Floribunda means many flowers in Latin, a fitting name for beautiful floribunda roses. They put forth beautiful sprays of florist-quality blooms in a wide range of colors from spring until the first frost.
Floribunda roses are considered hardy roses, able to thrive down to zone 5. They require some finessing to get them to grow just right, but they’re well worth the time.
We will cover everything you need to know about caring for and keeping floribunda roses.
History of Floribunda Roses
A floribunda rosebush is a cross between the polyantha rose and hybrid tea rose. A floribunda rose is the best of both worlds. The shrub has the color pallet and bloom of the hybrid tea rose while getting the bushy shrub coverage and spray of flowers from the polyantha rose.
First named the Red Riding Hood rose, the hybrid was introduced by the Danish breeder Dines Poulsen in 1907. There were many breeders of the polyantha rose and hybrid tea rose cross. Then in 1930 Dr. J. N. Nicolas, a rose hybridizer for Jackson & Perkins, coined the name floribunda roses.
Characteristics of a Floribunda Rose Bush
A floribunda is a small bushy shrub. It looks like there’s a bouquet on every branch with beautiful full rose blooms.
As a hardy-free flowering bush, floribunda roses are a low-maintenance rose shrub. At their largest floribundas get 5 to 6 feet high and 6 feet wide. They’re ideal mid-height garden plants.
Floribunda shrubs are great for privacy because of the full bright green foliage. Blooms come in from spring to fall.
Planting Instructions
The best time to plant your roses is in early spring after the last frost, when the ground starts to thaw. If you are in a warm climate you will likely plant your roses in winter giving them plenty of time to root before summer.
Planting Floribunda Roses From a Nursery Pot.
- Water the nursery pot well an hour before planting it to soak the roots.
- Mix soil, compost, and rose fertilizer in a container.
- Dig a hole in the location you have chosen to plant your rose bush that is double the height and width of your nursery pot (if the soil is clay dig a bit deeper and use extra soil mix).
- Remove the shrub from the pot and shake out the root.
- Prune dead or damaged roots before planting.
- Plant the bud one inch from the surface using your soil mix, make sure there are no large air holes near the root by watering halfway.
Transplanting Floribunda Rose Bushes
Even with careful planning, things change and that perfect spot you originally picked for your floribunda ends up no longer working for it. The good news is that roses are easy to transplant from one location to another, provided you follow the best practices for doing so!
It is best to transplant rose bushes after the last frost of the year. That way roots have a better chance of taking hold and the ground has thawed. To transplant, your floribunda roses follow these steps.
- Prune back the entire rose bush, take 3 inches off each branch and cut out all crossing branches (common pruning at the start of the growing season).
- Dig the new hole double the width and length of the bushes root ball. Keep in mind soil drainage, wind, and sun when choosing the location.
- Mix soil, bark, and rose fertilizer in equal parts in a separate container.
- Dig out your bush carefully to keep as much root intact as possible.
- Fill the new hole halfway with your mixture.
- Water the mixture in the hole well. Add your rose bush and fill in the rest of the hole with your soil mixture.
- Water the newly planted bush well.
Care Instructions for Floribunda Roses
Floribundas are grown best in a sheltered spot protected from the wind. The spot you choose for your bush is important. The rose bushes require lots of direct sunlight and cannot handle pooling water. They also need air circulation to keep their leaves dry and fungus-free.
If you are keeping your floribundas in a pot remember that the roots get very long, as many roses do, and they need room to grow. It is best to use a deep container with good drainage.
Sun
Allow your roses full sun for a minimum of 6 hours per day, but more sun is preferred.
Soil
Plant in a well-draining area avoiding any standing water. Plant in any common soil avoiding clay. Feed your roses fertilizer at the start of spring, and midway through the growing season.
Water
When watering your roses avoid watering the foliage and blooms. Only water the base of the plant. This will help with fungus issues.
Water your roses every day when freshly planted.
As established plants, they require deep watering once a week. In the heat of summer water your roses once every few days.
Overwintering Floribunda Roses
Floribunda roses require winter protection if your area gets frost. To overwinter your rose shrub you can cover it with a sack, horticultural fleece, or bin liners to ensure your shrubs make it through the frost.
This protection is only required during the harsh frost and should be removed as soon as the final frost is over. That way your shrubs have plenty of time to start blooming.
Pruning Floribunda Rose Bushes
Floribundas need very little pruning after the first major prune of the year. They are thorny rose bushes, and it is best to wear gloves while pruning.
Give your rose pruning at the beginning of the growing season.
- Cut out any diseased or dead stems.
- Cut out any stems that cross over significantly as they will stunt the growth of foliage and blooms on those stems.
You don’t want stems to cross too much as they will become tangled if left alone.
To allow for greater blooms you can cut established branches to allow room for new shoots. New shoots will produce more blooms. Be careful to cut the stem to the base of the next branch.
