballerina would make a stunning addition to the cottage garden. It has a wonderful vintage vibe, and although it is quite showy, it’s not ostentatious. Rather, this rose produces a bounty of light pink, single-petal blooms with white centers in great clusters.

The contrast of pale flowers against deep green foliage makes this a very attractive landscape element. Keep it planted in full sun for optimal pest and disease resistance. 

Carefree Beauty

	botanical name Rosa ‘Bucbi’ Carefree Beauty
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 5’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Carefree is the perfect name for this beauty! ‘Carefree Beauty’ is not picky about much. It likes plenty of sun and good air circulation but is very tolerant of salt water and blooms in spring through fall under the right conditions.

Named the “Earth-Kind Rose of the Year” in 2006 by Texas AgriLife Extension Service, this fast grower and big bloomer thrives on neglect. 

Pink, double-petaled flowers bloom on bright green foliage with fully exposed centers that radiate warmth from a cluster of golden stamens. This variety is resistant to diseases, as well as being exceptionally heat and cold-tolerant. A grouping of these bushes makes a gorgeous hedge or privacy screen.

Claire Austin

	botanical name Rosa ‘Ausprior’ Claire Austin
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 12’
	hardiness zones 5-11

Another climbing rose that thrives on neglect, ‘Claire Austin’ is elegant and strong. Bred in England by David Austin, this rose combines antique and modern elements with large, beautiful, creamy yellow flowers.

The flowers are cupped, with rows and rows of delicate petals framing a glowing golden center. It can tolerate sun or partial shade and can reach up to 12’ tall.

The best thing about these blooms is their glorious perfume. ‘Claire Austin’s’ fragrance can be described as spicy and sweet, with hints of vanilla and myrrh. This is an English Garden Rose, and as such, it is surprisingly disease-resistant and has a long blooming season.

‘Claire’ makes great cut flowers. Pick up a pair of loppers for pruning this climbing rose. You won’t regret it.

Easy Elegance All the Rage

	botanical name Rosa ‘Bairage’ PP19,945
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3-5’
	hardiness zones 4-9

‘All the Rage’ is an Easy Elegance variety with wonderful color-changing flowers and a compact, shrubby growth habit. This is a wonderful beginner rose that thrives on neglect and is hardy in just about every corner.

The small to medium-sized shrubs make great container plants or a wonderful accent shrub near the front door to greet guests. The shrub produces lots of coral-colored buds, which swirl open to reveal paler interiors with a golden center.

As the flowers age on the vine, the color deepens. Flowers drop cleanly when spent, so this rose doesn’t require deadheading. The flowers are fragrant and enticing to bees.

Ebb Tide

	botanical name Rosa ‘WEKsmopur’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 4-5’
	hardiness zones 7-11

This mid-sized variety brings a ton of star power to the garden. Large (4”), double, old-fashioned flowers bloom a rich plum purple and fade gradually to a smokier hue. These blooms are known for their stunning color and wonderful spicy fragrance, which smells of cloves and citrus. 

‘Ebb Tide’ has an attractive, rounded growth habit, adding to the ease of care. It makes a great focal point or hedge and produces flowers that are excellent for cutting.

Give this plant lots of sun and fertile soil, and watch it light up the garden. Consider planting this rose near an outdoor living space to enjoy the heady fragrance. 

Felix LeClerc

	botanical name Rosa Canadian Artist ‘Felix Leclerc’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10’
	hardiness zones 3-7

‘Felix LeClerc’ is part of the Canadian Artist Series and is named for the famed poet and songwriter of the same name. A brightly-colored thornless shrub with a climbing tendency, ‘Felix’ has excellent cold and heat tolerance.

Did I mention its drought tolerance and disease resistance? This rose bush needs very little attention once established, but it doesn’t hold back on the reward. 

The series was developed in Manitoba to combine roses with very good cold hardiness with others that have prolific blooming habits. ‘Felix LeClerc’ is a rebloomer that produces glowing, hot pink flowers with very full petal formation and a light, clean fragrance. It blooms repeatedly from late spring until late summer.

