How to Plant, Grow, and Care For Drift Roses

Drift® roses are small-scale roses that flower continually throughout the growing season. In soft shades like apricot, lemon, and peach to vibrant pink and red, a profusion of blooms against compact dark, glossy foliage brings long-lasting color. Their manageable size, disease resistance, and low maintenance make them easy to incorporate into the landscape.

Loads of petite, densely packed flowers appear as single cups or double rosettes and carry a light fragrance. The low-growing, prolific plants boast excellent disease resistance and adaptability, making them a lovely but tough-as-nails landscape favorite.

What are Drift® Roses?

Drifts are a cross between classic groundcover roses and miniature roses. They bear the disease resistance, toughness, hardiness of groundcovers, and mannerly habit and repeat flowering of their miniature parentage. 

Introduced by Star Roses, a partnership of French rose breeders Meilland and Pennsylvania-based Conard-Pyle Company, Drift comes from the same hybridizers of the Knockout rose. Knockouts are mid-size shrubs with durable appeal, and Drifts represent the same rugged qualities in a more delicate package.

As landscape groundcover roses, Drifts tolerate various conditions and need little gardener intervention. They don’t require spraying or fertilizer to grow. They’re winter-hardy and tolerate heat and humidity. 

Use the flowering shrubs in small groups to create a carpet of color or as single-potted specimens. They grow beautifully along borders, walkways, and among existing shrubs and perennials. Plant them on a hillside for erosion control, along a wall, or as a hedge for added interest and color.

Characteristics

The florific shrubs are available in a range of colors on mounding plants with a tidy form. On average, they reach only one and a half to three feet tall and spread two to three feet. Each variety bears its own hue, flower form, and habit. The soft blooms have a light, sweet fragrance if you experience them up close.

Dark green, glossy leaves provide a stable backdrop to the continual flowers. After the initial flush, plants continue to bloom throughout the warm season without deadheading. The flowers are “self-cleaning” and drop petals on their own. New blooms take their place, usually flowering every five to six weeks but as often as five times a year in warm climates. The shrubs retain a tidy habit and need minimal pruning to maintain a full form.

Native Area

Drift roses are of garden origin and bred specifically for the high-performing attributes of their low-growing parent plants: groundcover and miniature selections. Groundcover roses are low-growing shrub roses with a trailing, spreading, or sprawling habit. They quickly fill a slope or ramble along a wall with little care. Many are likely descendants of wild climbing ancestors from Eastern Asia, particularly China.

Miniature roses, the other parent of Drift® hybrids, likely originate from old China roses, Rosa chinensis. Repeat flowering and compact form are a result of hybridizing miniature varieties.

Both types grow across various climate conditions, particularly the hardy groundcover parentage.

Planting

Carpet types are versatile in countless planting arrangements. Their manageable size makes them perfect for tucking into open pockets, filling a border, or punctuating a container.

Depending on the variety, leave three to four feet between selections to allow room for mature growth. Like all roses, they’ll appreciate ample air circulation between other plants.

To grow them in a container, choose a vessel twice as large as the nursery pot with good drainage. Opt for a high-quality potting mix and check regularly for adequate moisture. Potted plants dry out more quickly than in-ground plantings. Drifts prefer even moisture, though they can dry a bit between watering sessions.

Transplanting

Drift roses are best planted in late winter, early spring, and fall. Cool conditions and seasonal moisture pose the least stress on the new plant.

Drift varieties are readily available at nurseries. Depending on your climate, they also ship potted or bare root in late winter and fall.

Bare root roses arrive dormant without soil but quickly fill out after planting and with warming temperatures. They’ll establish over the spring for summer blooming.

At planting, dig a hole twice as large as the existing root ball and work the underlying soil to loosen it. Amend the native soil with compost, and plant the rose a little high (slightly mounded above the soil level) to allow for settling.

How to Grow

These low-growing beauties appear delicate but are quite rugged by nature. Healthy roses require good air circulation, sunlight, adequate moisture, and draining soils. With these in place, Drifts don’t need much extra attention except to enjoy their carefree garden presence.

Light

The more sunlight, the better for these floriferous growers. Six to eight hours of daily sunlight ensures the best flowering and plant vigor.

Water

Newly planted groundcover roses need regular moisture to establish. Aim for consistently moist soils, usually about one inch per week. Once established, regular seasonal rainfall is generally sufficient with supplemental irrigation during hot or dry spells.

Too much water leads to yellowing leaves and overly saturated roots that promote fungal problems. These blooming workhorses are drought tolerant. Water when the top three inches of soil feels dry.

The best time to water is in the morning. Soaker hoses, drip, and ground-level irrigation means less water splashing on leaves and less opportunity for fungal spores to spread. To prevent foliar diseases with overhead watering, water early so leaves and stems dry in the day’s sun and breeze.

Soil

Organically rich loams are best, but Drift varieties aren’t overly picky as long as soils are well-draining. They prefer neutral, balanced soils with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5.

Incorporate three to six inches of compost derived from completely broken-down plant material. Compost is especially beneficial in poor soils like sand and clay. Compost helps with aeration, moisture retention, drainage, and nutrition.

Temperature and Humidity

With widespread adaptability, the tough shrubs grow across hot and humid climates to USDA zones 10 and 11. Winter hardy, they’ll survive cold regions down to zone 4.

Mulch in the summer to regulate temperature and keep roots cool. In cold winter areas, protect the rose crowns for best overwintering. Add extra mulch or insulate with evergreen boughs for added protection. Protect the branches with a burlap wrap in areas with drying winter winds. In spring, remove excess mulch and uncover the crowns for new growth to emerge.

