The Best Roses for Bees and Other Pollinators: Top Varieties and Tips
Open-centered blooms that boost biodiversity and draw fluttering visitors to your garden.
The Best Roses for Bees and Other Pollinators
Most gardeners choose roses based on looks, fragrance, repeat blooms, or their ability to fit into the landscape. However, few consider if their favorites are loved by bees, butterflies, and pollinators. Selecting roses that support pollinators not only benefits these vital insects but also enhances your whole garden’s health and biodiversity.
Photography by Clare Coulson, unless otherwise noted.
Why Choose Roses for Pollinators?
Pollinators are essential for the reproduction of countless flowers and food plants. Roses with accessible pollen and nectar provide a vital food source for bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and beneficial insects throughout the growing season. By nurturing pollinators in your garden, you:
- Boost fruit and seed production, leading to more abundant harvests.
- Encourage a thriving plant community and ecosystem diversity.
- Support wildlife and natural pest control cycles, reducing reliance on chemicals.
What Makes a Rose Pollinator-Friendly?
Not all roses are created equal in the eyes of a bee or butterfly. Modern breeding often focuses on highly ruffled, dense, or double blooms, which may be beautiful for us but can block pollinators from reaching the nectar and pollen. Instead, the best roses for pollinators feature:
- Single or open flowers with exposed golden stamens for easy access.
- Wild (species) roses and rose varieties that echo their structure and resilience.
- Strong fragrance—a signal to visiting pollinators.
- High bloom production and healthy, vigorous growth.
- Excellent disease resistance, reducing the need for pesticides that harm pollinators.
Species roses—such as Rosa glauca, rugosa, and wild dog roses—are particularly recommended. Their simple, open forms are naturally abundant in pollen and nectar, and they tend to be robust and adaptable.
Top Pollinator-Friendly Rose Varieties
When planning your garden, consider these highly recommended roses known for supporting bees and butterflies. Many of these options are also valued for their beauty, fragrance, and landscape versatility.
- ‘The Fairy’
A compact, floriferous shrub rose with small, single or semi-double pale pink blooms that open wide to reveal stamens. Loved by bees for continuous flowering. - ‘Carefree Delight’
Boasts clusters of single, pink blooms with prominent yellow centers. Highly disease resistant and ideal for informal borders and mixed beds. - ‘Knock Out’
Celebrated for its non-stop blooms and minimal maintenance. The original single red ‘Knock Out’ features open centers, plenty of pollen, and attracts diverse pollinators. - ‘Bonica’
A tough landscape shrub rose with semi-double clear pink flowers. Provides plenty of blooms over an extended period, inviting bees and butterflies. - ‘Blanc Double de Coubert’
This Rugosa rose is a pollinator favorite, sporting fragrant white, semi-double blooms and a prolific flowering season. Its hips are prized by birds and gardeners alike in autumn.
Other Notable Species and Varieties
- Rosa rugosa: Renowned for toughness, attractive purplish-pink or white open blooms, and vitamin-rich hips in fall.
- Rosa glauca: Features dusky pink single flowers and distinctive blue-green foliage. Ideal for mixed shrubberies and natural gardens.
- Dog roses (Rosa canina): Abundant pinkish-white single flowers bloom in late spring and early summer; vital for wild bees.
These choices are celebrated for merging ornamental values with ecological benefits.
Designing a Pollinator-Friendly Rose Garden
Creating an oasis for pollinators means looking beyond just the roses. Here are practical design and care tips:
- Choose open-flowered rose varieties as the backbone of your planting.
- Integrate a variety of pollinator-friendly companion plants like lavender, salvia, catmint, anise hyssop, and herbs to extend the bloom season and offer continuous forage.
- Provide habitat features—water dishes with stones, patches of bare earth for solitary bees, and seed heads for overwintering insects.
- Refrain from using pesticides which can harm beneficial insects as well as pests.
- Opt for disease-resistant roses, so you rarely, if ever, need sprays.
- Deadhead and prune judiciously so some blooms and hips remain available for wildlife through fall and winter.