Regular Pruning Maintenance
Prune dead or dying flowers throughout the year this is called deadheading. Remove the whole spray to help the plant grow.
When pruning makes sure to watch out for aphids, sawflies, black spots, dieback, mildew, and rust. It is best to treat these problems as soon as possible.
We have much more in-depth information in our Rose Pruning guide that will walk you through all the kinds of seasonal pruning roses need.
Varieties of Floribunda Roses
Floribundas are considered low-maintenance rose shrubs with a strong fragrance and full foliage. They are a great cut flower for in your home or in bouquets. Varieties of floribunda roses have similar care instructions.
Julia Child Rose
This variation has a buttery yellow hue color that is named after the beloved chef. It is disease-resistant and has a long bloom time.
Impatient Rose
Reddish orange blooms made for a more experienced gardener.
Iceberg Rose
Iceberg roses have pure white petals. It can be trained as climbers and is a nearly thorn-less bush.
Mardi Gras Rose
The Mardi Gras Floribunda has bright pink petals that fade to yellow in the center. It is a great hedge rose with large bright blooms.
August Seebauer Rose
Also named the Queen Mother, the August Seebauer rose has bright pink blooms. It is picky about the soil type it grows in and prefers mildly acidic soil.
Hot Cocoa Rose
Rich rusty orange blooms are most notably visible in September and October. Great Fall florals and best when used in a fall bouquet.
Burgundy Ice Rose
Purple blooms need to be pruned well to keep the shrub in shape.
Summer Fashion Rose
Beautiful white blooms with soft pink tips. Similar in look to the hybrid peace rose.
Rhapsody in Blue Rose
Violet blossoms that are as close to blue as you can get in a rose variety without dying them.
Scentimental Rose
Red and white stippling on the petals makes for a striking rose. It also comes in solid yellow, red, and pink blooms.
Sexy Rexy Rose
Cotton candy-colored blooms with double the petals creating a very full-looking bright flower.
Eye Paint Roses
A single petal rose in candy red, great for bees and butterflies.
Monkey Business Rose
Monkey Business won the 2010 Floribunda of the Year award. It has bright banana-yellow blooms.
Betty Boop Rose
The Betty Boop has beautiful golden yellow petals with dark pink rose tips. It is considered a hardy rose.
Landscaping With Floribunda Roses
Floribunda rose bushes offer many blooms on a single branch, unlike regular tea hybrids that offer one bloom per branch. The bushes have lush, full foliage. They are great when used to line gardens, as privacy shrubs, or to bring color to a cut garden.
Where to Buy Floribunda Roses?
Floribunda roses can be purchased at most specialty garden centers. It is best to call or locate the garden center that carries the specific variation you are looking to plant.
Where to Buy Floribunda Rose Shrubs
You can order beautiful floribunda roses from Nature Hills. You’ll want to begin browsing well before the spring planting season begins — these are popular roses and many varieties sell out quickly!
Where to Buy Floribunda Rose Bouquets
Floribunda roses have beautiful full blooms that look similar to the hybrid tea rose. They create a larger spray of blooms with a sturdy stem.
A great place to find beautiful bouquets is Florist One, Pro Flowers, or 1 800 Flowers. They are a great online source and ship bouquets anywhere in North America.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Floribunda Rose Bush
Are floribunda roses easy to grow?
Floribunda roses are considered hardy disease-resistant rose that is great for a beginner to an intermediate-level gardener. The care instructions for these roses are not difficult but need to be followed closely to keep the roses looking their best.
The pruning requirements and planting requirements of the Floribunda rose helps keep certain fungus and diseases away from the foliage. The rose needs to be planted away from wind but still requires full sun and good ventilation to keep foliage dry. If planted correctly floribunda roses are hardy and easy to care for once they have reached maturity.
How tall do floribunda roses grow?
Floribunda roses are considered shorter rose shrubs. It can be found in small bush varieties from 1 ½ to 2 ½ feet tall or larger varieties that get to a height of 5 to 6 feet tall. Some varieties are considered climbing roses and, when trained, can climb upwards of 20 feet.
How do you take care of floribunda roses?
Floribunda roses require pruning and fertilization at the beginning of the growing season. They need to be regularly pruned throughout the growing season to keep dead blooms from affecting fresh blooms.
Once floribunda roses have reached maturity their care becomes quite easy and preparing them before and after the growing season with weekly watering will produce beautiful blooms.
Make Room for Floribunda Roses in Your Garden!
Floribunda roses really are the best of both worlds. They give you a wide array of colors with beautiful continuous blooms. While they do require some pruning and care, they pay handsomely for their great care! You’ll be flush with beautiful blooms you can use in arrangements or enjoy on the shrub in your garden landscape.
Excited for more rose content? Then keep reading all about these beautiful flowers, how to take care of them, and more on our roses page!