14 Lush English Roses for Your Garden

By
Jamie McIntosh
Jamie McIntosh
Jamie McIntosh
Jamie McIntosh has written about gardening and special occasion flowers for the Spruce since 2011. She has more than 20 years of experience caring for flowers and plants. She was a feature writer for Organic Gardening at Suite101, where she won awards for her writing.
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Updated on 03/23/21
Sir John Betjeman English rose with pink flowers closeup

The Spruce / Autumn Wood

English garden roses are the antidote to the odorless, tightly bound rosebuds you see at the supermarket flower stand. Most cut roses sold commercially are hybrids, and, while they're beautiful flowers, there is a sameness to their appearance, and they generally don't have the wonderful scent found in old rose varieties.

English roses were developed by horticulturist David Austin starting in 1969 with the aim of combining the best attributes of modern hybrid roses (disease resistance, reblooming habit, and unusual colors) with the best of the so-called Old Roses (delightful fragrance and full, multi-petal flowers with a cupped or rosette shape), developed before 1867.

Austin's project involved crossing old-style Gallicas, Damasks, Portlands, and Bourbons with modern hybrid teas, floribundas, and climbers to produce a group that are today known collectively as English roses, or David Austin roses. Most of these plants have a more shrub-like form than hybrid roses, but they bloom repeatedly and much more vigorously than species shrub roses. There are various shrub and climbing forms to suit any garden space.

Here are 14 great varieties of English roses to use in your landscaping.

Gardening Tip

As is true of hybrid roses, English roses may need some special treatment to overwinter in colder climates. This can range from simply mounding soil around the root ball of the plant to the "Minnesota Tip" method, which involves digging a shallow trench, tying the canes together, bending the entire plant down into the trench, and covering it with soil and a thick layer of leaves or mulch. These methods can sometimes allow gardeners to cheat the zone rating on the shrub: A rose rated hardy to zone 5 may survive in zone 3 or 4 if it can be buried entirely.

  • 01 of 14

    'Fair Bianca' (Rosa 'Fair Bianca')

    'Fair Bianca' English rose with cream petals

    Georgianna Lane / Getty Images

    'Fair Bianca' inhabits that sweet spot between white and cream that gives it a glowing appearance. A reliable rebloomer, this cultivar is coveted by brides who want to give their wedding flower arrangements Old World flair. 

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid
    • USDA Growing Zones: 5–10
    • Height: 3–4 feet
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • 02 of 14

    'Lady Emma Hamilton' (Rosa 'Lady Emma Hamilton')

    'Lady Emma Hamilton' English rose in various colors

    Georgianna Lane / Getty Images

    The very compact growth habit of 'Lady Emma Hamilton' makes it ideal for a large patio container. Can you imagine the fruity fragrance scenting the summer air at your next gathering? The upright growth habit of this cultivar also makes it well suited to growing as a rose tree standard.

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid
    • USDA Growing Zones: 5–9
    • Height: 3–4 feet
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • 03 of 14

    'Janet' (Rosa 'Janet')

    'Janet' English rose with pink and cream petals

    Reiko Zoe T. / Getty Images

    The pink sunrise hues of 'Janet' are similar to the popular 'Peace' hybrid tea rose, but this cultivar has a greater petal count. 'Janet' does best in regions with low humidity that don't encourage black spot and powdery mildew development. 

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid
    • USDA Growing Zones: 5–11
    • Height: 3–4 feet
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • 04 of 14

    'Gentle Hermione' (Rosa 'Gentle Hermione')

    'Gentle Hermione' English rose with pale pink petals

    Georgianna Lane / Getty Images

    With the 'Gentle Hermione' cultivar, you get more of everything you want in a rose: more fragrance than most (even among English roses), more petals (at 90 per blossom), and more disease resistance than many roses (even in rainy areas). This rose was named for the wife of King Leontes in the William Shakespeare play The Winter's Tale. 

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid
    • USDA Growing Zones: 5–11
    • Height: 3–4 feet
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    Continue to 5 of 14 below.
  • 05 of 14

    'Happy Child' (Rosa 'Happy Child')

    'Happy Child' English rose with yellow petals

    Georgianna Lane / Getty Images

    'Happy Child' produces rich golden blooms that won't fade in strong sunlight. Like all English roses, this cultivar is most prolific with rich, loamy soil; regular fertilizing; and six to eight hours of sunlight each day. The blooms are especially large, measuring 4–5 inches across.

