Why did budding become the foundation of rose production for decades, and why is the market now turning back to own-root plants? On this page, we guide you through the history of the rose trade: from the birth of modern varieties to bare-root logistics and the online era. You will discover why the budding union is a horticultural “weak point” and what this means for you in your garden. On what basis do you choose your roses?
How did the rose change from a closely guarded treasure of castle gardens into the most popular flower of nurseries and home gardens? Why did growers start budding roses, and why are they now returning to own-root roses?
A single rose plant carries not only flowers but history as well. We show you the path that led to the birth of modern roses, the reasons behind the changes in growing techniques, and why it still matters for you today to know from what and how a rose becomes what it is.
The earliest documented rose trade dates back to the 17th–18th centuries, when rose breeding and collecting were no longer the privilege of the nobility alone but increasingly became accessible to the middle classes as well. In Europe, it was first in France and England that nurseries emerged where roses were specifically propagated for sale.
This was the year the world’s first officially recognised hybrid tea rose, ‘La France’, appeared. It did not only bring a new type of flower shape and fragrance, but also launched a completely new era in commercial rose growing. From then on, the rose was no longer just an ornamental plant but a mass product – a whole network of nurseries, breeders and gardeners was built around it.
Roses began to be sold as ornamental plants at the markets of larger towns, first in pots, later as bare-root plants. Open-field growing was typical, and plants were often sold by travelling gardeners or nursery helpers at fairs and markets.
By the mid-19th century, a seasonal cycle of transport and sales had taken shape: lifting in autumn, shipping in winter, planting in spring. By the second half of the 19th century, roses had become a mass-produced, saleable commodity. From then on, it was not only about their beauty, but also about how they could be produced efficiently, cheaply and in a transportable way – and then delivered to the buyer.
The budding point where the bud of the cultivated rose joins the rootstock is sensitive and vulnerable. This area:
The different genetics of the roots and shoots can cause long-term biological imbalance, especially in older plants. Some varieties are prone to “separating” from the rootstock after several years.
Nowadays many people try to protect the cultivated part by planting the bud union below soil level. But this is more than just protection: if the cultivated part forms its own roots, the plant returns to an “own-root” state.
This is a deliberate cultivation decision: the rose shifts onto its own roots and becomes independent of the rootstock.
In practice it can also be seen as retraining:
In recent decades, rose production and trade have been transformed from the ground up. The once dominant budded rose is facing more and more challenges – as a result of market, social and technological changes.
Modern technology has made it possible to propagate own-root roses reliably and in large volumes.
The budded rose, which is economical only with large quantities per variety and requires a lot of manual work, fits less and less with the needs of today’s ornamental plant market. Own-root roses, on the other hand, are easier to grow, simpler for the end user, and can be handled more flexibly in distribution. Today the rose market recognises them as a reform product – not a step backwards, but a response to the challenges of our time.
When we say that “the age of the budded rose is fading”, we are not questioning the professional value of budding. The real point is that the business model of the budded (grafted/budded onto rootstock), typically bare-root rose is finding it increasingly hard to meet today’s expectations of flexibility, logistics and user experience across many sales channels. At the same time, the own-root (mostly container-grown) rose is, in many situations, easier to plan with, delivers more consistent quality and carries less risk for the buyer.
With the mass spread of modern roses, from the late 19th century onwards, roses became a genuine mass-market product. At that time, budding was the best tool for this because:
This system worked best when relatively few varieties were produced in large series and trade operated mainly in an offline, strongly seasonal mode.
Budding is a high-quality technology, but it is labour-intensive and in several places depends heavily on manual work. Today this is an increasing constraint:
The result: budding can still be efficient for very large, uniform lots, but in many of today’s market channels this is no longer the production logic that is rewarded.
Online sales and fast, order-driven fulfilment favour product formats that are flexible to handle. Bare-root products that depend on dormancy mean a narrow time window in many cases, while longer storage can carry quality risks (water loss, root stress, general decline).
The container-grown model, by contrast, can often be sold over a longer period and more easily aligned with delivery logistics. This is especially important where the customer does not buy within a “single seasonal window”, but when they make their decision.
The bud union (where rootstock and cultivated part meet) is a biologically and physically sensitive junction. In practice, several types of problem can converge at this single point:
This is not a “fault” of budding, but a practical consequence of the technology: it shifts more risk and more tasks onto the end user.
The rise of own-root roses is not a fashion trend but an adaptation to today’s conditions:
From the grower’s perspective:
From the user’s perspective:
Budded roses are still justified and competitive in certain situations: for large, uniform batches, in specific soil and climate conditions, or where maintenance is professional and care routines are strictly followed. The essence of the change is therefore not a technical judgement, but a shift in market emphasis.
In summary: own-root roses come to the fore wherever the market rewards flexibility, a longer selling season, more consistent delivery condition and a more user-friendly experience. This is not a step backwards, but a modern answer to today’s challenges.
We help you see clearly which solution is better for your garden and your goals.
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