Teacup roses are just the thing if you want to fill a small space with the beauty of full-sized roses.
These petite bloomers stay small, so you can plant them in containers, use them as a small border, fill in a cramped corner, or add them anywhere else you need a bold display but don’t have a ton of room.
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Some miniature roses grow better than others. There are hybrids and cultivars out there that produce an unimpressive display or that struggle with pests and diseases.
If you’ve ever been gifted a living mini rose in a pot from a florist or grocery store, you probably know what I’m talking about. These rarely grow into healthy plants.
This guide aims to help you find the perfect miniature rose, whether you’re looking for a larger specimen to fill a spot in your backyard or if you want a tiny plant that you can keep in a sunny window.
Here are the 15 options that we think are pretty fantastic, coming up:
“Teacup” isn’t a precise term. There isn’t any definition for a teacup rose available from the American Rose Society (ARS), which is the body that governs the registration and classification of roses.
In general, when people talk about teacup roses, they mean those that are petite. In other words, “teacups” are miniature plants.
Most miniature roses are simply shrubs that stay under two feet or so, while the blossoms may be more standard sized or correspondingly petite.
You might also see full-sized shrubs with tiny flowers, but these aren’t considered miniature plants. These are often wild species that simply have small blossoms.
It’s also worth noting that you might see a Rosa species with small blossoms in a tiny container available at many florists, but if you put that plant in the ground, you’ll soon be greeted by a massive bush.
In other words, just because a plant is small to start with, that doesn’t mean it will stay that way.
Be sure to do your research and read product descriptions carefully to make sure you plant exactly what you’re looking for.
1. All a Twitter
Can you hear that? Everyone is all a twitter about this exceptionally pretty rose.
During the spring, summer, and fall, it’s positively draped in double orange blossoms over deep green foliage on a two-foot plant. It’s a continuous bloomer that will give you nonstop color during the growing season.
This one has mini flowers, but what they lack in size, they make up for in vibrancy. If you live somewhere a bit cooler, this is a great option because it tolerates chilly temperatures ranging down to the low average for USDA Hardiness Zone 4.
Snag a bare root plant from Home Depot to be the talk of the town.
2. Baby Paradise
Sunblaze is a series of miniature roses bred to be hardy, disease-resistant, and extremely bright.
‘Baby Paradise’ is a Sunblaze cultivar that turns wherever you’re living into a paradise on Earth with its peppery scent and very full, bright pink to fuchsia blossoms.
Each petal features an attractive gradation, starting out pink at the center before transitioning to fuchsia at the border.
This little angel never grows taller than two feet tall and wide, and it’s hardy to Zone 5.
Pick up a plant at Nature Hills Nursery to turn your garden or patio into a paradise. They carry this cultivar in a #2 container size.
3. Be My Baby
This petite beauty will make you happy, just wait and see. It blooms profusely from spring until fall with bold magenta flowers on a 28-inch-tall plant. If you pry open the petals of the full blossoms, you’ll see a bright spot of yellow at the center.
Even better, the color of the blossoms doesn’t fade like what you might see on other plants. Honored with the ARS Award of Excellence Winner in 2011, this cultivar can survive the cold down to Zone 4.
Bring home your new baby from Nature Hills Nursery in a #2 container.
4. Candy
Another cultivar from the Sunblaze series, ‘Candy’ has full flowers that look like vanilla and cherry taffy swirled together.
This continuous bloomer produces tons of cuplike blossoms all summer long on a two-foot-tall plant. It has a tidy growth habit without the need for regular pruning.
Grow this stunner in Zones 5 to 11.
5. Cinderella
The blossoms on ‘Cinderella’ are like something out of a fairy tale. This bush is petite, at under two feet tall, but the flowers aren’t unassuming. They’re small but very full, white with a faint pink blush and dramatically pointed petals.
Step in close and inhale the dramatic spiced fragrance, and don’t worry about being pricked by an evil prickle – this shrub is thornless. No guarantee about evil step-sisters, however…
This variety is hardy in Zones 5 to 11.
6. Cutie Pie
This little rose might sound like an unassuming sweetheart, but it packs a lot of interest in a tiny package. Each petal starts out golden yellow at the base but transitions to salmon pink at the edges, with showy double blossoms.
Combined with its good disease resistance, it’s no wonder this cultivar nabbed the ARS Award of Excellence in 2018.
At under two feet tall, it’s perfect for tiny spots that need a big burst of color. Pop over to Nature Hills Nursery for a #2 container of this little sweetie.
7. Deja Blu
Rosarians like to call bushes that stay under three feet tall but grow over two feet “in-betweeners” or “‘tweeners.”
‘Deja Blu’ is one of the stand-outs in this category, so we’re including it here in case you want something on the larger side of miniature to grow in Zones 5 to 11.
The blossoms will make you do a double-take because they look like your classic hybrid tea with the full, frilly shape, in a mauve color. But what makes them really stand out is that these flowers are some of the largest you can find on a miniature plant.
