Knock Out Roses have been a smash hit since they came onto the gardening scene 20 years ago, and for good reason. These beauties don't need dead-heading like other roses, and they're disease-resistant. Also, they're covered in hot pink blooms from spring to frost. However, these plants can take up a lot of space, reaching about 4 feet tall and wide.
Now, there's a more compact version: the Petite Knock Out Rose. It's one of the easiest roses you can grow and as gorgeous as its larger kin, but you can fit this miniature rose almost anywhere to enjoy its vibrant red blooms. It's the perfect size for Mother's Day gifting, a token of teacher appreciation, or just treating yourself.
Buy It: Petite Knock Out Rose
"Game-changing" is how Star Roses and Plants rose program manager, Layci Gragnani, describes Petite Knock Out. Compared to other roses, "two things that make this variety very unique are the versatility and the size," she says. It only gets 18 inches high and wide, so it's an excellent choice for small yards or balcony gardens, and Gragnani says you can use it in many ways. "It could be in the landscape, it could be in containers, or we also have a tree form." The formal-looking tree form (known as a standard) makes an especially striking focal point.
Wherever you choose to grow Petite Knock Out, "this variety continuously blooms from spring until frost and gives you bold flower color on top of dark glossy green foliage," Gragnani says. The blooms are a little smaller than the original Knock Out, but their bright red hue helps them stand out in garden beds and planters on the patio, especially when grouping several of these plants. This mini variety only comes in red, but more colors are in the works.
Grower trials across the country have shown that Petite Knock Out is hardy in Zones 5 through 10, withstanding any climate from the desert southwest to the Northeast. Gragnani says that you can keep the plant indoors for a couple of weeks if you want to enjoy it as a table decoration, but it will do best planted outside because it requires 6-8 hours of direct sunlight to thrive.
Gragnani says ample watering is the best way to help acclimate your new rose once you've planted it. Once it's begun to produce new growth, water it once or twice a week moving forward. Knock Out roses usually don't need as much fertilizer as other roses, but you can add an all-purpose fertilizer or rose food after the first wave of flowering to give your plant a boost.
Petite Knock Out is "a really nice, 21st-century type of rose that is so versatile," says Gragnani. Look for it in garden centers in 2-quart or 6-quart bright green containers or in tree form to enjoy the beautiful blooms in your yard all summer.
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