Modern Shrubs:Canadian Winter Hardy

These are some of the most exciting new varieties of roses. Gardeners who live in northern reaches, or who do not have much time to devote to rose care, will love these hardy, healthy, and virtually care free roses!

New hybrid roses have been developed as part of a concerted effort by Canadian research stations. The main objectives of these efforts has been to develop roses that have a variety of colors, bloom form and growing habits and a long blooming season while maintaining the hardiness of rugosas and other hardy roses.

The Explorer Series

Alexander MacKenzie
With the Grandiflora 'Queen Elizabeth' in its ancestry, this Explorer has buds and flowers of aristocratic shape together with a light, but lovely, raspberry fragrance. Medium red blooms repeat well on this healthy, arching shrub. It can also be used as a short climber. 5' - 6' (1985)  or

Captain Sam Holland
A pillar or climber, this newer member of the series has double, medium red flowers freely produced all season. The rose is slightly fragrant. 6' (1990)  or

Champlain
For red rose lovers: Champlain will produce more than you can imagine! Double, velvety deep red-to-bright red, blooms some years are produced at the expense of  foliage. Even the new leaves are red, later turning  to green. The bush stays small, and often dies back 50% or more in the winter. But it regrows from the roots and puts on its show once again. Foliage is very disease resistant. 3' (1982) [R. kordesii hybrid]  or zone 3-4

Charles Albanel
This healthy, sturdy plant is very low growing, less than 3', and an ideal ground cover rose.Fragrant magenta flowers repeat well on this reliable shrubwith rugosa foliage. It spreads about 3'. (1982) [R. rugosa hybrid]  or zone 2

David Thompson
This early member of the Explorer series is a nicely shaped Rugosa hybrid with large, double, fuchsia flowers that are fragrant and bloom all summer. Its foliage is lime green and very healthy. 3'-4' (1979)  or

Frontenac
Deep pink, slightly fragrant, semi-double blooms are produced in large clusters in cycles from June through September. Smooth leaves with fine teeth have some yellow fall color. Healthy shrub is 3.5' (1992)  gr

George Vancouver
This lovely shrub rose has fuchsia-red, double flowers that bloom singly and in clusters, repeat throughout the summer, and will lead to red hips if they are left on the shrub. 3' (1994)  or

Henry Hudson
One of my favorite Explorer Roses, this is a compact shrub of 3' with lovely flowers. Pink buds open to frilly, double, white blooms sometimes tinged pink. They are quite similar to 'Stanwell Perpetual' but repeat more often and have typical deep green rugosa foliage. Flowers should be dead headed. (1976) [R. rugosa 'Schneezwerg' seedling]  or zone 2

Henry Kelsey
A marvelous red rose to train on a fence, 'Kelsey' can be a trailing shrub or a climber. Blooms are  semi-double and open deep red then mature medium red. They have a delicate fragrance and appear in clusters repeatedly from June to hard frost. Canes can be left on the fence or trellis in zone 4a where they usually require only minor spring trimming. 6'-7' (1978) [R. kordesii hybrid]  or

Jens Munk
Semi-double, medium pink flowers show yellow stamens on this very healthy and hardy Rugosa-type shrub. Bloom is nearly continuous over a long season, and the flowers are very fragrant. The shrub is suitable for hedging and produces hips late in the year. 4'-6' (1974) [R. rugosa hybrid]  or zone 2

John Cabot
A great climber for the North! In many locations, John Cabot shows very little or no dieback of canes left on the trellis, even after -30^oF. That means a more glorious show of double, medium red to to deep orchid-pink blooms during June, with blossoming uninterrupted until the end of July. Some years blossoms repeat later in the season. Foliage is healthy, attractive and a glossy medium green. Sadly, it is also tasty to certain inchworm-like creatures (Lepdopteran larvae) that frequent my garden in spring. But the rose responds with plenty of fresh foliage. A pillar rose with arching canes, it has a delicate fragrance and can grow to 12' as a climber. (1978) [R.kordesii x R. laxa]  or

John Davis
This is a beauty with red buds opening to light, clear pink, double blossoms that may be quartered and show golden centers. Foliage is smooth and medium green, with red edges when young, harmonizing well with reddish canes--the whole making a lovely picture. Davis has a spicy fragrance and can be grown as a shrub of 4'-5' or a climber to 10'. This is another hardy rose that shows little winter kill and is exceptionally pretty. (1986) [R.kordesii hybrid]  or

J.P. Connell
Lemon yellow, this rose ages creamy white. The fragrant roses are borne singly or in clusters and repeat well until fall. The upright bush is nearly thornless and may die back to the snow line some winters. Dark green foliage. 4' (1987)  or, gr

Lambert Closse
One of the newer Explorers, this rose has beautiful buds of a deep pink blend opening to double, pale to medium pink flowers. The shrub itself , at 2.5', is useful in small gardens, and the foliage is healthy and attractive. (1994)  gr zone 3-4

Louis Jolliet
Clusters of very double, medium pink blooms appear continuously all summer long on this trailing shrub that can be grown as a climber. The foliage is healthy and a glossy, deep green. 4' (1991)  gr

Royal Edward
Almost a miniature, Royal Edward has 2", deep pink, semi-double flowers freely produced until frost. A spreading plant, 18" high by 18" wide, it is a good landscape rose or patio rose that is healthy and shows little winter injury.  or

Simon Fraser
Medium pink, semi-double roses are free-flowering.Very healthy and hardy to zone 4, Simon Fraser is another low shrub that is useful in the landscape. 2' (1992)  or zone 3-4

William Baffin
Is this rose great or is it garish? Its great virtue is that it can be left on a trellis all winter in zone 3, so it can cover an arbor or climb a shed or screen the neighbor's garage. The double blooms are deep pink with yellow centers, and they come freely all summer, but, admittedly, they are not the most delicate of color or form. However, they have their place and certainly brighten the landscape. 9' (1983)  or

The Parkland Series

Adelaide Hoodless
This shrub, very hardy to zone 2, was an early release of the Parkland Series from the Morden Research Station in Ontario.It produces clusters of up to 25 semi-double, bright red blossoms all summer until frost. Its glossy foliage is resistant to mildew. The shrub, which grows to 3', may die back to the crown in winter. (1975)  or, gr

Hope for Humanity
Named in honor of the Canadian Red Cross, this new rose has a deep wine red, double blossoms similar to hybrid teas opening from lovely buds all summer. The shrub is hardy, healthy, and upright to 5'. (1998)  or

Morden Blush
Lovely, small, hybrid tea-type blooms of ivory and light pink are produced freely over a long season. Low growing, at about 2', and heat tolerant, this delightful rose can serve on the patio or in other tight quarters. It is slightly fragrant. (1988)  or

Morden Ruby
Light rose petals are spotted with deep rose; in some weathers the whole rose is ruby-colored. A mounding shrub to 3', it has long-lasting, fragrant flowers and foliage that resists mildew but is somewhat susceptible to blackspot. It may die back to the crown most zone 3 winters. (1977)  gr

Prairie Joy
A good rose for a hedging or screening, Prairie Joy is a graceful, arching shrub with healthy, dense foliage and, during the spring, medium pink, very double flowers. 5' (1990)  or, gr zone 2

Winnipeg Parks
Small cherry red, semi-double blossoms cover this 2', compact shrub all summer. Attractive foliage is resistant to blackspot and powdery mildew. The shrub is suitable for bedding and landscape use. It may die back to the crown in winter, but regrows easily. (1990)  or zone 2