‘Deja Blu’ won’t grow taller than three feet, even if you neglect the pruning, but keep on it because it will make this plant truly shine. This continuous, repeat bloomer was an ARS Award of Excellence Winner in 2009.
8. Gourmet Popcorn
Pull up a seat and break out the popcorn, because you’re going to want to relax and admire this teacup rose. The flowers are true white, semi-double, and highly fragrant.
During the summer, the 18-inch-tall shrub will be so covered in cascading clusters of blossoms that you’ll hardly be able to see the foliage.
It truly looks like a shrub covered in delicate popcorn balls.
This cultivar is part of the Shrublet series, and it’s ideal for Zones 5 to 11.
9. Italian Ice
Similar to the Knock Out and Drift series, the Oso Easy line is made up of plants that are disease-resistant, self-cleaning, and require little maintenance.
‘Italian Ice’ is another ‘tweener that stays a petite 30 inches tall with full-sized pink and yellow blossoms that look like a tall, icy glass of pink lemonade.
Burpee offers this refreshing beauty as a live plant, which you can grow in Zones 4 to 9.
10. Life’s Little Pleasures
When it comes to life’s little pleasures, roses are right at the top of my list.
‘Life’s Little Pleasures’ is a two-foot-tall plant that is self-cleaning and blooms all summer long in Zones 5 to 9, with lavender and purple double blossoms.
Home Depot lets you bring home the joy with a bare root plant.
11. Meibenbino
Knock Outs are famous for being tough, self-cleaning shrubs that blossom all summer long. ‘Meibenbino’ is their miniature offering, and when we say miniature, we mean it.
It’s a true teacup size and never grows taller than 18 inches, making it one of the smallest roses you can buy. The blossoms are correspondingly tiny, in a super bold red or pink.
Planting Tree offers this petite beauty in two-gallon containers.
If you’re unfamiliar with what self-cleaning means or how to prune a rose, pop on over to our rose pruning guide.
12. Pretty Polly Lavender
You need this stunner in your life. It’s a disease-resistant repeat bloomer that pleases the senses with its strong floral scent, and bold, double lavender and white blossoms. The shrub grows up to three feet tall, so it’s ideal for small spaces.
Pretty Polly is a series created to give you both a beautiful display and sturdiness so you don’t have to worry about nonstop maintenance. This plant is also hardy in Zones 4 to 10.
Pick up a one- to two-foot-tall plant at Fast Growing Trees.
13. Sweet Drift
Drift roses are one of the most popular series out there, besides Knock Outs and David Austin roses.
The line was created by combining full-sized ground cover and miniature roses to create a plant that stays low to the ground but gives you full-sized blooms.
‘Sweet’ offers light, bright pink, heavily scented blossoms on a plant that stays under 18 inches tall. It grows in a massive range of climates, from Zone 4 to 11.
Drift over to Planting Tree to nab one in a two-gallon container.
14. The Fairy
Dreaming of creating the perfect fairy garden? Every fairy garden in Zones 5 to 9 needs a tiny, dreamy little rose, and ‘The Fairy’ is just that. At under two feet tall, it’s smothered in fully double, pale pink blossoms that emerge in clusters.
This is a polyantha type, and these are known for blooming from spring through fall, with a compact shape. They’re not self-cleaning, but they don’t need much pruning to stay compact.
If you’re still wondering what the heck a polyantha is – or you’re curious about any of the other classifications, for that matter – we have an article to help with that!
15. You’re The One
If you love hybrid teas but you wish they came in a miniature package, this rose is the one for you. The bush grows to about 28 inches tall with white double flowers that have a pink edge.
Each flower grows to two inches across, highlighted by deep green, glossy foliage.
If this is the one you’ve been waiting for, Home Depot carries this plant as a bare root specimen.
It can grow all the way down to Zone 4, so it’s probably going to be perfect for you even if you live in a cooler region.
Limited Space Doesn’t Have to Mean Putting Your Rose Dreams On Hold
Teacup roses come in a small package but they can offer a lot of visual impact. Just because the shrubs are small, that doesn’t mean the display they give you is tiny!
Look for options that have big blossoms and an ongoing display, along with disease resistance. Any of the above-described top picks will give you just that.
Where do you intend to plant your new teacup rose? Are you going to choose one of our favorite options described here? Let us know in the comments.
There’s a lot to know about roses! If you’re interested in learning more, read one of our other helpful guides next, starting with these:
Where can I buy them in and around Nashville, Tennessee?
Hey Madalyn, you might want to check out your local nurseries or check with the Nashville Rose Society. They’ll definitely be able to point you in the right direction.
https://www.nashvillerosesociety.org/
Miniature roses are also known as patio roses. Another excellent choice is Sweet Revenge.
Thanks so much for sharing. ‘Sweet Revenge’ is a beauty! I’ll have to keep my eye out for one.