BBC Gardeners' World

Plant details

• Common Name: Floribunda rose
• Genus: Rosa
• Cultivar: 'Chinatown'
• Skill Level: beginner
• Exposure: full sun
• Hardiness: hardy
• Soil type: clay/heavy, moist, well-drained/light
• Height: 1.5m
• Spread: 1.2m

This fine rose does not fit neatly into any category it is variously classed as a floribunda, a modern shrub rose, and even a cluster-flowered climber. This is because, despite its lack of height, the vigorous upright growth can be trained in vertically or as an espalier, much like a more conventional climber. It is popular and resilient, tolerating exposed sites and heavy rain without loss of disease resistance. The blooms are rich yellow, flushed with pink and borne in large trusses, and the rose looks well both as a specimen at the back of a border, and massed for impact in beds. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it their prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).