Rosa chinensis 'Viridiflora'
green rose
Unusual, novel rose, to about 1m tall, with twiggy, almost thornless stems, and healthy glossy mid-green leaves. Curious blooms without petals, are formed by a multitude of green and brown bracts, turning purplish-brown with age, freely borne almost continuously from early summer to late in autumn
Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0.5–1 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Green Brown Purple | Green | ||
| Autumn | Green Brown Purple | Green | ||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H6Botanical details
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Bushy
- Potentially harmful
- Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets: Fruit are ornamentl - not to be eaten - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
- Genus
Rosa can be deciduous or semi-evergreen shrubs or scrambling climbers, with usually thorny stems bearing compound pinnate leaves and solitary or clustered flowers. Flowers may be followed by showy red or purple fruits in some varieties.
- Name status
Accepted
- Horticultural Group
- China roses are slender bushes with almost thornless stems bearing glossy foliage and single or double, sometimes fragrant flowers intermittently in summer and autumn
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in full sun. Mulch with well-rotted organic matter in late winter or early spring, and for best flowering apply a general rose or shrub fertiliser in early spring and again in early summer. Excellent for flower arranging. See rose cultivation
Propagation
Propagate by hardwood cuttings in autumn, softwood cuttings (under glass) in spring or summer or by chip budding in summer
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal garden
- Patio and container plants
- Cut flowers
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
See pruning group 21 (roses)
Pests
May be susceptible to aphids, rose leafhopper, glasshouse red spider mite, scale insects, caterpillars, large rose sawfly, rose slugworm sawfly and rose leaf-rolling sawfly. Deer and rabbits can cause damage
Diseases
May be susceptible to rose black spot, rose rust, replant disease, rose dieback, and rose powdery mildew. May also be susceptible to disorders rose blindness and flower balling and sometimes honey fungus
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.