12 Types Of Once-Blooming Roses That Shine In Your Flower Garden

If you simply adore roses and are always looking for new varieties and types to add to your flower garden, have you thought about giving once-blooming roses a spot? For many gardeners, roses that will provide you with a couple of bursts of blooms are more desirable than those older varieties that only reward you with one flush. While there are plenty of fast-growing roses you might want to add to your flower bed, there's something to be said about the beauty and vibrancy of once-blooming roses. When they do bloom, their display will shine in your garden, and you'll realize these beauties are worth the effort. From the ancient apothecary's rose and stunning, ruffled 'William Lobb' to ramblers like the summer damask rose, 'Cecile Brunner,' and 'Alchymist,' you have lots of options.

One of the benefits of once-blooming roses is that they will produce an abundance of flowers. After all, they only get one chance each season to impress you (and reproduce successfully) with their display. You'll also find that this overwhelming flush of flowers is likely to last much longer than the flushes of repeat bloomers. You can even extend your flowering season by choosing varieties that bloom at different times. This means that, depending on where you live, you could have adorable rose blooms from mid-spring right through to mid-summer. The only thing you'll have to be aware of is that these varieties need to be pruned immediately after they've flowered because they bloom on the previous season's growth.

'Alba Maxima' is a very old variety of rose developed in the 1500s. It has gorgeous, creamy white, fragrant blooms that look stunning against its bushy, deep green foliage. As a shrub rose, 'Alba Maxima' can reach heights of 6 feet, and it thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 11. This vigorous grower that can handle even tough conditions with ease.

The apothecary's rose (Rosa gallica 'Officinalis') is another very old cultivar that was featured in so-called Shakespeare gardens due to the playwright referencing it in his "Henry" tetralogies. The blooms are heavily scented and have fuchsia-pink petals. Outside of the link to Shakespeare, the plant has an interesting medicinal history — it has been used in healing for hundreds of years. This is another shrub rose suitable for Zones 4 to 11, and it will reach a height of 4 feet.

The summer damask rose (Rosa damascena 'Kazanlik') has that gorgeous rose fragrance familiar from perfumes and essential oils. It's another old-fashioned rose that will grow into a rambling shrub up to 8 feet tall and 4 feet wide. This Rosa cultivar grows well in Zones 4 through 9 and blooms either in spring or summer with a profusion of stunning pink flowers.

The 'Alchymist' rose is a climber that can reach heights of 12 feet or more on a trellis. The petals of each bloom range from pink to apricot in hue, and the flowers have a strong fragrance. 'Alchymist' will do well in Zones 4 to 9, and those big double blooms are sure to be a highlight of any flower garden — easily making up for the fact that the plant only blooms once per season.

'Cecile Brunner' is a gorgeous climbing rose that has pretty blush-pink flowers resembling those of modern tea roses. This plant will bloom abundantly over an extended period of time in late spring or early summer. It thrives in Zones 5 through 9 and the blooms are quite fragrant. Your hands may also appreciate the fact that the rambling vines are almost thornless.

The redleaf rose (Rosa glauca) is one of those stunning roses you should grow in your garden. It has charming single flowers with five petals and a lovely, delicate open form. The blooms usually appear in small clusters in late spring to early summer. Even the foliage is quite attractive on this species — the plant has blue-gray leaves and red stems. It will thrive in Zones 2 to 8 and is frost-hardy. It's a lovely rambling bush rose that will cover a fence or trellis with ease.

The flowers on a 'William Lobb' rose bush are absolutely stunning with masses of ruffled petals colored deep-pink to purple. Each bloom features up to 50 petals and a lovely, strong fragrance. This old-world rose thrives in Zones 4 through 11, but you'll want to wear gloves if you cut off the flowers for a vase arrangement. The stems are heavily thorned. This pretty shrub can grow to a height of 6 feet.

This tough rose cultivar will delight you with an early blooming of beautiful, lightly scented yellow flowers — starting late winter and going through to early spring. 'Harison's Yellow' has a rich history in gardens that dates all the way back to 1824. It's also commonly known as the Oregon Trail rose, and many old specimens can be found in homestead gardens in this region. Its long canes can reach 6 feet, and the plant is hardy down to Zone 3.

If you're looking for a native species, the Carolina rose (Rosa carolina) might interest you. It's a shrub rose that can grow up to 5 feet tall and thrives in Zones 4 to 9. The pretty pink flowers are fragrant and usually have four or five petals. The vibrant yellow centers of the blooms make them especially attractive. On top of that, the flowers attract pollinators and the rosehips that follow the blooms are beloved by songbirds.

Rosa hugonis is another yellow-flowering rose species that blooms in late spring to early summer, and it's one of the easiest roses to grow for a low-maintenance garden. The pretty five-petaled blooms are lightly scented and you'll get plenty of them each season. This rose is hardy in Zones 5 through 8 and can grow to a height of 8 feet. In the fall, the leaves on the densely thorned stems turn vibrant red. 

Although breeders have been trying for a blue rose for centuries to no avail, this old rambling rose, known as Rosa 'Veilchenblau,' may be as close as you can get. The pretty open blooms are a lovely soft violet and grow in clusters from May to June. This cultivar thrives in Zones 5 to 9 and will grow extremely large unless you keep it trimmed back. The canes can get quite long, so it's best to support this rambler using a trellis or similar garden structure.

Although it will only delight you with a profusion of stunning, crimson blooms with yellow centers in June, Rosa 'La Belle Sultane' is definitely worthy of a spot in your garden. It's hardy down to Zone 4, and the flowers are highly fragrant. This shrubby rose will reach heights of 6 feet if healthy and will also provide you with colorful fall foliage.