Although a weeping rose is similar to a tree or ‘standard’ rose, the best examples are those that have the distinct habit of a weeper. The part that makes a great weeping rose is the top, and this the variety of rose that is grafted onto the stem.
Any rose with a pendulous habit will do, however the longer the canes the more pronounced the weeping habit will be and some varieties throw longer more flexible caned than others.
They may even be a rambler such as Bloomfields Courage that is actually a hybrid of ‘Rosa wichurana’ which throws wonderful long canes that can reach to the ground.
So if you are looking for a rose that will cascade down with masses of flowers, choose carefully and you will be rewarded with a garden feature that really attracts attention.
All weeping rose varieties are grafted onto a strong rootstock that has been allowed to grow to set height.
Support for Weeping Roses
Although the root stock and trunk of weeping roses are usually very strong, all weeping roses require a strong support.
The graft at the top of the stem or trunk is a weak point, as the rose grows and the top becomes heavy it can break.
So a strong stake with a rose hoop at the top is the answer to the problem.
If the plant does break at the graft it may re shoot, the problem here is that the growth is usually that of the rootstock to the rose that is grafted to the top. So always use a rose ring to provide support.
So what are the best Weeping roses ?
This will depend on the characteristics that you are looking for. these may include :
- The length of the canes – How much it actually weeps.
- Flower color – A matter of personal choice.
- Flower form – Some have bigger flowers than others.
- Repeat flowering – Some flower over a long season, some once, some will repeat well if lightly pruned after the first flush of flowers.
- Fragrance – Like all roses, some are more fragrant than others, and all have a different perfume.
- The height to which the rose is grafted, some weepers are grafted at 8 ft, some at 6ft and some even shorter.
- You climate – Like all roses, weepers perform best in different zones depending on variety.
Some of the popular varieties include ;
- China Doll – Pink with light reverse
- Dortmund – Red
- Bloomfields Courage – Red
- Sandler’s White
- Iceberg Weeping – White
- The Fairy ‘Weeping Form’
- Jasmina – Pink
- New Dawn – Pale Pink
- Florentina – Red
- Sea Foam – White
- Dortmund
