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What is "All-America Rose Selections"? |
The All-America Rose Selections is a non-profit association of rose growers and introducers dedicated to the introduction and promotion of exceptional roses. Since 1938 the AARS seal of approval has graced outstanding new rose varieties that have withstood the test of time -- and Mother Nature
What Makes a Rose a Winner?
A winning rose embodies all of
the characteristics consumers desire in a garden plant. Every AARS winning rose completes
an extensive two-year trial program where it's judged on everything from disease
resistance to flower production to color to fragrance. This sophisticated evaluation
process guarantees that only the best of the crop make it into your garden.
AARS has been testing roses since 1938. Over the years, the program has evolved into a
sophisticated process with a network of Official Test Gardens within select Public Gardens
throughout the United States. These gardens, which represent a wide range of climates,
maintain standards specified by AARS to ensure that roses undergoing testing receive the
care normally provided by an average - not necessarily expert - home gardener.
Rose specimens are submitted to the gardens each year from rose producers. The specimens
are assigned an official AARS number and undergo a two-year trial program. A judge -
usually a college horticulture professor or supervisor of a large public garden - is
assigned to evaluate each garden.
During the evaluation period, roses are graded by a prescribed numerical scoring system on
vigor, growth habit, disease resistance, foliage, flower production, bud and flower form,
opening and finishing color, fragrance, stem and overall value. This complex scoring
system has been developed to answer consumer demand for beautiful, easy-to-grow roses. The
end result is a new crop of AARS winning roses each year.