Roses are beloved for not only their beauty, but ecological value: providing bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects with almost year-round nourishment. But not all are equally attractive to these visitors.
This guide will cover which types of roses are most pollinator-friendly, what to look for when choosing varieties, and which common pollinators to expect. With the right knowledge, your rose garden will become a haven for these tiny helpers and work harder for the local ecosystem.
Do Roses Attract Pollinators?
With their lovely fragrance and rich nectar and pollen, roses draw in several types of pollinators throughout the season. But not all roses are equally alluring. Ones with open, single, or semi-double blooms with accessible stamens and exposed pollen are far more attractive to these friendly critters than heavily hybridized varieties.
Modern hybridization has prioritized bloom size, petal count, and count at the expense of pollinator accessibility; often featuring tightly-packed double blooms that hide their reproductive parts.
At the end of the growing season, roses form “rose hips” that provide a food source for wildlife through the fall and even winter – making them even more tempting.
Which Pollinators Visit Roses?
Encouraging biodiversity and supporting companion plants, pollinators create a healthy ecosystem where roses can thrive. These are the most common ones you can expect to see in your garden.
Bees
Honeybees and bumblebees are the most frequent rose visitors – drawn in by color, scent, and nectar. Other less familiar but important visitors include carpenter bees, mining/sweat bees, and leaf-cutting bees.
Butterflies
Attracted by color and scent, butterflies access rose nectar via their long proboscis – allowing them to enter even some double-form blooms. Monarchs and swallowtails are the most common types of butterflies you’ll see visiting your roses.
Beetles
Don’t mistake these critters for pests! Pollen beetles are among the most prolific rose pollinators globally, responsible for a significant portion of flower pollination worldwide. In spring and summer, you may find them deep inside the blooms of your roses. But don’t worry – they cause very little damage and should not be treated with pesticides.
Other Beneficial insects
Attracting beneficial insects to your garden is one of the best forms of pest control for roses. Hover/syrphid flies, soldier beetles, and lacewings deserve special mention for not only contributing to pollination, but preying on aphids – one of the most common rose pests.
*If supporting pollinators is important to you, avoid using insecticides at all costs. These chemicals can harm and even kill beneficial visitors.
What Makes a Rose Pollinator-Friendly?
To welcome birds, bees, and other beneficial insects into your garden, you should choose a rose with the qualities they desire most. Here are the top criteria to look for that make roses simply irresistible to pollinators:
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Bloom form: Easy access is key. Single, semi-double, and open-cupped bloom forms are most accessible and therefore most desirable to pollinators. Tightly-packed double blooms make it too difficult for bees to reach pollen and nectar.
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Exposed stamens: The golden center of a rose is the buried treasure that pollinators are in search of. Varieties with open blooms and visible stamens are significantly more attractive.
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Fragrance: Beneficial critters enjoy the fragrance of roses as much as we do! Strongly-scented varieties are more frequently visited by pollinators than unscented modern hybrids.
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Repeat blooming: Roses that bloom continuously throughout the season provide a more sustained food source than once-blooming varieties – keeping pollinators coming back for more.
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Rose hips: Roses that form hips provide a food source that invites pollinators into fall and even winter.
Best Rose Types for Pollinators
With a variety of bloom forms and fragrance levels, different types of roses perform differently for pollinators. Here are the ones these friendly critters love the most and what makes them so enticing.
Species and Wild Roses
These are roses in their purest form. Their simple, open blooms with fully exposed pollen and abundant hip production naturally draw in pollinators all season long.
Rugosa Roses (Rosa Rugosa)
Known for their large, open blooms, strong fragrance, and excellent hips, Rugosa roses are widely considered “bee magnets.” Not only are they considered among the best pollinator-friendly roses out there, but they’re hardy and low-maintenance – making them an excellent choice for beginner gardeners.
Shrub Roses
Many modern shrub roses balance repeat bloom with open flower forms that remain accessible to pollinators. Disease-resistant varieties are always recommended for ease of care.
