Knock Out Roses
The introduction of the Knock Out Rose family has completely changed the world of rose gardening. Never before have so many gardeners been able to grow fabulous roses even in cold climates and with very little time commitment.
This collection of roses is definitely a knockout in a lot of ways, but the easy care combined with fantastic blooming qualities puts them at the top of the zone 5 gardeners list! The blooming is amazingly floriferous in striking color all season long. Knock Out roses are completely hardy in zone 5, many gardeners claiming the same in zone 4. It is definitely a good idea to mulch heavily in zone 4, and consider more extensive winter protection methods in colder zones, especially if snow cover is not reliable. (Zone 2 and 3 gardeners might want to consider the Canadian bred Explorer or Parkland Roses or Rugosa Roses for easy care in even colder climates.) The excellent resistance to disease also makes the Knock Out family a great choice for humid climates where rose disease and fungus can be a problem. Use Knock Outs anywhere in your gardens and landscape. Their smaller size and dense growing habit makes them perfect for accent and specimen plants, bordering gardens, sidewalks or driveways, mass plantings, and they are great in container.
Knock Out ‘Radrazz’ (William Radler’s original hybrid)
Class: Shrub rose
Sun: Full sun
Height: 3-4
Spread: 3-4’
Growth Habit: Compact, mounded, bushy
Bloom Color: Cherry red
Flower Form: Flat cupped, single/semi double
Flower Size: Medium, 3 - 3 1/2”
Petal Count: 5-7
Bloom Season: Nearly continuous, spring to frost
Fragrance: Slightly spicy, light tea rose fragrance
Stem: Thorned
Foliage: Deep mossy green tinged maroon, with maroon underside
Disease Resistance: Extremely disease and back spot resistant
Soil: Enriched well drained
Hardiness: zones 5-9
This is the original Knock Out, offering incredible flowering with clusters of cherry red single and semi-double blooms. Clusters of one to five blooms with as many as 25 blooms per flowering branch creates a spectacular display. Blooming occurs in cycles of about 5 to 6 weeks. The foliage turns to lovely burgundy in autumn, and hips are bright orange red. Knock Out is somewhat drought tolerant, and resists blackspot and insects. Will do well in zones 3 and 4 with winter protection.
Double Knock Out ‘Radtko’
Class: Shrub rose
Sun: Full sun, will tolerate some shade
Height: 3-4’
Spread: 3-4’
Growth Habit: Compact, mounded, bushy
Bloom Color: Deep cherry red
Flower Form: Double, classic tea rose look
Flower Size: Medium, 3 - 3 1/2”
Petal Count: 18-25
Bloom Season: Recurrent, spring to frost
Fragrance: Slightly spicy, light tea rose fragrance
Stem: Thorned
Foliage: Deep mossy green tinged maroon, with maroon underside
Disease Resistance: Extremely disease and back spot resistant
Soil: Enriched well drained
Hardiness: zones 5-9
Just like the original Knock Out, Double Knock Out offers incredible flowering with clusters of cherry, but with double blooms. The blooms look very much like a classic tea rose bloom. With nearly twice the petals of the Knock Out, Double Knock Out presents a richer coloring. Clusters of one to five blooms with as many as 25 blooms per flowering branch creates a spectacular display. Blooming occurs in cycles of about 5 to 6 weeks beginning in early June. The foliage turns to lovely burgundy in autumn, and hips are bright orange red. Double Knock Out is somewhat drought tolerant, and resists blackspot and insects. It will also tolerate some shade and humid climates. The Double Knock Out is somewhat hardier than the original and will fare better in zone 4, but will still require similar protection in zones 3 and 4.
Blushing Knock Out ‘Radyod’
Class: Shrub rose
Sun: Full sun
Height: 3-4’
Spread: 3-4’
Growth Habit: Bushy
Bloom Color: Light pink
Flower Form: Single to semi-double
Flower Size: Medium, 3 - 3 1/2”
Petal Count: 7-11
Bloom Season: Recurrent, spring to frost
Fragrance: None
Stem: Thorned
Foliage: Mossy green tinged blue
Disease Resistance: Extremely disease and back spot resistant
Soil: Enriched well drained
Hardiness: zones 5-9
Blushing Knock Out blooms have an appearance similar to Knock Out. The blooms are light pink, maturing to a subtle blushed pink. And, like the Knock Out, offers incredible flowering with clusters of pink single and semi-double blooms. Clusters of one to five blooms with as many as 25 blooms per flowering branch creates a spectacular display. Blooming occurs in cycles of about 5 to 6 weeks. The foliage turns to lovely burgundy in autumn, and hips are bright orange red. Blushing Knock Out is somewhat drought tolerant, and resists blackspot and insects. Will do well in zones 3 and 4 with winter protection.
Pink Knock Out ‘Radcon’
Class: Shrub rose
Sun: Full sun
Height: 3’
Spread: 4’
Growth Habit: Bushy
Bloom Color: Bright candy pink
Flower Form: Single to semi double
Flower Size:
Petal Count: 7-11
Bloom Season: Nearly continuous
Fragrance: None
Stem: Thorned
Foliage: Mossy green with blue
Disease Resistance: Extremely disease and back spot resistant
Soil: Enriched well drained, prefers slightly acidic
Hardiness: zones 5-9
Very much like the Knockout, Pink Knock Out blooms continously. Clusters of one to five blooms with as many as 25 blooms per flowering branch creates a spectacular display. Blooming occurs in cycles of about 5 to 6 weeks. The foliage turns to lovely burgundy in autumn, and hips are bright orange red. Pink Knock Out is somewhat drought tolerant, is tolerant of humid climates, and resists blackspot and insects. Will do well in zones 3 and 4 with winter protection.