Flower Carpet Scarlet

	botanical name Rosa x ‘NOA83100B’ PP #17,373
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-3’
	hardiness zones 4-10

No fuss is the name of the Flower Carpet game. This rose can bloom for up to 10 months in warmer climates and makes a stunning ground cover as a grouping.

Let’s talk about that flowering habit, though! The blooms are small (2”), but what they lack in size, they make up in numbers. One branch can produce up to 60 flowers, and an entire plant can produce up to 2,000 flowers in a season once they mature. 

In cooler climates, blooming will commence in mid-spring and continue until the first frost. ‘Flower Carpet Scarlet’ is not picky about the sun, although the more sun, the more blooms are the rules with this and most roses.

In warmer climates, give this shrub some shelter from the afternoon sun. For a rose that thrives on neglect, this one produces an amazing number of flowers!  

Grace N’ Grit

	botanical name Rosa hybrid ‘Meicerafyn’ PP #31,069
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 5’
	hardiness zones 4-9

‘Grace N’Grit’ is a great tough rose for hot summers. Even during the hottest months, this shrub will continue blooming with enthusiasm.

It is known to thrive from one coast to another, so it tolerates both humid and very dry summers as well. On top of being disease-resistant, it is self-cleaning. There is no need for deadheading to keep it blooming. 

The flowers are gorgeous, large, and bi-colored. The interior of the flowers is white, with an ombre effect, gradually turning a deep pink at the edges. As the flowers age, they mellow to a softer, paler shade of pink. These roses make excellent cut flowers. The plant is medium-sized and makes a stunning grouping. The flowers bloom from spring into fall.

Grandma’s Blessing

	botanical name Rosa ‘BAIING’ PP16,993
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3-5’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Don’t mistake the sweet name of this rose for weakness. This Grandma is one tough cookie! ‘Grandma’s Blessing’ is a hybrid of the classic tea rose tradition.

It is a mid-sized shrub with a wonderful vase-shaped growth habit. The flowers are fully petaled and perfectly pink. The color is deeper toward the flower’s interior and fades slightly toward the outer petals. 

These large (4”) blooms occur in groups of 4 or 5 at the ends of lateral stems. They bloom in long-lasting clusters. ‘Grandma’s Blessing’ is highly disease-resistant and stands up impeccably to hot, cold, and rainy weather. Plant this rose in full sun and full sight because her blooms are too good to hide away. She will bloom from spring through fall.

J.P. Connell

	botanical name Rosa ‘J.P. Connell’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 4-6’
	hardiness zones 4-9

This member of the Canadian Explorer series was named for a Deputy Minister of Agriculture in the 1980s. It is a hybrid rose that blooms mid-summer and occasionally repeats blooming through the fall.

It has very good cold tolerance and doesn’t mind heat. Placing this rose in full sun will result in the best blooms. 

The flowers are pale yellow, nearly cream-colored, and double-petaled. Buds open flat to reveal a picturesque cluster of deep golden stamens that stand out beautifully against the pale petals.

The flowers are strongly scented with a tea-like fragrance. This mid-sized shrub has deep green, serrated leaves, contrasting nicely with the pale flowers. It is resistant to most diseases but can be susceptible to black spot.

Kiss Me

	botanical name Rosa ‘BAISME’ PP18,506
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3-4’
	hardiness zones 5-9

‘Kiss Me’ is an Easy Elegance rose that thrives on neglect. Of that series, ‘Kiss Me’ is easily the most fragrant rose. A small to medium-sized plant, it works very well in a container or grouping and makes a stunning drift.

The foliage is medium green, with new foliage a lighter shade and edged with pink. The shrub has a rounded growth habit and classic English blooms.

The flowers are just wonderful on this hybrid. They are quite large for the size of the plant and a delightful coral-pink shade. The petals are slightly scalloped and ruffled and in fully double form.  

Little Mischief

	botanical name Rosa ‘BAIIEF’ PP17,196
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-4’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Another Easy Elegance rose, ‘Little Mischief’ is very popular for its disease resistance, hardiness, and extra long blooming season. It is compact with a rounded habit, making it a wonderful container plant or border.

A little bit of fertilizer in the spring will encourage more blooms; for this plant, more blooms mean that you will have more flowers than you know what to do with. In early summer, ‘Little Mischief’ begins to bloom and continues through the first frost.

