A Rose for All Seasons

Although there are many lovely roses in the garden underneath the Juliette Gordon Low magnolia here at MOSI, by far the easiest to care for are the Knock Out Roses. This patented family of roses was created by William Radler to eliminate the often difficult maintenance needed and offer roses that everyone could grow and enjoy. Learn more about his journey to a care-free rose here.

The Knock Out Rose is hardy to zone 5, and perhaps more important, wonderfully tolerant of summer heat. Florida rose growers encounter many challenges in the humid summers, especially with blackspot fungal disease. Growing roses this far south requires constant diligence and frequent application of fungicides, pesticides, and herbicides, none of which are good for a fragile ecosystem. This makes Knock Out Roses a great choice for Florida gardeners.

To date, there are seven varieties of Knock Out Roses, including both single and double blooms in red, pink, and yellow. Last year, we added a 'Sunny Knock' Out Rose (shown above and below) to the rose garden at MOSI and were thrilled to discover that, unlike some other members of the family, 'Sunny' has an amazing tea rose fragrance that draws us back to the garden again and again.

Knock Out Roses grow into small shrubs and flower year-round, although they do best in the cooler temperatures of fall and spring here in Central Florida. They can take full sun and are drought-tolerant, although blooming best with regular watering. A light application of rose fertilizer a few times a year can help make blooms more prolific, but these roses seem to thrive even under neglect.

One important fact butterfly gardeners should note: roses are not sources of nectar for butterflies, whatever the poets may tell you. However, they are attractive to pollinators like bees, and are beloved by human eyes and noses everywhere. Gardeners at any level of experience can expect success with Knock Out Roses, and we hope to add a few more varieties to the rose garden at MOSI in the future.