Antique roses for your vintage home

Spectacular old roses complement cottage gardens

Old roses that have stood the test of time have a charm all their own. Their enduring popularity can be a by-product of scent, shape, color, or durability. Many of these might be remembered as the roses in Grandma's garden, if indeed you ever knew their name. Occasionally, a very old rose will survive decades and have large woody stems and giant thorns as a testament to its determined survival.

Depending on the weather and climate, antique roses may be tough and resilient, or susceptible to powdery mildew or the dreaded blackspot. Despite being bred for disease resistance, color and form, few new roses can come close to the incredible perfume of an older rose.

The following is a list of a few old roses arranged by color family.

Reds and Pinks

Radiance (Red or Pink)
Gruss an Teplitz (Dark Red)
Hoosier Beauty (Scarlet)
Duchess de Brabant (Pink to Rose)
Caroline Testout (Pink)
Cecile Brunner,(Pink)
Anna de Diesbach (Pink)
Louis Philippe (Dark Red)
Duchess de Brabant (Satiny-pink)
Souvenier De la Malmaison (Pearly-pink)
La Reine Victoria (Rosy-pink)
Mrs. John Laing (Pink)
Ulrick Brunner (Red-carmine)
Maman Cochet (White or Pink)
Louise Catherine Breslau (Pink)
Mrs. Charles P. Bell (Shell-pink)
Rose Marie (Rose-pink)
Killarney (White or Pink)
General Jaqueminot (Crimson)
Paul Neyron (Dark Pink)
Mme. Lombard (Pink)

Salmon and Corals

Ophelia (Salmon-pink)
Lolita Armour (Coral-red)

Yellows

Maraechal Niel (Lemon yellow)
Isabella Sprunt (Yellow)
Safrano (Apricot-yellow)
Marie Van Houtte—changes from yellow to pink to carmine
Gloire de Dijon (soft yellow, then salmon and buff)
Devoniensis (Golden Yellow)
Mrs. Aaron Ward (Low-yellow)
Joanna Hill (Apricot-yellow)
Perle des Jardins (Yellow)
Claudius Pernet (Pale Yellow)

Whites

K. A. Victoria (Pearly White)
Frau Karl Druschke (White)
Bridsmaid (White)

Peaches, Coppers, and Oranges

Mme Eduard Herriot (Copper)
Lulu (Coral-apricot)
Angel Pernet (Orange)

For more information, read about growing roses on Demesne.