Grafted or own root roses - which one should I choose?Updated a month ago

While this is subject to much debate and crafty marketing on the part of some rose nurseries/companies, there really is no one type that is “better” than the other. Both own root and grafted will grow beautiful hardy roses. It’s important not to focus only on the rootstock when selecting your rose, as there will always be exceptions to any best practices.

Grafted rose on left and own root rose on the right.

If you purchase from a reputable nursery like ours, and they offer a selection of roses as own root or grafted, there is usually a reason why they offer certain varieties as own root and certain varieties as grafted. Some roses do not perform well on their own root and some do. Some thrive either way. We're not just a rose nursery - we also grow thousands of roses on our farm for commercial cut flower production, so we've already done the research for you. We know which roses need a grafted stock and which ones don't. We provide you with the rootstock option(s) in our bare root rose collection that is best for each variety.

Grafted roses can have a long lifespan if properly cared for. (And will certainly have a longer lifespan than if they are a variety that doesn’t grow well on its own roots!) Own roots are usually very hardy in cooler climates; however, this is where it’s important not to just look at the rootstock, but to also consider the other attributes of the plant like the zone rating. An own root plant rated to zone 7 will likely not be very hardy if planted in a zone 4. So select varieties you’d like to try, taking all factors beyond just rootstock into consideration, and you’ll be on your way to a beautiful rose garden come spring!

Zone 3-5 Special Considerations: You can grow grafted roses successfully in zones 3-5, but it does require more winter protection and care to ensure the top stock variety does not dieback in cold winter weather and stays viable for the following year. If you’re new to growing roses in zones 3-5 and not sure how a grafted rose will do in your winter weather, we recommend buying one or two and trying them out for a season to see how they perform in your climate and location over a winter. If you don’t want to take a gamble on grafted, we recommend sticking to own root roses as you get your feet wet so your rose growing experience gets off to a good start.

To learn more, check out our blog posts Grafted vs. Own Root Bare Root Roses and Weekly Newsletter Vol 13: Own Root vs. Grafted Roses.