All-America Rose Selections: History and Top Winners

The All-America Rose Selections (AARS) program has been around since 1932, and it's been helping gardeners choose the best roses for their region ever since.

The AARS program was created by the New York Botanical Garden, which is still involved in the selection process today.

Every year, the AARS program selects a group of roses that are sure to thrive in different parts of the country, taking into account factors like climate, soil type, and disease resistance.

These selected roses are then made available to nurseries and gardeners, making it easier for people to grow beautiful and resilient roses in their own backyards.

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The AARS selection process is a rigorous two-year evaluation of new roses. Roses are grown in official rose testing gardens, typically universities and rose nurseries throughout the US.

Roses are evaluated on many qualities, including disease resistance, flowers, form, and ability to grow in many climates.

Only about four percent of all roses tested make it to the AARS award winner list. This means the winning roses have truly proven themselves to be exceptional.

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AARS award-winning roses can display the AARS brand on their rose tags and in nursery catalogues. This is a great way to identify a high-quality rose.

Choosing an AARS or AGRS award-winning rose is a great idea, especially if you're a home gardener. Both lists feature low-maintenance and disease-resistant bushes that produce many blooms over many years.

Some AARS award-winning roses have even received awards for fragrance. This is a great feature to look for if you want roses for their scent.

AARS and AGRS have a significant history together. The All-America Rose Selections (AARS) was an award given annually from 1940 to 2013 to an outstanding new rose variety. AARS award winners were typically only +/- 4% of all the roses tested.

The AARS selection was the most prestigious rose prize in the U.S. for 73 years, but it was discontinued after 2013. This paved the way for the American Garden Rose Selections (AGRS) program, which continues to this day. AGRS is a true national rose trial in the U.S. that tests the same roses in gardens all around the country.

The AGRS Scoring System evaluates roses over a two-year period, with five evaluations per growing season. They look for characteristics like disease-resistance, flowering effect, and fragrance.

Roses are evaluated on many qualities, including disease resistance, flowers, form, and ability to grow in many climates. The AGRS system is modeled after the Allgemeine Deutsche Rosenneuheiten-prüfung or ADR system, used in Germany.

The AGRS Scoring System values disease-resistance highly, as it requires less care. Evaluators also consider flowering effect, bloom form, and attractiveness.

Roses are grown in official rose testing gardens, typically universities and rose nurseries, for the AGRS evaluation.

The All-America Rose Selections (AARS) was an award given annually from 1940 to 2013 to an outstanding new rose variety. It was considered the most prestigious rose prize in the U.S. for 73 years.

The AARS award winners were typically only 4% of all the roses tested. This means only a small number of roses made the cut each year.

AARS was discontinued after 2013 and replaced by the American Garden Rose Selections (AGRS) program. AGRS continues to this day, with a stricter set of criteria for designating award-winning roses.

The AGRS program requires gardens to maintain a rigid protocol for maintaining the bushes. This is a big step up from the AARS criteria, which was less stringent.

The goal of AGRS is to provide objective and reliable information to rose gardeners. They aim to do this by testing roses in gardens all around the country.

The American Garden Rose Selections (AGRS) program has taken over from the All-America Rose Selections (AARS) and is now the most prestigious rose prize in the U.S.

The AGRS test gardens are a crucial part of this program, where roses are tested for their quality and performance in different regions of the country.

One of the AGRS test gardens worth visiting is the Portland International Rose Test Garden, which is considered a West Coast USA destination for rosarians.

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It's a busy place, even during the pandemic, and has many ongoing trials in a great rose-growing environment.

Another notable AGRS test garden is one of many others across the country, where roses are evaluated for two years on qualities like disease resistance, flowers, form, and ability to grow in various climates.

The AGRS selection process is more stringent than the AARS process, requiring gardens to maintain a rigid protocol for maintaining the bushes.

The goal of AGRS is to provide objective and reliable information to rose gardeners, and the organization is overseen by an Executive Board and an Advisory Board of internationally-recognized rose experts.

Roses that have earned the AARS award can display the AARS brand on their rose tags and in nursery catalogues.

The AARS logo is a mark of excellence, indicating that the rose has been rigorously tested and selected for its exceptional qualities.

Only about four percent of all roses tested make it to the AARS award winners list, making it a truly elite group.

Winning roses are a testament to the dedication of rose growers and breeders who strive for perfection in every aspect of their craft.

Choosing roses can be a bit overwhelming, especially with so many varieties to choose from. Both AARS and AGRS award-winning roses are exceptional options for any home gardener.

American gardeners have been lucky to have access to many of these outstanding roses, including those introduced by Jackson & Perkins, which has brought 67 AARS-winning roses into commerce over the past 73 years.

Low-maintenance and disease-resistant are just a few of the characteristics you can expect from AARS and AGRS roses.

AARS winners are carefully evaluated in over 130 trial gardens across the United States.

Each AARS winner is evaluated for 15 characteristics, including disease resistance, hardiness, color, and novelty.

In 2004, the AARS winners were Day Breaker, Honey Perfume, and Memorial Day, all of which were introduced by different rose growers.

These winners are being made available at retail garden centers in 2004, making it a great time to try them out in your home landscape.

The best time to plant roses in Louisiana is from January to April, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Allen Owings.

The All-America Rose Selection winners are a big deal in the rose world. This is a partial list of them.

The AARS winners have been chosen for their exceptional qualities, including disease resistance and beautiful blooms. They're often a great choice for gardeners who want to grow roses that are easy to care for.

One of the most notable AARS winners is a partial list, but it's a good starting point for anyone looking to grow some amazing roses.

The 2004 All-America Rose Selections Winners were a big deal, and for good reason. These roses had been evaluated in over 130 trial gardens across the United States and had proven to be excellent landscape performers.

Day Breaker, one of the winners, is a bushy growing floribunda rose with multi-faceted petals ranging from 30-35 in a single bloom. The flower is yellow with feathery appearances of pink and apricot.

Honey Perfume and Memorial Day were also winners that year. Memorial Day is a classic hybrid tea with crisp pink flowers accented by a lavender wash.

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Each AARS winner is evaluated for 15 characteristics, including disease resistance, hardiness, color, and novelty. This rigorous evaluation process ensures that the winners are top-notch.

In Louisiana, you can find these AARS winners at various trial gardens, including the Burden Center, an LSU AgCenter agricultural experiment station in Baton Rouge.