Glossary

Below are some common terms to help you with your rose gardening journey!

 

Bud
The unopened, developing flower bloom.

Cane
The stem of a rose.

Compost
Nutrient-rich material that is created by decomposing organic matter.

Crown
The point on a shrub where the stems meet the root system.

Deadhead
Removing flower heads or spent blooms.

Dieback
The dying of plant tips or stems due to disease or weather.

Dormant
A plant that is temporarily stopped from growing, typically during winter months.

Grafting
A method of growing where one plant is created by uniting a root system of one plant with a bud or stem of a different plant.

Hardiness
The ability for a plant to survive freezing temperatures outside.

Hip
The fruit of a rose that ripens in late summer or fall.

Hybrid Tea
A rose made by crossing two different species. Typically display large individual flowers on long stems.

Loam
Loam is the best type of soil for gardening. It has a balanced mix of humus, sand, and clay.

Own Root
A rose grown on its own root and not budded onto another rootstock.

pH
pH is a measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. It is measured on a scale of 1 (extremely acid) to 14 (extremely alkaline), with pH of 7.0 being neutral.

Propagation
To produce a new plant.

Recurrent
Repeat flowering.

Zone
An area assigned by the USDA for an area with similar hardiness conditions, providing an outline of where a plant will live.