Learning About Rose Bloom Types No. 2
I studied rose classifications and lineages in No. 1. In No. 2, I would like to look into the different types of rose bloom shapes and blooming periods. There are also types of growth habits. The unique characteristics of each rose lineage are one of the charms of roses.
Types of rose blooms based on flower shape
1) Cup bloom
A "cup bloom" is a way of blooming where the outer petals curve gently to wrap around the inner petals, looking like a soft, round teacup when viewed from the side. Among cup blooms, those with shallow cups are called "shallow cup blooms" and those with deep cups are called "deep cup blooms." This is often seen in "Old Roses," a group of rose varieties with a long history.
⚫︎ Cup bloom: Julia Child, Lineage: F
2) Rosette bloom
A bloom where the petals extend radially from the center is called a "rosette bloom." Like cup blooms, rosette blooms are also commonly seen in Old Roses. Many roses start as cup blooms and gradually open up to eventually become rosette blooms. Incidentally, among rosette blooms, those where the center of the flower is divided, making it look like there are four cores, are called "quartered rosette blooms."
⚫︎ Rosette bloom: Sophie's Rose, Lineage: S
3) Single bloom
A "single bloom," as the name suggests, is a shape where the petals bloom flat, revealing the core, stamens, and pistils. It is also called "single" or "flat bloom." The petals of a single bloom are basically only five. Unlike the general image of roses with petals layered abundantly like cup or rosette blooms, it feels "less like a rose," but single blooms are said to be the original flower shape of wild roses, and it is a bloom type whose simple cuteness is charming.
⚫︎ Single bloom: Altissimo, Lineage: LCI
4) Double bloom
In contrast to single blooms, the type where many petals overlap is called a "double bloom." While single blooms are called "singles," double blooms are called "doubles." Single blooms have about 5 petals, whereas double blooms have 20 or more petals. The "cup blooms" and "rosette blooms" in 1) and 2) can also be called double blooms if they have 20 or more petals. Incidentally, those with 5 or more petals but fewer than 20 are sometimes called "semi-double blooms."
⚫︎ Round-petaled double bloom: Dublin Bay, Lineage: LCI
5) High-centered bloom
A "high-centered bloom" is a bloom type where the center of the flower is elevated. It is characterized by a high center, and as the surrounding petals bloom, they spread outward from the outside like a repeat bloom. In fact, most cut flower roses are classified as this high-centered bloom. Among high-centered blooms, those with pointed petals are called "pointed-petaled high-centered blooms," those with round petals are called "round-petaled high-centered blooms," and those between pointed and round are called "semi-pointed-petaled high-centered blooms."
⚫︎ Round-petaled high-centered bloom: Wedding Bells, HT
⚫︎ Semi-pointed-petaled high-centered bloom: Simply Heaven, HT
6) Pompon bloom
A bloom type where the petals are fine and fluffy, appearing as a sphere, is called a "pompon bloom." It is a bloom type similar to common dahlias or chrysanthemums, and in roses, it is often seen in miniature roses with petals 5 cm or less.
7) Frilled bloom
A "frilled bloom" is a bloom type where the petals are wavy and look like frills. It is sometimes called a "wavy-petaled bloom" in Japanese. Although the number of petals is modest, the elegant curves give a gorgeous yet sophisticated impression, and it has been gaining popularity in recent years.
Types of rose blooming patterns by flowering season
There are various blooming patterns that differ depending on the flowering season. Let's look at how roses bloom, such as those that only bloom in the spring and those that bloom throughout the year.
1) Everblooming (Shikizaki)
"Everblooming" refers to a type of rose that, as the name suggests, blooms throughout the year.
Strictly speaking, they do not bloom in all four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, but rather have a flowering period from around spring to early winter. The reason they cannot bloom in winter is that roses are flowers that grow in warm regions, and the winter temperatures in Japan are too low. However, it is said that they can bloom even in winter if they are in an environment with a constant temperature of 15°C or higher and exposure to sunlight.
There are almost no everblooming types among climbing roses.
2) Once-blooming (Hitokizaki)
In contrast to everblooming roses that flower throughout the year, roses that only bloom once a year are called "once-blooming" roses.
In Japan, they are often at their best from May to June.
Roses that have not been selectively bred also reach their peak from May to July, and they bloom in a way close to their original species.
Although the flowering period of once-blooming roses is short, they use the nutrients stored over the year to bloom powerfully and fill the entire plant.
Old roses are almost exclusively once-blooming.
3) Repeat-blooming (Kaerizaki)
"Repeat-blooming" refers to a blooming pattern where even among once-blooming varieties, the plant flowers again in the summer or autumn.
Because they bloom twice a year, they are sometimes called "twice-blooming" or "recurring-blooming" roses.
After the first bloom in spring, branches grow from where the dead flowers were cut, leading to a second bloom.
About growth habits
Roses do not have a single thick main trunk; instead, they create their growth habit by extending multiple branches of similar thickness. Since the growth habit differs depending on the variety, they are divided into types ①, ②, and ③ as a classification standard.
① Upright roses / Bush roses
Several branches extending from the base stand on their own to create a shrub-like growth habit. There are upright types where branches grow upward, and spreading types that expand in a fan shape. Basically, they are everblooming and many produce medium to large flowers. They come in a wide variety of colors, and some varieties have a strong fragrance.
② Climbing roses / Climbing roses
The branches grow vigorously, and the long-extended branches become vine-like. Even though they are called climbing roses, the branches do not wrap around things on their own, so it is necessary to train the extended branches onto fences or similar structures. Most varieties of these flowers are once-blooming.
The flowers range from small to large, and there is a wide variety of flower colors.
③ Semi-climbing roses / Shrub roses
While "shrub" means a low tree or bush, for roses, rather than classifying the growth habit itself, this type is used to categorize intermediate growth habits that do not fall into types ① or ② above. Therefore, although they have climbing characteristics in how they extend their branches, there are various growth habits such as types that extend long horizontally, types close to upright, and types that become dome-shaped. There is a wide variety of flower colors, ranging from small to large, and some varieties have a strong fragrance.
◎ About miniature roses
Miniature roses are upright and inherit the small-scale nature of Rosa chinensis 'Minima' (a China-type old rose). They produce very small to medium-small flowers on compact plants. If the environment is good, they will continue to bloom from spring to autumn. There is a wide variety of flower colors, but there are few fragrant varieties. Their growth habits also vary from upright to spreading.