Opt to overwinter potted specimens indoors in areas with cold winters. A good rule of thumb is to leave pots outdoors if hardy to two zones colder than your growing zone. Otherwise, shelter them in a cool, dark space like a garage or basement until the threat of the last frost passes in the spring. Check their soil moisture periodically to keep the roots from drying out completely.

Fertilizing

Fertilizer isn’t essential, but if you give plants a boost, wait until after the first flowering cycle for Drift roses. Fish emulsion or an organic rose fertilizer work well. Hold off on fertilizing late in the summer as plants prepare for winter dormancy. Encouraging new growth and blooms makes them susceptible to winter damage.

Maintenance

A few simple seasonal garden tasks help maintain health and vigor. Year-round, maintain a three-inch layer of mulch to retain moisture, regulate temperature, and suppress weeds. Mulch also adds nutrients to the soil as it decomposes.

While deadheading isn’t essential for continual blooming, it helps maintain a tidy appearance. It’s entirely up to the gardener’s preference to trim faded flowers; Drift roses won’t mind either way.

Pruning in late winter to early spring helps increase circulation and shape plant form. Remove any crossed, diseased, or dead canes as preventative maintenance. To retain a height of one and a half feet, cut plants back to six to eight inches tall in late winter. They’ll triple in size by the end of the season.

Remove diseased leaves and those from the ground as part of regular maintenance. Removing fallen leaves and flowers promotes overall health and reduces the occurrence of pests and diseases.

Propagation

Plant patents protect Drift® roses and prohibit their propagation. Legally, you need to purchase them from the parent company or a retailer to add to your collection.

Popular Varieties

These popular groundcovers are available in 11 varieties: ‘Apricot,’ ‘Peach,’ ‘Coral,’ ‘Blushing,’ ‘Pink,’ ‘Sweet,’ ‘Popcorn,’ ‘Buttercream,’ ‘Lemon,’ ‘Red,’ and ‘White.’

‘Sweet’

Rosa ‘Meiswetdom’ creates a carpet of soft pink double blooms among lustrous foliage. It yields cupped blooms with up to 35 petals per flower. 

These gold medal winners make excellent mass plantings for the front of the border and along walkways. A romantic selection, ‘Sweet’ is lovely in cottage gardens and pastel arrangements. 

‘Peach’

Rosa ‘Meiggili’ boasts a profusion of soft peach fully-petaled blooms. Light yellow buds open to frilly peach flowers with golden centers.

‘Apricot,’ or Rosa ‘Meimirrote,’ yields rich, double blooms with creamy orange and pink petals, bringing soft, neutral tones amidst other flowering plants. Each bloom is a perfectly cupped rosette.

‘Red’

Among the most popular varieties, the cerise-pink flowers of ‘Meigalpio’ make this one elegant and eye-catching. This easy-care red rose is perfect for potting, trailing over a wall, or creating a low border. It flowers in abundance and reaches only two and a half feet wide. 

Common Problems

Choosing a resistant plant and providing the appropriate cultural conditions are the first steps to healthy and beautiful roses. Drift roses fit the bill with good resistance to common fungal problems like powdery mildew and black spot. They can succumb to these diseases but are generally more resistant than other roses.

As for pests, they may incur aphids, beetles, scale, and spider mites, among others. Planting in full sun with plenty of air circulation and average moisture helps stave off infections. Pruning and removing diseased leaves helps prevent the spread of pests and diseases.

Pests

The best way to control insects is to spot them early. You’ll likely see the insects themselves or notice their sticky waste on plants, damaged or yellowing leaves, or webbing. Mites may be present but not visible. 

Spray the plant with a strong stream of water early in the day to deter and knock insects off the stems. If an infestation occurs, a simple horticultural soap rids the plant of insects, but be sure to follow label directions, as these affect beneficial insects as well. 

Diseases

Fortunately, these selections are less frequently affected by disease, though problem specimens should be removed from the garden to minimize chemical treatments and promote the health of surrounding plants.

Leaf Spot

Cercospora leaf spot crops up in especially wet seasons. Rainfall and overhead watering promote the spread of this fungal disease, visible by brown dots on leaf surfaces. Cercospora rarely kills an established rose, though heavily impacted plants may show less blooming and vigor.

To prevent the spread of Cercospora, remove fallen leaves from around plants and remove affected foliage from the plant during the growing season.

Rust

Rust, a common fungal disease, is possible in hot, humid summer climates. Powdery spores may appear on the undersides of yellowing leaves. If rust is spotted, cut off the infected leaves. Rust spreads readily, so make sure to destroy the infected plant parts.

Powdery Mildew

Powdery mildew is another common fungal disease characterized by a gray-white powdery substance on leaves, stems, and buds. The leaves may distort and drop.

Black Spot Fungus

Black spot fungus causes dark spots with feathery margins on leaves and stems. It occurs when leaves remain overly wet (from overhead watering or periods of prolonged moisture). If spraying leaves with water to deter pests, do so in the morning or midday, when leaves will have time to dry in the sun.

Rose Rosette Virus

Rose rosette virus causes growth malformation (like witches’ broom) and kills the plant. To prevent the fast-spreading disease, remove any roses with symptoms. Burn them to control the spread. 

Horticultural oils like neem can treat black spot, rust, and powdery mildew (but again, these impact beneficial insects, so be sure to follow application requirements). Prune away damaged foliage and blooms as soon as you notice them to control most diseases.

Frequently Asked Questions