Carefree beauty is a hybrid shrub in the rose family (Rosaceae) bred by Dr. Griffith J. Buck in 1969 at Iowa State University as part of the Buck Roses Collection, Earth Kind ™. Parentage is seed: Applejack (shrub, Buck, 1962/73) × {[ Dean Collins × Queen Elizabeth ] × [ Independence × Improved Lafayette] } and pollen: Prairie Princess. Genus name comes from the Latin name for rose. This shrub will grow 3-6 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide in a bushy dense to open form. For best results, plant carefree beauty in amended well-drained garden soil in full sun. Mulch to help retain moisture and avoid overhead watering to help decrease diseases. Prune in late winter to remove dead or diseased canes and prune to 1/3 its size. The 4-5 inch wide pink semi-double flowers have 15-20 petals and a strong sweet fragrance. Bloom time is summer through fall. Glossy leaves are on canes with prickles. Use carefree beauty as a specimen, in the border or in groups. Works well in a cottage or cutting garden. Bees and butterflies will visit the blooms. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Very resistant to rust, black spot and powdery mildew. Beetles, aphids, leafhoppers, borers, scale, thrips, rose midges and spider mites are insects that may cause problems. See pests of roses to the left. Deer will browse roses. VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for " Trees, Shrubs and Conifers " a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Rosa .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nichePtelea trifoliataRosa 'Belle Poitevine'Rosa Lady of the Dawn 'INTerlada'
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Perennial; Rose
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect; Spreading
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Glossy medium green compound leaves
Flower color
Pink
Flower value
Fragrant; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
Ovoid buds open to 4-5 inch pink flowers in clusters with 15-20 petals and a strong sweet fragrance. Blooms the entire season.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Pome
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit detail
It will produce rose hips if flowers are not pruned off.