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid
    • USDA Growing Zones: 5–11
    • Height: 3–4 feet
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • 06 of 14

    'Mary English' (Rosa 'Mary English')

    'Mary English' rose with pink petals

    David C. Phillips / Getty Images

    The loose form of 'Mary English' allows admirers to gaze at each and every one of the 60 clear-pink petals on these June-blooming shrubs. Some compare the fragrance to almonds and honey, and, if you garden without chemicals, you can garnish your salads and desserts with the edible flower petals of this rose.

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid
    • USDA Growing Zones: 4–11
    • Height: 3–4 feet
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • 07 of 14

    'Sir John Betjeman' (Rosa 'Sir John Betjeman')

    Sir John Betjeman English garden rose with pink flowers and bud closeup

    The Spruce / Autumn Wood

    Named for a beloved English journalist, 'Sir John Betjeman' features bright magenta roses that stand out in the summer landscape. This rose is an alba hybrid, which means that it carries the traits of excellent fragrance and disease resistance that have made it a garden mainstay since antiquity. 

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid
    • USDA Growing Zones: 5–10
    • Height: 4–5 feet
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • 08 of 14

    'Crown Princess Margareta' (Rosa 'Crown Princess Margareta')

    Princess Margareta English rose with peach colored flowers closeup

    The Spruce / Autumn Wood

    The peach hue of 'Crown Princess Margareta' is positively juicy, with a fruity fragrance to match. This sumptuous variety is said to be more shade tolerant than others, and its arching canes make it suitable to train as a climber. 

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid
    • USDA Growing Zones: 4–8
    • Height: 5–12 feet
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    Continue to 9 of 14 below.
  • 09 of 14

    'Munstead Wood' (Rosa 'Munstead Wood')

    'Munstead Wood' English rose with burgundy petals

    David C. Phillips / Getty Images

    If a single plant can set the mood in a garden, it's the 'Munstead Wood' English rose. The rich berry-toned blooms smell as wonderful as they look, and the tidy growth habit is just right for the container garden or the edge of the border. This variety is named after the home of British horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll. 

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid
    • USDA Growing Zones: 5–10
    • Height: 2–3 feet
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • 10 of 14

    'The Mayflower' (Rosa 'The Mayflower')

    Mayflower English Rose
    Georgianna Lane/Getty Images

    Not just another pink rose, 'The Mayflower' is all but impervious to disease. Goodbye, toxic sprays and chemicals. This tough, impervious shrub makes a good small hedge or foundation plant.

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid
    • USDA Growing Zones: 4–11
    • Height: 3–4.5 feet
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • 11 of 14

    'The Pilgrim' (Rosa 'The Pilgrim')

    'The Pilgrim' English rose with yellow and white petals

    David C. Phillips / Getty Images

    'The Pilgrim' is notable for its shade tolerance, offering superior performance in as little as four hours of direct sun. Good disease resistance, 140 petals per flower, and a strong fragrance add to the appeal of this 1991 introduction. 

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid
    • USDA Growing Zones: 6–9
    • Height: 8–12 feet
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
  • 12 of 14

    'Heritage' (Rosa 'Heritage')

    'Heritage' English rose with pink petals

    Ron Evans / Getty Images

    To observe this English rose flourishing in a garden is to add another specimen to the landscape wish list. The fragrance is ambrosial. One whiff decades later will transport you back to the garden where you first met 'Heritage.' This is a well-rounded shrub that makes a good specimen plant in a mixed border.

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid
    • USDA Growing Zones: 5–11
    • Height: 4–5 feet
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    Continue to 13 of 14 below.
  • 13 of 14

    'William Shakespeare' (Rosa 'William Shakespeare')

    'William Shakespeare' English rose with red petals

    Gerry Whitmont / Getty Images

    Finally, a red rose you can present to your loved one that features a real Old World rose fragrance. You may see a large planting of this rose variety, introduced in 2000, at Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England. 'William Shakespeare' is the trade name for this rose; but the cultivar name is 'Ausroyal.' It's a cross between 'Mary Rose' and 'The Squire.'

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid
    • USDA Growing Zones: 5–9
    • Height: 4–6 feet
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • 14 of 14

    'Winchester Cathedral' (Rosa 'Winchester Cathedral')

    'Winchester Cathedral' English rose with white petals

    Georgianna Lane / Getty Images

    'Winchester Cathedral' produces dozens of white roses with abundance in the early summer, followed by occasional flushes throughout the growing season before an exuberant fall finale. The compact shape looks pleasing as a flowering accent in a formal garden. This is a sport of 'Mary Rose.'

    • Native Area: Nursery hybrid
    • USDA Growing Zones: 5–11
    • Height: 3–4 feet
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
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