The most popular flowering plant among gardeners worldwide is the rose. There are more than 150 different species of this beautiful flower, and all have a delicate, love-inducing appearance.
Although rose bushes are a popular addition to gardens, you could choose something different. Begonias often look like wild roses and may give a fresh look to flowers that look like roses in your flower beds with their red blooms.
Beginner gardeners may struggle to keep up with the upkeep requirements of a rose bush, while seasoned gardeners may want something less conventional. Fortunately, several flowers resemble roses.
They flower like roses and offer similar colors, scents, and shapes to their petals. Other flowers like roses may have care needs more appropriate for your gardening expertise, environment, or the care you can provide.
In our guide, you can find what do roses look like and what are the range of plants that offer a similar appearance. By the end, you’ll be able to pick rose-like flowers that can offer red or yellow blooms and brighten up your garden. (Read Do Mushrooms Require Sunlight To Grow)
What Are Flowers That Look Like Roses?
Roses are the queens of flowers, the most famous, loved, iconic flowering plants in the world. But, unfortunately, they’re “picky” and can’t grow elsewhere.
For the greatest flowers, rose bushes need six hours of daily sun, proximity to trees, and acidic soil. But if you love the rose flower shape, do you need it? No, some flowers look like roses but aren’t roses.
Rose flower shape isn’t unique to this plant. However, similar-looking flowering plant species are more beautiful in your garden. You can grow peony, camellia, dahlia, begonias, and Ranunculus, whereas roses won’t.
Alpine Pink Dianthus
A strong connection exists between the dog-rose type and the beautiful Alpine Pink Dianthus flower. However, in the Alpine Pink Dianthus, the flower’s sharp edges are the primary distinction, unlike roses.
If you want a simple flower with a touch of originality, this lovely pink flower makes a great rose replacement. Alpine Pink Dianthuses have a sweet fragrance and a pink or salmon color. They look great in pots, hanging baskets, and rock gardens.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 3 to 9
- Blooming season: Late spring to summer.
- Light Exposure: Full Sun or Partial Shade
- Soil requirements: Loam, clay, or sand-based soil and a pH between 5.0 and 6.5
Double Tulips
The beautiful double tulip is a member of the Liliaceae family of perennial herbaceous bulbous plants. Double Tulips also have fluffier blooms with twice as many petals as Double Impatiens grow.
These spectacular flowers have a tulip bulbs in various colors, including red, purple, pink, orange, yellow, and white, and some with two hues. There are tall and short varieties of double tulips, and they are recognized for their long-lasting blooms.
Add these magnificent flowers to garden beds or containers in your yard for a traditional, romantic look.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 3-8
- Blooming season: Late spring to summer.
- Light exposure: Full sun
- Soil requirements: Loam, clay, or sand-based soil and a pH between 5.0 and 6.5
Helen Elizabeth Poppy
This poppy type could be mistaken for a delicate pink rose from the side. The “Helen Elizabeth” poppies will bring romance to your landscape. Its pinkish-peach petals have a satiny texture and look.
These delicate, ruffled flowers can line an entire garden bed or as a potted plant. They are simple to grow and resistant to deer and rabbits.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 3-9
- Blooming season: Late spring to early summer.
- Light exposure: Full sun
- Soil requirements: Fertile, medium moisture, well-drained neutral soil
Moss Rose
Moss Rose is the only ornamental plant in the many purslane family.
Moss Roses are popular during the spring and sometimes even summer. Despite its name and full, ruffled blooms, Moss Rose is a part of the Portulacaceae family.
These hardy plants can withstand more drought, making them great for newer gardeners who may forget to water for a day or two. Unfortunately, they are not frosted tolerant, so most gardeners treat these flowering plants as annuals. (Learn How To Know If A Zucchini Is Bad)
Their blooms come in multiple vibrant colors, including shades of pink, red, orange, and yellow. They are easy to grow flowers and make excellent ground covers because of their dense spread.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 2 to 11
- Blooming season: Early summer to frost
- Light exposure: Full sun
- Soil requirements: Sandy, well-drained Soil. pH Neutral to Acidic
Persian Buttercup
The Persian Buttercup kind of Ranunculus is the one that flower gardeners and florists adore the most, and it has taken center stage in the selection of current varieties.
