Generally, rose bushes are planted in November, but a rose bush sold in bare roots can be planted in the garden from the end of October until the end of March, excluding, of course, periods when the ground is frozen. There are so many rose bushes on the market that it becomes difficult to make a choice, even if we know that we need, for example, a pink climbing rose bush. So, to increase your chances of acquiring a good quality rose bush, selecting labeled rose bushes can be a solution. What are the rose bush labels that allow them to be distinguished?
The Red Label of Rose Bushes
Everyone knows the Label Rouge for chicken, moquettes de Vendée, or ravioli du Dauphiné, but who knows the Label Rouge rose bushes? Much fewer people certainly, and for good reason, it has only existed since 2016, at the initiative of Excellence Végétale, an association bringing together professionals and amateurs engaged in quality research for products from horticulture and nursery.
Managed by the National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO), the Label Rouge (LR), a guarantee of superior quality and traceability ensured by the State, has concerned plants since 1987, notably with Label Rouge grass. or today, the Label Rouge Christmas tree. This distinction forces producers to respect strict specifications that govern the cultivation process but also the techniques that prevail for the presentation and marketing of the products.
Thus, Label Rouge rose bushes have necessarily been awarded prizes in major independent international rose competitions (Bagatelle International New Rose Competition, Orléans International Rose Competition, Lyon International New Rose Competition, etc.) and monitored for 2 years to be sure that they correspond to the requirements of consumers who are asked to give their opinion according to a grid of criteria (floribundity, resistance to diseases, vigor, etc.).
Finally, the rose bushes intended to be stamped with the precious sesame do not move quickly from their nursery to the store shelves; no, they are put in containers at least 3 months before being shipped to the store to ensure that they are well rooted and, like bare root roses, they only arrive on the shelves when the planting season starts, which prevents them from remaining in non-ideal conditions for too long.
Between climbing roses, landscape roses, shrub roses with large flowers, and grouped flowers, there are only a little more than fifty to be labeled Label Rouge.
Choosing an LR rose bush costs a little more but, in return, you have the guarantee of obtaining a rose bush that will give you complete satisfaction once planted.
The ADR label for rose bushes
ADR, for Anerkannte Deutsche Rose, corresponds to a prestigious German distinction, considered one of the most difficult to obtain, created in 1950. It is awarded after 3 years of tests in 11 test gardens which are spread throughout the country of Germany, in the different Länders, where rose bushes are grown without winter protection or phytosanitary treatment, which necessarily makes the winners healthier and more resistant than the others.
The allocation of points by professional rose experts is done according to very specific criteria such as hardiness, vigor, foliage, shape, disease resistance, floribundity, color, fragrance, etc.
Each year, around fifty cultivars are evaluated in this way, but only around 10% obtain the precious ADR label. Today, there are 169 rose bush cultivars that are ADR recognized out of more than 1,600 that have been tested since the general procedure for testing new ADR rose bushes ( Allgemeine Deutsche Rosenneuheitenprüfung ), knowing that some lose their label.
In 2023, ADR labeled cultivars include Pink Chantilly, Street Colors La grande Motte, Perennial Domino, Flamingo, Purple Siluetta, Simsalabim …
The AARS label for rose bushes
AARS, for All America Rose Selection, created by the most important rose nurseries, was the most prestigious American label which rewarded the roses that could give the most satisfaction to “an average amateur gardener”, from 1940 to 2013. It was necessary, for this, that the rose bush satisfied the tests passed in 25 test gardens spread throughout the USA, with criteria such as resistance to diseases, floribundity, shape of flowers and foliage, their quality, adaptation to different climates, etc.
The AGRS label for rose bushes
AGRS, for American Garden Rose Sélections, is an American label that replaced the AARS label. It was launched in 2016, by American rose professionals, with stricter criteria than its predecessor to be able to offer gardeners varieties of roses that are disease resistant and easy to maintain, which are also hardy, floriferous, everbearing, and fragrant. , beautifully worn, etc.
The testing process is modeled on the German ADR label, it takes place over 2 years, in several botanical gardens spread across different states of the USA (Louisiana, South Carolina, Illinois, Arizona, Oregon, Wisconsin, Washington, New York, Oklahoma, California, Kentucky, Texas).
The AGM distinction
AGM, for Award of Garden Merit, is not a label but a distinction or reward awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), but with the prestige enjoyed by the Royal British Horticultural Society, it is considered a very prized.
The WFR price
WFR, for World’s Favorite Rose, is also not a label but a prize awarded every 3 years to an old rose and a modern rose, by the World Federation of Rose Society (WFRS) which brings together 40 countries. The prestige of this prize for breeders and breeders of new varieties is because it is the result of a vote carried out at the international level. The next convention will take place in May 2025 in Japan.
Rose bushes bearing an American label are not those that you will easily find in France. You will have understood, but rose bushes labeled ADR or Label Rouge are among the best selections that you will be able to find at your nurseries, garden centers and other rose growers, whether either in stores or via their online plant sales e-stores.
Favoring rose bushes with a label guarantees you a better recovery as well as a quality of flowering and habit of the shrub, at the top, without forgetting the hardiness, the resistance to diseases and parasites, as well as the ease of maintenance, which is well worth a few euros more: it is better to buy a good and beautiful rose bush that is a little expensive rather than two low-end, low-cost rose bushes, one of which will die!
