Hybrid tea vs. floribunda roses - what's the difference?

Classifications between different types of roses can sometimes be confusing at best. In this short article we try to demystify the difference between hybrid tea roses and floribunda roses and help you to understand which are more suitable for different sites and situations in your garden.

Floribunda rose - Iceberg

Hybrid tea rose - Mister Lincoln

Overview

• Floribunda - Latin for "many flowering", these roses bear many flowers held in large clusters, blooming continuously from summer through to late autumn. They aren't normally as scented as Hybrid Tea roses but are generally hardier and more robust, with a higher disease resistance and therefore easier to grow.

• Hybrid Tea - produce large, shapely flowers from high-centred buds on long, straight stems. They produce one flower per stem, making them great for using as cut flowers. Flowers usually appear in three flushes between summer and late autumn. They're sparsely foliaged with average winter hardiness.

Flowers

• Floribunda - In clusters, smaller and flatter than HT.

• Hybrid Tea - Large single flowers on long stems.

Flowering Time

• Floribunda - Summer to late autumn.

• Hybrid Tea - Summer to late autumn.

Repeat Flowering

• Floribunda - Yes, continuously.

• Hybrid Tea - Yes, usually in three flushes.

Fragrance

• Floribunda - Most varieties have little fragrance.

• Hybrid Tea - Yes, very fragrant.

Size

• Floribunda - Usually max 1m by 1m (3ft by 3ft)

• Hybrid Tea - From 1m to 2.5m (3ft to 7ft) tall and 1m to 1.3m (3-5ft) wide.

Growth Habit

• Floribunda - Goblet-shaped.

• Hybrid Tea - Upright, very straight stems.

Hardiness

• Floribunda - Yes, fully hardy.

• Hybrid Tea - Average winter hardiness, not as robust as floribunda roses.

Aspect

• Floribunda - Requires full sun.

• Hybrid Tea - Full sun is ideal, tolerates a little shade, min 6 hours sunlight per day.

Uses

• Floribunda - Hedging. Trained as espaliers or topiary. Grow well in containers

• Hybrid Tea - Groups in the border. Along a drab fence. In the rose garden

How Produced?

• Floribunda - Cross of hybrid tea and polyantha roses

• Hybrid Tea - Cross between hybrid perpetual and tea roses

Popular Floribunda Roses

• Rose Arthur Bell - clusters of fabulously fragrant, fully double, cupped golden-yellow blooms from July to September, fading to soft creamy-yellow with age.
• Rose Champagne Moment - double-cluster roses, starting apricot in the centres, fading to creamy white towards the edges as they age.
• Rose Fragrant Delight - spectacular, large sprays of fully double, urn-shaped coppery salmon-pink blooms possessing an unparalleled fragrance emerge from pointed, upright buds between July and September.
• Rose Golden Wedding - fantastic, large-flowering variety producing rich, golden yellow blooms which are set off beautifully against a plentiful display of attractive, glossy dark green deciduous leaves.

Rose Arthur Bell

• Rose Mothers Day -  beautiful, fully double, deep crimson-red, velvety blooms produced above short, sturdy canes which are well foliated with finely-toothed, ovate, glossy dark green leaves.
• Rose Princess of Wales - a cream base leading to varying shades of pale pink. The scent is light but absolutely wonderful. A very elegant rose. Suitable for coastal sites.
• Rose Remembrance - bears clusters of bright scarlet blooms, and it's dark green deciduous foliage has good disease resistance. Compact habit of growth so ideal for tub or small border.
• Rose Rhapsody in Blue - large, loosely double, deep purple blooms with a delicious, fruity-floral scent and gently darken to slate-blue as they mature.

Rose Rhapsody in Blue

Popular Hybrid Tea Roses

• Rose Compassion (Climbing Hybrid Tea) - beautiful, fully double, high-centred soft apricot to salmon pink blooms with an outstanding, sweet scent emerge from well-shaped buds between June and August.
• Rose Freedom - beautiful, deep yellow double blooms that hold their colour throughout summer and autumn. 'Freedom' is a vigorous bushy variety with good disease resistance.
• Rose Mister Lincoln - large, high-centred, double, velvety deep red blooms emerge from long, pointed buds above leathery, dark green deciduous leaves from July to September.
• Rose Pascali - large, high-centred, fully double pure white blooms which are urn-shaped and neatly-formed with a blush of creamy-yellow in the centre as they are opening.

Rose Freedom

• Rose Ruby Wedding - shapely, fully double, deep ruby-red blooms with a velvety texture and subtle, fruity fragrance are borne continuously on stiff stems between July and September.
• Rose Silver Anniversary - bearing a lovely fragrance, white blooms are borne in an abundance amid light green foliage which has good disease resistance. Ideal gift to celebrate 25 years of marriage.
• Rose Tequila Sunrise - pretty eye-catching large double, yellow flowers with scarlet margins.
• Rose With Thanks - large blooms of pink blend with a yellow reverse and a magnificent strong fragrance above healthy dark green deciduous foliage with very few thorns. Good for using as cut flowers.

   

Rose Ruby Wedding