Drift Roses – Pros And Cons

Q: I’m not very familiar with Drift roses but am seeing them more in nurseries. What are their plusses and minuses? 

A: Drift roses have been around for a decade but recently their originator, the Conard-Pyle company, decided to market them more heavily. They deserve this because these roses are about as pest resistant and easy to grow as Knock Out roses but smaller. There are more diverse bloom colors and a couple of Drift roses even have fragrance, something I never notice with Knock Out roses. Because they are smaller, Drift roses are adaptable to small landscapes. They only reach 2-3 feet tall and have a spreading habit. Maintenance is simple: clip them down to half their end-of winter size and fertilize with a controlled-release fertilizer when strong growth begins in April. Choose from Drift Pink, Drift Coral, Drift Red, Drift Peach, Drift Apricot, and several other colors.