Different Types of Roses Found in India

Table of Contents

• Overview of Roses in India
• Different Types of Roses in India
• Hybrid Tea Rose
• Polyantha Rose
• Floribunda Rose
• Grandiflora Rose
• Kashmiri Rose
• Climber and Rambler Rose
• Landscape Rose
• Shrub Rose
• Damask Rose
• Bourbon Rose
• Alba Rose
• Miniature Rose
• How to Pick the Right Rose for Yourself
• Rose Production in India

Overview of Roses in India

Rose (scientific name Rosa) belongs to the Rosaceae family. It is one of the most important floriculture crops in India. Its different varieties play a vital role in Indian traditions. Roses are widely used in religious ceremonies, festive occasions, weddings, etc. They are not just for decorative purposes; they also hold natural remedies. Rose water, prepared from roses, is widely used as a skincare marvel.

India is one of the largest exporters of roses. According to data shared by ISFP (Indian Society of Floriculture Professionals), India’s rose export value was around INR 52.87 crores in 2022-23. Most Indian roses are exported to the USA, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia.

India is home to various types of rose plants. The diverse range of rose varieties has unique characteristics, fragrances, and colours. Let’s discuss the top varieties of rose found in India.

Different Types of Roses in India

India has many rose varieties, each with unique colours, odours, and characteristics.

Hybrid Tea Rose

The Hybrid Tea, also called HT, is one of the best rose varieties in India. They are formed by crossbreeding hybrid perpetual and tea roses, and they are the oldest class of modern garden roses. Each flower of the hybrid tea rose can grow around 8 to 12.5 cm wide. They are famous for their long, graceful and pointed buds that open slowly. The popular HT rose varieties include Indian Summer, Double Delight, Happiness, Dil-ki-Rani, Golden Giants, and many others.

Polyantha Rose

Polyantha rose is a low-maintenance variety that isn’t easily infected by disease. This variety originated from the crossbreeding between two East Asian species, Rosa chinensis and Rosa multiflora. They are short plants that produce small, average blooms measuring 2.5 cm (1 inch) across. They offer a stunning sight when planted along hedges or in a line of pots. They provide an eye-catching view of your garden with shades of pink, red, and white. Popular Polyantha rose varieties include Fairy Rose, Pink Spray, Rashmi, Sneezy, and many others.

Floribunda Rose

The Floribunda rose variety is a cross between HT and Polyantha. The idea behind creating this variety was that it would bloom profusely like polyantha roses but possess the hybrid tea's colour and floral beauty. These roses come with stiff shrubs, which are bushier and smaller than the average hybrid tea roses but less extensive and dense than the average polyantha. It has a cluster of big flowers in gorgeous shades of yellow, purple, pink, white, and orange. These roses are the best choice for hedges, as they are low-growing shrubs. Some popular varieties of Floribunda roses are Mahak, Sindoor, Summer Snow, Rajamani, Prema, and many others.

Grandiflora Rose

Grandiflora roses are a cross between HT and Floribunda roses. These are shrubs larger than the HTs and floribundas. They develop flowers that seem like hybrid teas and are borne in small, three- to five-clustered, just like floribundas. These roses come with a bundle of flowers on a single stem. One key feature of Grandiflora Rose is its charming shades of yellow, pink, red, orange, and purple. Some popular examples of this rose are Pink Parfait and Earth Song.

Kashmiri Rose

The Kashmiri rose variety is one of the best choices for cut flowers. It has a light scent and charming, bright red flowers. It resembles the HT variety. The petals of this rose are quite soft in touch, making it one of the best options for gifting purposes as a cut flower.

Climber and Rambler Rose

The Climber rose variety features long, robust canes that can be trained using support. Horizontal training promotes better blossoming. This variety is less vigorous, blooms larger and repeats flowering, unlike the ramble roses. Most climbing roses develop to a height of 6 to 20 feet. It is just like a vine, but not an actual vine, and can delight anyone with its big flowers, which pop out at any time during the growing season. Some examples of Climber roses include May Queen, Eden, and Kanyakumari.

