Wild roses are a bee-friendly and low-maintenance alternative to cultivated roses. Why you should prefer wild roses to cultivated roses and what you need to consider when planting and caring for them, we show you in our guide.
The rose is considered by many people to be the “queen of flowers” and is therefore also very popular with amateur gardeners. It can be used in many ways, for example as a hedge, shrub or for greening archways and house facades. Wild roses are particularly suitable for this purpose. But most people reach for cultivated roses – primarily because of their large, double flowers. Although these look beautiful, they are of no use to bees and other insects. Bees can no longer find pollen and nectar there. If you want to make your garden beautiful and bee-friendly, choose wild roses.
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Wild roses: native varieties
If you want to plant wild roses in your garden, you have several options. The following native varieties are particularly bee-friendly wild roses:
- Apple Rose
- Beaver rose
- Vinegar rose
- Felt rose
- Creeping rose
- Vine rose
By the way, all of the listed wild roses bear (edible) rose hips. In contrast to cultivated roses, the rose hips are usually somewhat larger. You can make a rose hip tea from them, for example.
Planting wild roses: Tips and tricks
How exactly you need to plant wild roses varies greatly depending on the variety. However, there are a few basic tips and tricks that you should always follow:
- Location: Wild roses are very robust. Therefore, they do not make high demands on their location. Many varieties tolerate lean soils as well as windy and shady places.
- Space: Wild roses need enough space to thrive. You should keep this in mind when planting. So don’t plant them too close together.
- Timing: The best time to plant wild roses is in spring or fall.
- Transplanting: Transplanting roses: How to keep the plant undamaged
Caring for wild roses: Pruning and fertilizing
There are also many differences between the varieties when it comes to caring for wild roses. As a general rule, however, you can assume that wild roses are easy to care for and not very demanding.
- Pruning: Unlike cultivated roses, wild roses do not require regular pruning. Only dead and very old shoots should be removed, if necessary.
- Wintering: Wild roses are frost hardy and do not need special attention in winter.
- Fertilizing and watering wild roses is also not necessary. However, if it is very hot for a long time, you should give them some water.
- Wild roses are much more resistant to diseases and pests than cultivated roses.