Pink Double Knock Out ‘Radtkopink’
Class: Shrub rose
Sun: Full sun, may tolerate some shade
Height: 3-4’
Spread: 3-4’
Growth Habit: Compact, mounded and bushy
Bloom Color: Bright bubble gum pink
Flower Form: Double, classic tea rose look
Flower Size: Medium, 3 - 3 1/2”
Petal Count: 18-24
Bloom Season: Recurrent, spring to frost
Fragrance: Slightly spicy, light tea rose fragrance
Stem: Thorned
Foliage: Deep mossy green tinged maroon, with maroon underside
Disease Resistance: Extremely disease and back spot resistant
Soil: Enriched well drained
Hardiness: zones 5-9
Just like Double Knock Out, Pink Double Knock Out offers incredible flowering with clusters of bright pink double blooms. The blooms look very much like a classic tea rose bloom and are more instense than the Pink Knockout. Clusters of one to five blooms with as many as 25 blooms per flowering branch creates a spectacular display. Blooming occurs in cycles of about 5 to 6 weeks beginning in early June. The foliage always looks healthy and turns to lovely burgundy in autumn, and hips are bright orange red. Double Knock Out is somewhat drought tolerant, is tolerant of humid climates, and resists blackspot and insects. The Pink Double Knock Out is somewhat hardier than the original Knock Out and will fare better in zone 4, but will still require similar protection in zones 3 and 4.
Rainbow Knock Out ‘Radcor’
Class: Shrub rose
Sun: Full sun
Height: 3-4’
Spread: 3-4’
Growth Habit: Bushy
Bloom Color: Coral pink with yellow centers
Flower Form: Single
Flower Size: Medium, 3”
Petal Count: 5-7
Bloom Season: Recurrent, spring to frost
Fragrance: None
Stem: Thorned
Foliage: Dark green
Disease Resistance: Extremely disease and back spot resistant
Soil: Enriched well drained
Hardiness: zones 5-9
Rainbow Knock Out is very floriferous , producing blooms of everchanging coral, pink, yellow and cream blooms. Rainbow Knockout grows a bit more compactly than the others, and is rarely affected by black spot and has good resistance to rust. Foliage opens in a deep burgundy and matures to dark green. Will do well in zones 3 and 4 with winter protection.
Sunny Knock Out ‘Radsunny’
Class: Shrub rose
Sun: Full sun
Height: 3-4’
Spread: 3-4
Growth Habit: Upright and dense
Bloom Color: Yellow, fading to cream
Flower Form: Single
Flower Size: Medium, 3”
Petal Count: 5-7
Bloom Season: Recurrent, spring to frost
Fragrance: Strong fragrance
Stem: Thorned
Foliage: Dark green glossy
Disease Resistance: Extremely disease and back spot resistant
Soil: Enriched well drained
Hardiness: zones 5-9
Sunny Knock Out is the only fragrant rose of the family. The fragrance does not come from the blooms, but is released by the petioles. It also grows a bit more upright and dense than the others. The bright yellow blooms quickly fade to cream, holding the yellow longer during cool periods in the season. Each stem bears one to five blooms. Sunny Knock Out is also somewhat drought tolerant. Will do well in zones 3 and 4 with winter protection.
Home Run
Class: Shrub rose
Sun: Full sun
Height: 3-4’
Spread: 3-4’
Growth Habit: Rounded
Bloom Color: Flame red
Flower Form: Single
Flower Size: Medium, 3”
Petal Count: 5
Bloom Season: Nearly continuous
Fragrance: Slight fragrance
Stem: Thorned
Foliage: Dark green
Disease Resistance: Perhaps the most disease resistant rose available
Soil: Enriched well drained
Hardiness: zones 5-9
‘Home Run’ is a Knock Out hybrid by Tom Carruth of Weeks Roses, that offers even better resistance to fungus than the original Knock Out family. It is very easy to grow due to its’ hardiness, vigorous growth and disease resistance. The bloom color is a richer red than the Knock Out and is nearly always blooming. Blooms are produced in clusters and are a deeper red in cool weather. The shrub has a very nice rounded form. Foliage turns a rich burgundy in fall. Will do well in zones 3 and 4 with winter protection.
Pink Home Run
Class: Shrub rose
Sun: Full sun
Height: 3-4’
Spread: 3-4’
Growth Habit: Rounded
Bloom Color: Flame red
Flower Form: Single
Flower Size: Medium, 3”
Petal Count: 5
Bloom Season: Nearly continuous
Fragrance: Slight fragrance
Stem: Thorned
Foliage: Dark green
Disease Resistance: Perhaps the most disease resistant rose available
Soil: Enriched well drained
Hardiness: zones 5-9
Every bit as wonderful as the original ‘Home Run’, ‘Pink Home Run’ has rich pink flowers that are striking and vivid. In cool weather the bloom can be a bit deeper in color. Use for borders and beds, foundation planting, specimen and accent plants or a fabulous rose hedge.