Ramble roses are more vigorous, bloom smaller, and flower once a year, unlike Climber roses, which have dense blooms and flexible stems. This variety is ideal for garden décor as it can be easily trained on arches and pergolas. Some examples of Ramble roses are Snow Goose and American Pillar.

Landscape Rose

Landscape roses were primarily developed for mass amenity planting. They are also called ground-cover roses and bloom year-round. They are great space fillers in a garden because of their spreading habits. They are also low maintenance, and minimal pruning is required for this rose variety. They have a low-growing habitat and usually grow to less than 24 inches (60 cm). With an attractive floral pattern, they provide charisma to the whole shrub. Flower Carpet Scarlet and Flower Carpet Coral are typical examples of landscape roses.

Shrub Rose

Shrub is not a specifically defined class of garden roses, but a description or collection normally used by catalogues and reference books. It features both old single and repeat-flowering cultivars and modern roses that don’t fit into other varieties. However, some cultivars placed in different categories are also placed in this category. The roses in this category are vigorous and are of informal habitat. That is why they are highly recommended for use as hedging or as a mixed shrub border.

Damask Rose

The Damask rose variety is a cross between Rosa gallica and Rosa moschata. They are delicious shrubs that can reach up to 2.2 metres (about 7 ft 3 in) tall. There are two varieties of damask roses: summer damasks and autumn damasks. Summer damasks have a short flowering season and grow only during summer, whereas autumn damasks have a long flowering season that extends up to autumn. Its flowers range from deep pink to light pink. It is primarily used to produce “attar,” a type of rose oil. This variety features edible petals, which are used to make herbal teas and preservative-free gulkand, and to add flavour to dishes in India.

Bourbon Rose

Bourbon rose is a cross between Autumn Damask and Old Blush China roses. In India, this variety is widely cultivated in the areas of Pushkar and Haldighatti. The flowers of this rose variety come in snow, white or dark pink. It is primarily used to produce rose oil due to its pleasant aroma. It is also used in making gulkand. A famous example of this rose variety is Zephirine Drouhin, which is also classified as a climbing rose.

Alba Rose

Alba roses are one of the oldest rose varieties in India. They are tall shrubs with arching stems and bluish-green leaves. They flower only in mid-summer in lovely pink to white colours with a sweet fragrance that soothes the senses. This variety tolerates shady environments and is resistant to disease.

Miniature Rose

As the name suggests, miniature roses are small roses. Although they have a petite stem, they are extremely hard and flower continuously for 2 to 3 weeks. Most miniature roses have small flowers compared to the standard rose bushes, but they are available in the same variety of types and colours as the standard rose bushes. This variety is widely preferred for hanging pots and fencing plants. Some popular miniature roses include Beauty Scarlet, Lavender Jewel, Dazler, and Baby Love.

How to Pick the Right Rose for Yourself

Choosing the right rose is about finding one that fits well in your garden. India has many different types of weather, from hot deserts to humid coasts. Hence, you must pick a rose that suits your local climate to get a booming garden.

• Hybrid Tea Roses are beautiful flowers that look great in vases. But they are hard to grow and need special care.
• Floribunda Roses are easy-to-grow bushes that stay covered in clusters of bright flowers. This makes them a perfect choice for adding lots of colour to your garden.
• Miniature Roses are tiny plants that are perfect for small pots or balconies. But they need watering every day during hot Indian summers.
• Shrub Roses are easy to grow, smell great and can handle heat well. But their flowers fade fast.
• Landscape Roses are low growing plants that spread quickly to cover the ground and are very easy to maintain.

Rose Production in India

The estimated rose production in India in 2020-21 was around 465.98 thousand tons. Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu are the top five states under rose production. As per the data published by the National Horticulture Board, the total production in the top five states in 2021-22 is listed in the table below: