Sunny Knock Out® Rose - Tree Form

When it comes to growing trouble-free roses, the name Knockout® is the top name to look for. Since the first Knockout rose took the gardening world by storm, more varieties, just as good, have been added to the range. Until now though, they were all bushes that grew a few feet tall, right on the ground. That’s why we thought it was time to combine the beauty and reliability of these roses with the advantages of the classic tree rose. By raising a bushy rose plant up on a sturdy trunk, it becomes a wonderful focal point or specimen plant – and what could be better than a free-flowering rose that blooms continuously, in wonderful changing tones of yellows and creams? It’s the Sunny Knockout® Rose Tree.

The Sunny Knockout Rose Tree is an upright plant, with a short but strong trunk, topped with a crown of many branches, reaching an overall height of 5 or 6 feet, with a broad spread of 3 feet or even more. This bold rounded bush stands out beautifully, in a way that a rose flat on the ground can never do. The blooms are right there in front of you, to be admired, sniffed and enjoyed. The leaves are a healthy rich green with a lustrous surface. They never spot or yellow, become dusty gray, or fall off, leaving a bare skeleton by late summer. This is because this plant has been especially bred to give it resistance to all three major rose diseases – Black Spot, Mildew and Rust. Because of its vigor and the constant production of new shoots, it is also much better able to resist insect attacks, and those pests hardly ever cause any real problems.

The flowers of the Sunny Knockout Rose Tree grow in clusters of 4 or 5 at the end of every new shoot. Each one is a large cup-shaped rose, 2 ½ inches across, with 5 spreading petals. As it opens it gives off a lovely spicy fragrance, and in bud and when first open it is a glowing golden yellow – as sunny as a flower can be. It will remain yellow for a few days, and then gradually fade to a delicious creamy color. In cooler weather the yellow color stays longer, and the individual flowers last at least a week. Because your bush is always going to be covered in roses at different stages, you will have a full spectrum of golden tones, making a gorgeous picture.

Use the Sunny Knockout Rose Tree as a specimen in a bed for height without too much width – perfect in smaller gardens. Grow it among other flowering shrubs, or with lower-growing roses, in stunning combinations of colors and forms. Plant a pair on either side of a doorway, or beside your garden gate, for the sunniest welcome possible. This tree also grows well in a large planter box or tub. Plants flowers or dwarf shrubs beneath it for a magnificent plant for a terrace or patio, or to grow on a balcony. Place one or more alongside a path where you can pause and enjoy them. Wherever you plant this great tree, you will love it. A cut stem is a lovely table decoration.

A place in full sun is best for the Sunny Knockout Rose Tree. It will grow well in most garden soils, including heavy clays, which so many other plants find difficult. Avoid areas that are constantly wet and badly drained. Roses enjoy lots of organic material in the soil, especially in light, sandy soils, so enrich your planting spot with compost or rotted manure and use more as a mulch over the roots every spring. Avoid piling it around the stem, and instead cover all the area of ground beneath the branches. Blended rose fertilizers are also helpful in keeping vigorous growth coming all season, and don’t let your plant become too dry – it will survive dry periods, but flowering will be reduced. No need to carry out elaborate spraying, as this plant is very resistant to all major rose diseases, and too vigorous for pests to cause much of a problem.

Some spring pruning is also beneficial. As the new buds are swelling, remove any thin or damaged branches completely. Shorten back the main stems by about one-half, cutting to an outward-facing bud. This will keep the crown of your rose tree dense and bushy and give you lots of strong new growth. In zones 5 and 6 some winter protection is advised. Dig a shallow trench outward from the base of your tree. Use a spade to cut through the roots on the opposite side, remove the stake, and lay the plant down in the trench. Cover with peat moss and a winter garden blanket. Lift your plant back up in early spring and re-stake it, well before any new growth begins.

The Sunny Knockout Rose Tree was developed by Will Radner, the creator of the original Knockout® rose. He took two of his own roses, Pink Lady (‘Radsweet’) and Bright Eyes (‘Radbrite’) and crossed them together. Among the many seedlings he grew was an outstanding yellow rose he called ‘Radsunny’, and he patented it in 2008. This is the Sunny Knockout® Rose. We had pieces of this plant grafted at the top of sturdy rose stems grown from special varieties, to make the wonderful rose trees we have available for you. Our stock is being constantly renewed, so we ship only plants in the best condition, but the supply of this special plant is limited. Avoid disappointment and let some sunshine into your garden, by ordering now, before they are all gone.