Knockout and Drift roses: The low maintenance roses that have become landscape favorites
By Johnette Magner
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SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (KTBS) — Both Knockout and Drift roses have become favorites in both residential and commercials landscapes due to their low maintenance and impressive blooming cycles.
“The Knockout and Drift roses are incredibly easy to care for,” says local rosarian Connie Reeve. “They’re favored by landscapers because homeowners don’t have to do much to maintain them.”
Unlike hybrid tea roses, which require deadheading to encourage continuous blooms, these roses keep flowering with minimal intervention. Another advantage of Knockout and Drift roses is their extended bloom period.
“Most shrubs, like azaleas, have a single blooming season,” Reeve explains. “But Knockouts start blooming in late April and can continue all the way through November or December, depending on the weather in the Ark-La-Tex region.”
While both varieties are celebrated for their resilience and beauty, they have key differences. Drift roses, also known as groundcover roses, remain small and spread out, making them perfect for filling space in a garden. Knockout roses, on the other hand, can grow quite large if left unpruned.
“They do need pruning to maintain their shape,” Reeve advises. “If they get too big, you might need to trim them again in late summer.”
Another major selling point of Knockout roses is their resistance to disease. “Black spot is a common problem for roses, causing leaves to fall off,” says Reeves. “But Knockouts are highly resistant, which means less need for fungicides and extra care.”
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