AARS - All-American Rose Selections

There is an organization of rose enthusiasts who care about roses so much they are willing to ensure that they live up to the highest standards of quality. Many people are not even aware that this organization exists, but they do. Many people just take a rose’s beauty and heartiness for granted because they think that is exactly what a rose is supposed to look like. After all, hasn’t it looked this way for centuries?

Not all roses are worth of a seal of approval from the AARS. If a rose does not measure up to the strict qualities put forth by the committee, the AARS or All-American Rose Selections will not get a seal of approval. Since 1983, the AARS has become synonymous with the word “quality” in the world of roses.

The AARS is a not-for-profit organization and they introduce and grow roses themselves. They will take pride in knowing and evaluating roses not only on how they look, but how they handle climate changes, diseases and the warding off of different pests.

There have been several new rose specimens growing in approved test gardens within the United States for two years now. These testing areas are located in California, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Illinois, Wisconsin, Washington and 13 other various states to see how the specimens tolerate different weather patterns.

The persons in charge of these testing gardens have to follow very strict guidelines by the AARS, which ensures consistency throughout their evaluation period. The guidelines are not complex, but must be followed strictly. They have been specifically developed so that the average rose grower could understand them. If a rose does get an AARS seal of approval, they can be successfully grown and maintained by anyone, no matter what their level of rose-growing expertise may be.

The rose specimen will also be under evaluation from a number of other categories and will receive scores in these categories. Some of these categories include fragrance, the color upon opening its bud and upon peaking, its foliage, the ability to flower, the buds, the steams, the flower itself, its vigor and finally, its value overall.

There are new specimens on the market every year that have passed and been awarded an AARS seal of approval. There were 4 winners in 2006, including the Julia Child, which is an old-fashioned grand dame who has a buttery gold color and wonderful disease tolerance; the Rainbow Sorbet, which has a medium-sized flower and is a floribunda with a bright orange, yellow and red mix; Wild Blue Yonder, another grandiflora with shades of lavender and a citrus and rose smell; and Tahitian Sunset, which is a grand hybrid tea that has a peach and apricot pink color that is 5” across and up to 30 petals each with a light scent of licorice.

Testing is an essential part of the AARS winners and they must be easy to grow by the average rose gardener. Make plans to visit your local nursery to get the best of the rose breeds in your area or order some new ones online.

         

Rose Types and Classifications