Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How Are Roses Pollinated?
How Are Roses Pollinated?. All roses must be pollinated in order to produce fruit and seeds, although they can also be propagated from stem cuttings. Pollination involves the movement of pollen from one flower to the next, or between the sexual organs of the same flower. Vectors for moving pollen include wind, birds and insects. Gardeners can also...
All roses must be pollinated in order to produce fruit and seeds, although they can also be propagated from stem cuttings. Pollination involves the movement of pollen from one flower to the next, or between the sexual organs of the same flower. Vectors for moving pollen include wind, birds and insects. Gardeners can also pollinate roses by hand, with the proper tools and timing.
Insect Pollination
Bees and butterflies are the primary insect pollinators for many plants, including roses. As a bee takes nectar from a flower, pollen sticks to its legs and body hair. When it moves to the next flower, some of the pollen rubs off and sticks to the female sex organ of the rose, pollinating it. A butterfly has a long proboscis that probes for nectar. As a butterfly climbs through a flower, it collects pollen on its legs and wings, transferring it when it flits to the next flower. Butterflies and bees are most attracted to yellow, fragrant roses.
Bird Pollination
Birds are most attracted to red and orange roses because they see these colors best. Hummingbirds in particular are excellent pollinators. Because they hover as they feed, their wings stir up pollen, moving it from flower to flower. Many other types of birds come to feed on seeds when fruit develops after pollination, and seeds are dispersed in their droppings.
Wind Pollination
Air currents are another important pollinator for roses. Space rosebushes so that they have plenty of ventilation between them. Overcrowding can lead to disease and insect problems, and it can also decrease pollination if air can't move freely. A breeze can pick up releasing pollen, dispersing it over a wide area. Some of it can't help but land on the sticky surfaces where pollination occurs.
Artificial Pollination
Roses can also be pollinated and hybridized by human hands. When the rose is fully open, collect the anthers, or filaments, from the center of the rose with your fingers. Lay them on a piece of paper to dry for 24 hours, then seal them in an airtight jar until you're ready to pollinate. Gently brush pollen onto the stigma of the flower with a pipe cleaner or artist's paintbrush.