Old Garden Roses
Old garden roses are renowned for their captivating fragrance that appeal to pollinators during their one-time bloom flush. Many produce ornamental hips that are of higher-quality than modern varieties.
Single and Semi-Double Climbing Roses
Vigorously-growing climbing roses with open bloom forms are an excellent option for beautifying garden structures while supporting pollinators. If your priority is pollinator support over everything, avoid heavily double hybrid tea and grandiflora forms with hidden stamens.
Our Picks: Pollinator-Friendly Roses from April & Ashley
From bloom form to fragrance and color, we have roses with all the qualities that attract bees, butterflies, and friendly beetles and contribute to a healthier garden. Here are our top picks:
Single & Semi-Double Bloomers
1. Rose de Tende: This elegant shrub rose has everything pollinators look for – a single bloom form with exposed golden stamens and vivid red color. Rose de Tende is suitable for gardeners in zones 5-11.
2. Betty Boop: With a semi-double bloom form and fruity fragrance, pollinators are driven right to the golden heart of this vibrant rose. Betty Boop is suitable for gardeners in zones 6-10.
Fragrant Shrub Roses
1. Princeses Astrid de Belgique: Creamy white petals unfurl to reveal a set of golden stamens and release an intoxicating aroma that makes pollinators want to dive right in. Princess Astris de Belgique is suitable for gardeners in zones 5-11.
2. Lemontini: This lemon-yellow beauty boats a citrusy fragrance and accessible stamens that pollinators just can’t resist. Lemontini is suitable for gardeners in zones 5-11.
Species-Derived Roses
1. Blushing Babylon Eyes: A modern hybrid of the wild Rosa persica, this rose possesses the bloom form that pollinators adore – simple and open with the pollen fully exposed. Blushing Babylon Eyes is suitable for gardeners in zones 5-11.
2. Orienta Aylin: Another gorgeous member of the persica family, Orienta Aylin’s vibrant yellow petals open to reveal golden stamens that are easily accessible to pollinators. Orienta Aylin is suitable for gardeners in zones 5-11.
Pollinator-Friendly Climbers
1. Starlet Beauty Lola: This vigorous repeat bloomer can be trained to fill any garden structure with radiant color and attract pollinators to its exposed stamens all season long. Starlet Beauty Lola is suitable for gardeners in zones 5-11.
Tips for Making Your Rose Garden More Pollinator-Friendly
If pollinator activity in your rose garden has been minimal, a few simple tweaks will attract even more. Here are our top tips for creating a garden that birds, bees, and other beneficial insects naturally gravitate toward:
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Reduce or eliminate pesticides in and around rose beds: These chemicals could harm or kill beneficial insects. If treatment is necessary, apply in the early morning or evening when pollinators are less active. Avoid spraying open blooms.
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Let some blooms form hips: Rose hips are highly appealing to birds and pollinators. Let them form (especially late in the season) rather than deadheading everything.
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Plant in groupings rather than single specimens: Pollinators need to be able to identify their targets. Clusters of the same rose stand out and make it simple for bees and butterflies to locate.
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Pair roses with companion plants: Plants like lavender, catmint, and salvia not only complement roses aesthetically, but extend the bloom season and attract additional pollinators.
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Provide a water source nearby: Make your rose garden even more welcoming to pollinators by placing a shallow dish or a birdbath close by. This will keep bees and other insects hydrated and encourage them to stick around longer. Place a few stones next to the water as landing pads.
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Leave some areas of the garden a little wilder: Clearing some space in your garden will attract ground-nesting bees – who strongly prefer areas with bare dirt or sparse vegetation.
Final Thoughts
Roses are so much more than just eye candy in the garden – they’re part of a broader ecosystem. Choosing varieties with easily-accessible pollen and adopting a few simple habits will not only bring pollinators to your garden, but contribute to biodiversity and overall environmental health. Visit The Greenhouse for more expert gardening tips and tricks on growing healthy, vibrant roses.