What others are reading
Table: Top Pollinator-Friendly Rose Varieties
| Variety | Flower Form | Color | Fragrance | Special Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ‘The Fairy’ | Semi-double | Light pink | Mild | Compact, repeats flowering, loved by bees |
| ‘Carefree Delight’ | Single | Bright pink | Light | Low maintenance, disease resistant |
| ‘Knock Out’ | Single | Red | Light | Continuous blooms, heat tolerant |
| ‘Bonica’ | Semi-double | Pink | Light | Long flowering, strong growth |
| ‘Blanc Double de Coubert’ | Semi-double | White | Strong | Fragrant, distinctive hips, hardy |
| Rosa rugosa | Single | Pink or white | Strong | Extremely robust, large hips, attractive to wildlife |
| Rosa glauca | Single | Pale pink | Light | Unusual foliage, good for mixed borders |
Frequently Asked Questions
What are pollinator-friendly roses?
Pollinator-friendly roses are varieties that produce single or semi-double blooms with easily accessible pollen and nectar. Bees, butterflies, and other insects can readily feed from these flowers, making them essential plants for any wildlife-supporting garden.
Why are pollinators important in a garden?
Pollinators transfer pollen between flowers, enabling plants—including many roses—to produce fruits and seeds. Their activity supports plant reproduction, maintains genetic diversity, ensures better harvests, and helps sustain natural ecosystems.
How do pollinator-friendly roses boost garden health?
These roses not only feed pollinators but also act as keystone species within the garden, enhancing biodiversity, supporting beneficial insect populations, and indirectly helping control pests.
What are some popular pollinator-friendly rose varieties?
Top choices include ‘The Fairy’, ‘Carefree Delight’, ‘Knock Out’, ‘Bonica’, and ‘Blanc Double de Coubert’, all of which feature open blooms, ample pollen, and robust growth.
How can I attract even more pollinators to my rose garden?
- Plant a mix of roses and perennial flowers to provide food through the seasons.
- Choose companion plants like catmint, lavender, and yarrow for overlapping bloom times.
- Provide shallow water dishes and avoid disturbing nesting sites.
Can pollinator-friendly roses be grown in containers?
Yes. Many compact varieties, such as ‘The Fairy’ and certain rugosas, thrive in large containers if they’re provided with rich, well-drained soil and plenty of sunlight.
Are pollinator-friendly roses low maintenance?
Many open-flowered species and certain modern hybrids are naturally disease resistant, making them easier to grow with fewer chemical inputs. Basic care (watering, occasional feeding, light pruning) is typically sufficient.
Can these roses be used in bouquets?
The open blooms and rich fragrance of pollinator-friendly roses make them beautiful in arrangements. To support garden wildlife, consider harvesting selectively and leaving some flowers for pollinators and hips for birds.
Will pollinator-friendly roses grow in my climate?
There are suitable varieties for nearly every climate. Species such as rugosa and glauca are especially hardy, while others like ‘Knock Out’ are celebrated for adaptability. Always check plant labels or consult with local experts.
Where should I buy pollinator-friendly roses?
Look for these roses at local nurseries and reputable online garden retailers. Garden centers specializing in native or organically grown plants often stock pollinator-friendly varieties, and some rose societies may provide recommendations and sources.
Quick Tips for Success
- Choose open, simple flowers over highly double, ruffled forms.
- Plan for continuous flowering by mixing early, mid, and late varieties.
- Maintain healthy soil without synthetic pesticides or fungicides.
- Support diverse pollinator species by offering a range of flower colors and shapes.
- Leave spent blooms to turn to hips in autumn for birds and overwintering insects.
Related Resources
- Epic Gardening: Find extended lists and care guides for pollinator-friendly roses and companion plants.
- American Rose Society: Information on pollen beetles and other less-known rose pollinators.
- Local garden clubs and nurseries: For regional advice and sourcing hard-to-find varieties.
Conclusion
Selecting the right roses for pollinators is a gift to your garden and local biodiversity. By planting open-flowered, fragrant varieties and integrating diverse blooming plants, you can create a sanctuary that buzzes with life and rewards you with greater beauty and abundance every season.
References
- https://www.epicgardening.com/pollinator-friendly-roses/
- https://www.gardenista.com/posts/favorite-roses-pollinators/
- https://www.gardenista.com/tag/pollinators/
- https://rose.org/pollinators-those-we-know-those-we-might-not/
- https://www.houzz.com/discussions/1703820/roses-for-bees
- https://heirloomroses.com/blogs/gardening/the-most-effective-methods-for-making-a-pollinator-friendly-garden
- https://www.gardenista.com/posts/double-flowers-rethinking-flower-show-plant/
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-23041-y
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