This article was originally published in 2007. There are many more All-American Rose selections, but these are still winners.
Founded in 1938, the All-American Rose Selections (AARS) is a non-profit association made up of rose producers and growers dedicated to introducing and promoting exceptional roses to the gardening public. This year's winners include a classic grandiflora named Strike It Rich, a vigorous floribunda dubbed Moondance, and a hardy, old-fashioned shrub rose called Rainbow Knock Out®.
What Makes A Winning Rose
The AARS recognizes that gardeners can find growing roses intimidating. That's why each year's winning selections are based on their ability to perform for the average gardener. Rose varieties are grown in 20 official test gardens throughout the United States over a span of two years. The roses receive only as much care as would be given in the average home garden. Judges then evaluate how each variety performs based on the set of criteria that gardeners say is most important to them when growing roses:
- vigor
- fragrance
- disease resistance
- foliage
- flower production
- growth habit
- bud and flower form
- opening and finishing color
- stem
- overall value
If you're interested in growing roses, or just adding another variety to your collection, this year's winning selections will available in nurseries (and some catalogues) in time for spring planting. AARS winners are easy to spot with their distinct winners emblem.
Growing Strike It Rich
Grandiflora varieties like Strike It Rich have the wonderful free-flowering habit of floribunda, combined with the flower form of hybrid teas. The long-lived double flowers of Strike It Rich are a deep blend of gold, orange and red, off-set by deep green leaves on long red-colored stems. This rose is said to be the 21st century version of the classic 1950 AARS winner, Sutter's Gold.
- Class: Grandiflora
- Habit: medium tall and bushy
- Disease Resistance: excellent
- Hardiness: Zone 5, Zone 4 with winter protection
- Bud Form: long, pointed and elegant
- Flower Color: deep yellow-orange, swirled and kissed with just a touch of ruby red
- Flower Size: 5 inches
- Petal Count: approximately 30
- Fragrance: strong, sweet spice and fruit
Growing Rainbow Knock Out®
Beginning gardeners will appreciate the disease resistant Rainbow Knock Out®. Like most old-fashioned roses, this hardy shrub rose will perform well in almost any home garden with minimal care. Birds visiting the garden will also appreciate a nice display of rose hips late in the season to compliment the late fall blooms.
- Class: Landscape Shrub Rose
- Habit: bushy compact round; very abundant, will bloom year round in milder climates
- Disease Resistance: fully resistant to black spot, powdery mildew and rust
- Hardiness: Zone 5, Zone 4 with winter protection
- Bud Form: pointed
- Flower Color: deep coral pink with yellow center finishing to a light coral
- Flower Size: 2 inches in diameter
- Petal Count: approximately 5
- Fragrance: no flower fragrance, but the petioles emit a sweetbriar smell of moss roses when slightly pressed
Growing Moondance
The Moondance is extremely tall, well branched and a vigorous bloomer. Its large, creamy white flowers and glossy, dark green foliage makes it a lovely choice for moonlit gardens or as a stunning backdrop for more brightly-colored flowers.
- Class: Floribunda
- Habit: upright, well branched; vigorous and tall
- Disease Resistance: excellent
- Hardiness: Zone 5, Zone 4 with winter protection
- Bud Form: pointed and oval shaped
- Flower Color: white
- Flower Size: 3 &frac;-inch diameter
- Petal Count: approximately 25
- Fragrance: moderately spicy