It blooms continuously, so once it starts, expect to have flowers until winter. Now for the best part. The enormous quantity of small roses is multi-colored, in shades of pink from cotton candy to fuschia. The shrub will be absolutely covered in these beauties as long as it gets enough sunshine.

Mellow Yellow

	botanical name Rosa ‘Mellow Yellow’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 5’
	hardiness zones 6-10

The crisp, clear yellow flowers of ‘Mellow Yellow’ are like so much sunshine in the garden. These large (4.75”) blooms are lightly fragrant, with a hint of citrus, and can appear as solitary blooms or in clusters. When fully open, they are nearly flat, and their fully double petals take on a deeper yellow, golden glow from the center of the flower.

‘Mellow Yellow’ is heat tolerant but prefers mild winters. In Zone 6, it will need some protection in winter.

Cooler weather does seem to produce larger flowers for this cultivar. The shrub matures to about 5’ tall and is a very vigorous grower. The golden flowers do not fade with age but retain their vibrancy until they fall. They make wonderful cut flowers. 

Oso Easy Italian Ice

	botanical name Rosa ‘CHEWNICEBELL’ USPP 26,532
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2.5’
	hardiness zones 4-9

This award winner makes a wonderful ground cover or container plant. It is easy to grow, heat and cold hardy, and requires very little maintenance.

Diseases are no issue for ‘Italian Ice,’ and it is self-cleaning, so deadheading is unnecessary for continuous blooming. It blooms continuously from early summer until frost. 

The flowers are midsized with a double petal form. The base color of the blooms is a pale, golden yellow, with a golden glow from the center. The margins of the petals are brushed with a sweet blush pink shade, making these bicolor roses just about the sweetest roses I’ve ever seen. 

Paul’s Himalayan Musk

	botanical name Rosa ‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 20-30’
	hardiness zones 4-9

‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk’ is a rambling rose, and a very large one at that. Reaching up to 30’ tall, this is a great cultivar for growing on a wall or other large structure.

The branches are long, graceful, and trailing with light green foliage. It is a winner of the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. 

While this is not a continuous bloomer, it does bloom massively once per year in the late spring to early summer. The sprays of small, pale lavender flowers are lightly scented. As they age, the blooms fade to white and open, exposing golden pollen-tipped stamens mingled among the inner petals. 

Peach Drift

	botanical name Rosa ‘Meiggili’ PP 18,542
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 4-11

‘Peach Drift’ is a low-growing variety that works very well in a cut flower garden. Its heavy blooming habit means flowers are present from spring through fall. The semi-double blooms are a soft peachy pink shade with a golden center.

The flowers are small (1.5”) but plentiful, and the plant produces a great amount of these blooms throughout the season. The low, spreading habit makes this a wonderful ground cover or border for a perennial bed.

It is one of the most heat-tolerant roses on our list and is virtually disease-free. In warmer climates, a layer of mulch or straw around the base of the plant will help protect and keep the roots cooler.

Sir Thomas Lipton

	botanical name Rosa ‘Sir Thomas Lipton’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 5-8’
	hardiness zones 3-8

‘Sir Thomas Lipton’ is an excellent choice for a dense, full-sized hedge or screen. This stunning hybrid has it all: grand stature, glossy, deep green foliage, excellent disease resistance, and stunning white blooms.

The flowers are double and cupped in a perfect warm white shade. They are mid-sized (3”) and quite fragrant. This shrub blooms vigorously and reliably from mid-spring until the first frost, with the initial bloom being the most bountiful, followed by a more sporadic continuation for the rest of the season. 

‘Sir Thomas Lipton’ has height on its side, reaching up to 8’ tall at maturity. It has excellent cold tolerance, surviving winters as far north as Zone 3.

This is a particularly thorny rose, so pruning can be a bit tricky. Be sure to wear a good pair of gardening gloves when you handle this variety.

Final Thoughts

These beautiful and vigorous cultivars combine the best characteristics of some of the most beautiful and desirable varieties. Their long flowering habits, disease resistance, and tolerance to the elements make them easy to cultivate. All these roses make great starter roses for any gardener who has shied away from roses because of their more high-maintenance ancestors.