Rose Sizes and Grading Explained | Spring Hill Nurseries

Quick Look: Spring Hill Nurseries Rose Sizes

Size/Grade	What It Is	Who It’s For
Own Root & Jumbo Own Root	Roses grown on their own roots, valued for cold hardiness, strong rebound, and long lifespan.	Gardeners in colder climates or anyone looking for a durable, long-living rose that stays true to its natural growth habit.
Premium WOW!® Roots	Grafted roses designed for improved vigor, larger blooms, and better adaptability across different soil and growing conditions.	Gardeners who want stronger performance, bigger blooms, and reliable growth across a wide range of environments.
Fortuniana Rootstock	A specialized grafted rootstock known for increased bloom production, vigorous growth, and strong resistance to soil-borne issues.	Ideal for warm climates (especially the South) or challenging soils like sandy conditions where extra vigor and resilience matter.
Jumbo WOW!® Roots	An upgraded WOW!® root system grown larger in the field, delivering a more established bareroot with faster early performance.	Gardeners who want a larger starting plant with more immediate impact and quicker establishment in the garden.

How Do I Shop for Roses Online?

Buying rose plants online is one of the easiest ways to secure healthy, ready-to-plant roses that are just right for your landscape. No matter what your local options may be, with Spring Hill Nurseries, you will always find high-quality, award-winning roses in a wide selection of varieties to choose from. However, shopping for roses online can be a bit confusing for a first-timer, as rose grading and sizing can vary among nurseries.

Spring Hill Nurseries is proud to provide some of the world's finest roses from renowned breeders, in both bare root and potted forms depending on the season. Let's discuss the various forms and ways in which our roses are shipped.

Own-Root Roses

Own-root roses are simply non-grafted roses. They are grown on their own roots and are hardy enough to withstand cold temperatures and tough soil conditions. Many own-root roses perform especially well in northern locations, where harsh winters can be a concern for other rose types. In situations where unusually hard freezes cause dieback, own-root roses recover more readily.

Budded (Grafted) Roses

Budded roses, also called grafted roses, are made by attaching a single flower bud (or scion) to a rootstock’s stem so their growth tissues line up. As the graft between the two plants heals, the tissues knit together, and the two plants grow as one.There's no chance of separation, and grafted roses are not more susceptible to root or cane loss than own-root roses.

So, why go to the trouble of grafting? Some of the most beautiful rose varieties have specific climate preferences, or require specialized soil to take root. Joining these varieties to tough, adaptable rootstock helps them grow well in many regions across North America, so more gardeners can plant and enjoy them. Such rootstock supports strong performance across a wide range of temperatures, moisture levels and soil conditions.

Premium WOW!® Roots

Premium WOW!® Roots offer a transformative advantage for rose lovers, delivering larger, more abundant blooms and noticeably improved plant vigor. These enhanced root systems boost disease resistance, optimize fertilizer and water usage and provide superior stress recovery—so plants rebound faster from heat, drought or transplant shock. Many rose varieties struggle to thrive on their own roots, but WOW!® Roots make it possible for even these more temperamental types to flourish. Thanks to their adaptability, WOW!® Roots roses perform well across a broader range of soil conditions, including both wetter and drier environments, giving gardeners more flexibility and success in diverse landscapes.

Jumbo WOW!® Roots

Jumbo WOW!® Roots deliver instant impact, offering gardeners a head start on stunning color and performance. These field-grown bare root roses are two to three times larger than premium plants, arriving with an impressive six to nine flower-ready canes. Professionally trimmed to encourage strong initial growth, they’re designed to maximize floral production from day one. With their substantial size and vigor, Jumbo WOW!® Roots can produce up to 50% more blooms in the first year compared to traditional bare root roses. Perfect for those seeking immediate beauty, these robust roses provide fast, dramatic results and instant landscape appeal you’ll notice the moment they’re planted.

Fortuniana Root Roses

A breakthrough option for warm-climate gardeners, especially those in Zones 7 and above. Grafted onto the prized Fortuniana rootstock, these roses are renowned for their exceptional vigor, making them ideal for southern landscapes where heat and sandy soils can challenge other varieties. As they mature, Fortuniana-rooted roses reward you with blooms up to 20% larger and up to 30% more flowers than traditional grafted roses. This rootstock also brings impressive resistance to root knot nematodes and crown gall, two common issues in warmer regions. For those seeking roses that not only thrive in heat and sandy soils but also deliver prolific, luxurious blooms, Fortuniana Root Roses are a smart and stunning solution.

Tree Roses

Unlike traditional shrub roses that grow from the base up, tree roses—also known as grafted standard roses—are specially cultivated by grafting a rose variety onto a sturdy 24” or 36” tall trunk of rose rootstock. This technique allows favorite floribunda, grandiflora, hybrid tea, or even climbing rose varieties to take on an elegant tree-like form. The result is a dramatic garden feature: a vertical accent that elevates lush, colorful blooms to near eye level. Tree roses offer a refined structure and bring added dimension to flower beds, borders and containers alike.

Watch our Rose Grafting Video

Bare Root Roses Vs. Potted Roses

A bare root rose is a rose plant that’s sold and shipped without soil around its roots, typically in spring. Instead of being potted in a container with soil, the rose is in a dormant state, with its roots carefully cleaned and wrapped. Once in the ground, the plant will wake from dormancy naturally—this process significantly reduces transplant shock. As outlined above, Spring Hill offers bare root roses including Premium WOW!® Root roses and Jumbo WOW!® Root roses, depending on seasonal availability.

Like bare root roses, potted roses can be grafted or own-root. While bare root roses have the advantage of simple spring shipping, potted roses make the most sense for some gardeners, especially during peak growing season. Spring Hill offers Jumbo (three-gallon) potted roses later in spring and in fall, when it’s not possible to send bare root plants. Potted roses arrive actively growing and transplant-ready, offering what’s often a more familiar planting experience.

Thoughtful Sourcing from Trusted Partners

We source many roses from Weeks Roses, where they harvest over three million plants per year. Their processing staff carefully inspects each grade to be sold. Any roses that do not meet their stringent quality criteria are discarded. Weeks' grading system supports a practice of total transparency and fairness to our customers.

Make this season your landscape's best yet.

Roses are a wonderful investment in your landscape, and with the right care they can last for decades. No matter the size, style or planting site, we offer you the finest rose varieties available today that are guaranteed to thrive in your landscape.