Pink Earth Kind Roses
fairy rose
(Image credit: Manu)

Using Earth Kind rose bushes in one's garden, rose bed, or landscaping will allow the owner to enjoy hardy flowering bushes, along with keeping the fertilizing, use of water, and pesticides to an absolute minimum. These rose bushes help in the protection and saving of our natural resources and environment.

What are Earth Kind Roses?

Earth Kind is a special label given to a select group of rose bushes by the Texas A&M/Texas AgriLife Extension Service through their Earth Kind Landscaping program. The program goal is to distinguish roses that folks can grow in their gardens or landscapes easily with minimal care. The Earth Kind rose bushes require no special spraying programs for fungal diseases or insect resistance. Nor would these rose bushes need a lot of fertilizer to produce big, beautiful, show-winning blooms. Roses that receive the Earth Kind designation are subjected to some harsh testing carried out by the horticulturists at Texas A&M University with test gardens in various locations. These rose bushes must exhibit a high level of performance in different climatic and soil conditions worldwide with nearly no care. In other words, the rose bushes must do well in varying soil types and will also have superior heat and drought tolerance once established. Only upon successful completion of the testing program will a rose bush be granted a place on the list of Earth Kind rose bushes.

Types of Earth Kind Roses

The list of Earth Kind rose bushes continue to grow, but here is a list of a few of these wonderful rose bushes starting with one that has recently been added to the list:

  • Cecile Brunner Rose - (originally introduced in 1881)
  • Sea Foam Rose - White Shrub Rose
  • The Fairy Rose - Light Pink Polyantha Dwarf Shrub Rose
  • Marie Daly Rose - Pink Polyantha Dwarf Shrub Rose
  • Knock Out Rose - Cherry Red semi-double shrub Rose
  • Caldwell Pink Rose - Lilac Pink Shrub Rose
  • Carefree Beauty Rose - Deep Rich Pink Shrub Rose
  • New Dawn Rose - Blush Pink Climbing Rose
Stan V. Griep
Writer

Stan V. Griep contributed to Gardening Know How for many years. An American Rose Society Consulting Master Rosarian in the Rocky Mountain District, he served as Gardening Know How's in-house expert on all things roses.