About Rootstock

By far, the most common way to propagate roses is through grafting, a practice in which a bud-eye or cutting of a rose is inserted into a rootstock (or under stock, as it is often referred to) of another variety.  This is done by growing a mature rootstock plant, cutting T-shaped holes in an area of the bark, placing a bud into the cut, and wrapping securely until it sets roots into the bark.  Once the graft takes, the upper branching of the rootstock is cut off, leaving only the grafted buds to grow and form a new bush.

This method of propagation is fast and inexpensive compared to growing rooted cuttings.  However, it comes at a price.  The place where the bud has been added, called the crown or bud-union, is a weak area on the plant.  A hard, freezing winter can easily damage the crown, leaving only the rootstock to grow.  Rootstock has tendencies to sucker and revert to its natural state, creating a constant battle in the rose garden.  Rootstock suckers must be continually pruned out to maintain the original rose.

Many people are unaware that the underground portion of their rose may be different from what they see above ground.  That is, until an unusually cold winter kills their hybrid tea, and in its place grows a rampant climber with single, white flowers!  Gardeners with grafted roses should be aware that if left unchecked, the rootstock (usually more vigorous) has the ability to strangle out the original rose bush.

Grafted roses also have a shorter life expectancy than own-root roses; over time, a grafted rose will outgrow the bud union and need to be replaced.  The bud union can become quite large over time, creating an unsightly “battle of the bulge.”

Grafting has been the primary method of producing roses ever since the first Hybrid Tea rose was introduced in the late 1800’s.  ‘La France’ had a beautiful bloom but the plant was weak.  By budding it onto rootstock, it took on more vigor and budding soon became the method of producing the modern rose.  This type of propagation provides more instant gratification (being sold at a larger size than own-root roses).  However, the decreased winter hardiness and disease resistance, tendency to sucker, and the rise of rose virus within commercial rootstock has made the industry rethink propagating roses the old-fashioned way.  For hundreds of years, home gardeners have been propagating their own roses by taking cuttings and growing them on their own roots.  With Heirloom Roses, gardeners can enjoy the many benefits own-root roses have to offer without having to worry about rootstock.

Beware of Imposters!

Dr. Huey

There are a number of rootstock plants used depending on the company growing the rose and where in the country it will be sold.  If one of your roses is behaving differently and growing out of control, you probably have an imposter – it has reverted to rootstock.  The most commonly used rootstock is Dr. Huey (shown at left); it has a long budding season, stores well when bare-rooted and does well in all parts of the country.

Some roses used as rootstock are: