The king of flowering plants is the rose. No other flower in history has earned as much love or inspired as much art. Roses have ruled gardens and ceremonies for thousands of years. The title isn't even close when you look at the full picture.
I've grown dozens of flowering plants in my garden, and roses stand apart from all of them. A hybrid tea rose in full bloom fills the air with a fragrance that nothing else can match. The petals feel like velvet under your fingers. Roses cover the entire color spectrum from deep burgundy to pure white to coral orange. No other genus gives you that range.
When I first grew a climbing rose on an arbor in my backyard, visitors would stop and stare at the display. By the second season, the canes had covered the whole structure in dozens of blooms at once. That single plant made my whole garden look better than any other addition I've ever made.
The king of flowers earned its royal title through centuries of cultural weight. Ancient Romans scattered rose petals at feasts and public events. Persian growers learned to distill rose water over 1,000 years ago. The English House of Tudor made the rose its power symbol. For more than 600 years, people have given roses on Valentine's Day. No other flower carries that depth of tradition across so many cultures.
Roses belong to the genus Rosa with over 300 wild species found on every continent people live on. Breeders have created tens of thousands of varieties from these wild ancestors. This breeding history spans at least 5,000 years of human work. You can find roses ranging from miniature patio plants to climbing types that scale 30-foot walls.
Roses also rank as the most important flowering plant in the global economy. The cut flower industry moves billions of dollars worth of roses every year. Ecuador, Colombia, and Kenya grow them on massive farms and ship them around the world. Rose oil production supports whole regions in Bulgaria and Turkey. No other flower comes close to that level of trade.
Your local florist sells more roses than any other flower, and that alone tells you something about their status. A dozen red roses still costs $30 to $80 depending on the season. On Valentine's Day, that price can double or triple. Yet people keep paying it year after year because no other flower says the same thing.
You can bring roses into your own garden alongside your flowering trees for a layered display. Train a climbing variety like 'New Dawn' or 'Eden' up an arbor near a dogwood or magnolia. The tree gives you the big spring show. The climbing rose takes over with repeat blooms from June through October. Together they give you months of flowers from just two plants.
Start with a disease-resistant shrub rose like the Knock Out series if you're new to the genus. These types skip the heavy care that scares most beginners away. Plant yours in full sun with good air flow around the base. Water at soil level to keep your leaves dry and feed once a month during the growing season.
You'll see why roses earned their crown within the first season of growing them yourself. The first time you cut a bloom from your own bush and bring it inside, the fragrance will fill your whole kitchen. That moment is when you understand why people have been growing this flower for 5,000 years and why it still holds the title of king today.
Read the full article: Best Flowering Trees for Your Yard
