Polyantha Roses

Polyantha Roses
Polyantha is Greek for 'blooming' and the very first Polyantha rose is attributed to Guillots' "Paquerette" which was introduced in 1875. The Polyanthas turned out to be great bloom producers, repeating through summer and fall. Blooms are generally 1 to 2 inches in diameter and in large clusters.

Colors are delicate creams, pinks and golds. The foliage is supposedly disease rsistant but some disease, especially blackspot, has been noticed. These are great rose bushes for the warmer south and the more arid conditions. Some do not tolerate extreme cold. As was noted earlier, they have been surpassed by their younger relative the "Floribunda" and therefore tend to be overlooked a little.

This is a group of small flowered roses, developed by crossing dwarfs of Rosa multiflora with dwarf China roses. Extremely tough and continuously flowering, Polyanthas are ideal used as border plants or in containers. They are quite hardy, dependable and carefree to grow but most have little or no scent. Polyanthas are characterized by a profusion of flowers in many colors and a tidy growth habit. It was Polyanthas that were combined with Hybrid Teas to create the Floribundas. They are useful for creating bright accents in the garden because they produce lots of color over they season. 'Mlle. Cécile Brünner', 'Perle d'Or' and 'Clotilde Soupert' are familiar Polyantha roses and have continued as a minor group up until the present, however they are somewhat overshadowed by their successors, the Floribundas.

Pruning Polyanthas is very similar to pruning Floribundas. Many small canes are produced, with clusters of many small flowers so deadheading would seem to be a problem but evidently it isn't as they drop easily. All dead canes should be removed but light pruning is the order of the day: no more than one quarter of the growth from healthy canes. Almost just like a haircut!

Even though the Polyantha Roses have been overshadowed by the Florubundas, these small, compact bushes with masses of small, scented flowers, offer an interesting addition to our rose beds. A fronting hedge, a container collection or perhaps a low groundcover, these roses of history still pay handsomely for their keep.