Best Roses for Illinois

Come April, some rose canes in an Illinois yard are black and dead to the ground while the shrub roses beside them are already leafing out. That gap explains much of what you need to know about choosing roses here. Shrub roses and Buck roses handle winters and humid summers with little fuss, while many old garden roses tolerate the cold and hybrid teas ask for extra work.

Best Roses to Grow in Illinois

Hardy shrub roses, Buck roses and old garden roses are sound choices in Illinois. The state runs from USDA hardiness zone 5a-7b, so the cold end of the range kills the canes of tender types, and humid summers invite black spot on susceptible varieties.

Shrub Roses

Shrub roses, also called landscape roses, are noted for winter hardiness and resistance to common rose diseases. Whenever you can, make them the backbone of the garden. Knock Out and the Explorer series perform well here without extra winter protection.

Buck Roses

Buck roses were developed by a plant breeder to be winter hardy, low maintenance and attractive. They resist common diseases such as black spot, which matters in a humid summer. They suit a gardener who wants a rose that asks little in return.

Old Garden Roses

Many old garden roses are extremely tolerant of cold, and they do not need extensive preparation for winter. Most bloom once a year on last year’s wood. Prune them right after they flower, never in early spring, or you cut off the buds.

Drift and Meidiland Roses

The Drift series, including Peach Drift, and the Meidiland roses turn up on lists of roses that lessen disease trouble. Shrub varieties such as Bull’s Eye, Home Run, Carefree Spirit and Distant Drums appear on the same lists. All are worth a look at the nursery.

Hybrid Teas and Floribundas

Hybrid teas, grandifloras and floribundas fill garden centers, but they are not reliably winter hardy and are prone to many disease problems. They demand more care than a shrub rose. If you grow them, put on winter protection in November, after several killing freezes have sent the plants dormant.

Climbing Roses

Most climbing roses are not reliably winter hardy, though a few are. Protect a climber unless your nursery can point to a variety that came through cold winters nearby.

How to Choose a Rose for an Illinois Garden

Start with the winter you actually get, then add the time you want to spend. A rose bred for a colder zone needs little or no added protection in a milder garden, so the same variety can be an easy rose in one county and a fussy one in another.

Heat and drought, and very small gardens, call for local advice, so ask your county office which varieties handle your site. A rose that stays compact for a small bed is worth asking about by name.

Which Roses Suit Different Parts of Illinois

Illinois stretches far enough north to south that the same rose behaves differently from one end to the other, mostly because of winter cold.

• Chicago and the northern counties: Winters are harsher here, so lean on shrub roses, Buck roses and old garden roses. Hybrid teas and most climbers need winter protection.
• Central Illinois: This sits between the extremes, so judge each variety by its own hardiness. Tender types can work but still need covering in a hard winter.
• Southern Illinois: Milder winters make a rose bred for colder zones very easy to keep, and tender types suffer less cane damage. Humid summers still make disease resistance worth choosing.

Your own county matters more than these broad bands, so check local conditions before you buy.

Rose Buying Mistakes to Avoid in Illinois

Buying a Rose Too Tender for Winter

Hybrid teas and grandifloras are common on garden center shelves, but they are not reliably hardy here. Planted without a plan, they can die back to the ground. Pick a hardy shrub rose, or commit to covering the canes in November.

Choosing a Disease-Prone Variety

Many hybrid teas, floribundas and grandifloras are susceptible to disease, and a humid summer gives black spot every chance. The cost is yellowing leaves and bare canes by midsummer. Choose a Buck rose, a Drift rose or a Meidiland rose from the start instead of fighting leaf spots later.

Planting a Grafted Rose Where Winter Kills

With a grafted rose that freezes to the ground, you risk losing the variety you paid for. Ask the nursery whether a rose is grafted or grown on its own roots.

Where to Get Rose Advice in Illinois

University of Illinois Extension publishes rose advice written for Illinois gardens, and your county office can answer questions about local soil and winters.

• The extension website covers rose care and pruning, so visit it in winter while you plan your order.
• Your county extension office can tell you which varieties came through recent winters nearby, so ask before you choose.
• Master gardener volunteers at the county office can look at your site and your rose, so bring photos of the leaves and canes in summer.

Common Questions

When Should You Prune Roses in Illinois?

Prune repeat-blooming roses such as hybrid teas, floribundas and modern shrub roses in March or April. February also works in an early spring. A good signal is the forsythia coming into bloom. Once-blooming roses are different, because they are pruned right after they flower.

When Should You Plant Roses in Illinois?

Plant bare-root roses in March or April, before growth starts. You can also do it in May, June or July. Potted roses can go in from April through midsummer, which gives you a wider window and a plant that is already growing.

When Do You Put Winter Protection on and Take It Off?

Cover tender roses in November, after several killing freezes have put the plants into dormancy. December also works. Take the protection off in March or April, once the ground thaws, and prune right after.