While old gallica and rugosa roses are largely trouble-free, other types of rose are often troubled with disease. Bred to bear large flowers over a long period, many are plagued with problems such as mildew, blackspot and rust. Traditionally, rose breeders and growers would treat their roses with fungicides to prevent or cure these diseases, so they weren’t considered much of a problem.
However, in the wake of bee declines being linked to use of fungicides, more and more gardeners prefer not to use such sprays in the garden. And so roses are now being bred for heath and vigour as well as beautiful flowers over a long period. These new varieties of roses are trouble-free and disease resistant, ensuring you have a beautiful display without having to worry about disease.
More advice for growing roses:
Browse our pick of disease-resistant roses, below.
Rosa ‘Charles de Mills’
Rosa ‘Charles de Mills’ is a gallica rose, bearing fully double, magenta-pink flowers with an intense fragrance. It’s ideal for growing in a mixed or shrub border or as an informal, flowering hedge. H x S: 120 x 120cm.
Rosa ‘Thomas á Becket’
A repeat-flowering shrub rose resembling a wild rose, ‘Thomas á Becket’ is healthy and vigourous. It bears loose rosettes of crimson flowers with an old rose fragrance and a hint of fresh lemon. H x S: 100 x 120cm.
Rosa ‘Mortimer Sackler’
Rosa ‘Mortimer Sackler’ is a tall shrub rose with small, dark green leaves and few thorns. It bears soft pink, cup-shaped double flowers with an ‘old rose’ fragrance. As each flower matures the petals open, gradually exposing its bright yellow stamens. H x S: 360 x 130cm
Rosa ‘Roseraie de L’Hay’
This rugosa rose forms a vigorous dense shrub of light green, crinkled leaves. From summer to autumn it bears bright, cerise-pink double blooms with a strong fragrance, followed by bright red hips. H x S: 250 x 250cm.
Rosa ‘Boscobel’
Rosa ‘Boscobel’, is a healthy, bushy shrub rose with with red buds opening to large, salmon-pink flowers with masses of closely packed petals and a fragrance combining hints of myrrh, elderflower, pear and almond. Compact in size, it’s suitable for growing in pots. H x S: 90 x 75cm.
Rosa ‘Lady of Shalott’
Rosa ‘Lady of Shallott’ is a robust, bushy shrub rose with mid-green leaves with excellent disease resistance. A versatile shrub rose, it has arching stems and may therefore be grown as a shrub or a short climber. It bears masses of orange-red, double blooms with a delicate tea fragrance. H x S: 130x 100cm
