Plant of the Week

Knock Out Roses

Knock Out is a name given to a group of roses that are fast becoming the rose of choice.

These award-winning roses were bred to be repeat bloomers, easy to grow, low maintenance, hardy and disease resistant. They’re self-cleaning, so there’s no need to deadhead.

What’s not to like? Most Knock Outs are listed between 3-to 4-feet tall, but can easily exceed that unless pruned back in early spring as the leaf buds begin to break. These roses should be planted where they’ll receive at least a half day to a full day of sun.

Here are the different varieties:

1. The Original Knock Out Rose (single cherry red flowers)

2. The Double Knock Out Rose (double cherry red flowers - twice as many petals per flower)

3. The Pink Knock Out Rose (single pink flowers)

4. The Pink Double Knock Out Rose (double pink flowers - twice as many petals per flower)

5. The Rainbow Knock Out Rose (coral pink blooms with yellow centers)

6. The Blushing Knock Out Rose (light pink flowers)

7. Sunny Knock Out Rose (bright yellow flowers that fade to a pastel cream color)

‘White Out’ is a rose bred by the creator of the Knock Out rose series, but it isn’t a member of the Knock Out family. The white flowers make a nice contrast against the deep green foliage that has a red hue when young.