Sunrosa Soft PinkSunrosa roses, a hot new plant brand from Suntory Flowers, have been capturing attention in leading landscape trial evaluations during the past three summers. In addition to being hardy to Zone 5 in the North, Sunrosa varieties sizzle in the South year round by offering a compact growth habit, extended flowering period and superb disease resistance.
When the University of Georgia (UGA) conducted an extensive rose trial over the summer of 2012, both Sunrosa Red and Sunrosa Yellow received perfect scores for foliage quality the entire five months, May through October. Sunrosa Red earned UGA’s prestigious Classic City Award for its performance in 2012 and then was named a Plant of Distinction in 2013.
Right after the rose trials, UGA’s Dr. Allan Armitage said, “I was taken with Sunrosa’s retail friendly size and wanted to evaluate leaf health and flower power in the very challenging heat and humidity of Athens, Ga. Sunrosa Red was glorious, and even though considerably smaller than all the other roses we were grading, plants more than held their own.”
In 2013, Sunrosa received Best of Species award from Penn State University and was named a top performer at Mississippi State University. The latest big accolade comes from Colorado State University (CSU) in 2014. The report from Colorado State’s perennials trial committee states:
“Constant red flowers and impressive growth habit make this plant attractive all season. Glossy dark green foliage had no signs of chlorosis or disease. Red flowers did not fade and bloomed steadily from mid-June through October. Small foliage and a dwarf, compact growth habit makes this a good choice for the smaller or midsize landscapes. The compact growth habit is maintained without any pruning.”
CSU normally evaluates perennials for three growing seasons before naming top performers but decided Sunrosa was a “too good to wait performer” after one season.
Recommended uses
Compact Sunrosa roses are ideal for small to medium landscape spaces and patio containers, as well as planted in masses to create borders or fill slopes and banks. Plants have an upright, bushy habit but only reach a height of 15-30 inches with a spread of 12-18 inches.
Labor-saving Sunrosa roses require less pruning and are easy to care for. Plants are covered with blooms that are 1.5-2 inches in diameter. Colors include Red, Yellow, Soft Pink, Fragrant Pink and Orange Delight. Grow in full sun for best results.
Growers can purchase Sunrosa liners from Sun-Fire Nurseries in Sarasota, Fla. (www.sunfirenurseries.com) It is recommended plants be finished in gallon pots or larger, although they are compact enough for quarts. Crop time from potting to finish is 12-16 weeks, depending on culture, growing zone and season. No growth regulators are needed as Sunrosa is naturally compact.
For more information about Sunrosa roses, visit www.suntorycollection.com.