Persian Buttercups are renowned for their vibrant colors, ruffled petals, and long stems that, with proper care, can endure ten years.
All of the typical rose colors, such as vivid pink, red, cream, yellow, and even purple and orange, are available in Ranunculus.
Given their popularity for wedding bouquets and vase flowers, it would be difficult to find a flower store that doesn’t have these stunning blooms.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 8 to 10
- Blooming season: Early spring to summer
- Light exposure: Full sun
- Soil requirements: Sandy, loamy, well-drained pH: Acidic
Pink Mountain Rose
A stunning pink mountain rose that is best grown in pots, such as on a patio or terrace.
This unusual succulent could initially fool you into thinking it’s a rose.
Mountain Rose has leaves that spontaneously form a rose shape. Succulents called Mountain Rose to find in pink, blue, and even green hues. The pink is notably rose-like, yet the blue and green are equally stunning.
Due to how simple it is to care for these unique beauties, they have gained popularity as flowers that look like roses from the local flower shop over the past ten years.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 11a to 11b
- Blooming season: Early spring to summer
- Light exposure: Partial to Full sun
- Soil requirements: Sandy, loamy, well-drained pH
Ranunculus
The least well-liked flowers are Ranunculus. But this gorgeous plant life is an excellent substitute for roses.
This plant’s multiple petals give it rose-like flowers that look lovely in any yard.
The Ranunculus, often called the Turban Buttercup, is typically planted in the Middle East.
However, you may find and grow these exotic flowers in your backyard garden to give your house a vibrant pop of color.
Although Ranunculus comes in various hues, the most common ones are vivid orange, yellow, red, and peach. Keep the Ranunculus out of the cold and grow them lots of sunshine to ensure their success.
You don’t want them to be in the sweltering heat. Although they require plenty of sunlight, these flowers cannot tolerate high humidity. Therefore, zones 4 to 7 are the greatest places to grow them because they will produce the best results.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 4 to 7
- Blooming season: Early spring to summer
- Light exposure: Full sun
- Soil requirements: Light, well-drained soil. pH 6.0-6.5
Dahlias
Purple with white tips Dahlia flowers in bloom.
Dahlias have a unique but beautiful look to them. They don’t precisely mimic the shape of a rose, but they bloom large and have a complicated double bloom that makes for a very striking flower bed.
Dahlias have one of the biggest varieties to choose from, as well. With over forty species of this plant and nearly sixty-thousand varieties, you will find a version of Dahlias that fits your gardening aesthetic.
You can grow these annual plants from spring through summer. And they will bloom and keep their petals through the fall weather.
These flowers do best in moderate climates, though. So people in hotter regions should choose a different flower.
They are found in small and even larger sizes, making them perfect for planting around the front border of your home. The colors of these flowers are also varied and come in every hue you can think of.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 8 to 11
- Blooming season: Summer
- Light exposure: Full sun
- Soil requirements: Loosened and well-drained soil. pH 6.5 – 7
Gardenia
Having a remarkable resemblance to white roses, gardenias are classy, regal-appearing flowers.
These tropical plants develop into towering bushes that can reach five feet. Another excellent alternative for your property is to plant large rose-like flowers in your garden or yard.
Despite coming in many colors, gardenia is most recognized for its fragrant, creamy white flowers like roses. They also have a potent aroma that fluctuates throughout the day. Some individuals say they smell like peaches or even coconuts.
However, plant these fragrant flowers in fertile ground. For your plant to grow healthy and large, be sure to make fertilizer that is rich in nutrients. And gardenia grows in zones eight through eleven with some sunlight.
Gardenia, another rose-like queen of gardens, is named after the word “garden.” Double flowers look like roses; single ones resemble jasmine. Dark green, elliptical leaves add natural texture and depth to gardens. Small bushes can replace short roses. (Read Why Are My Sunflower Leaves Turning Yellow)
Like camellias, they thrive in part shade and acidic soil, making them an excellent rose replacement.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 8 to 11
- Blooming season: Summer
- Light exposure: Partial sun to Full sun
- Soil requirements: Loosened and well-drained soil. pH 6.5 – 7
Double Dianthus
Great summer flowers, double dianthus bloom in spring and summer in temperate climates. This is another low-maintenance plant; the flowers have a pleasant clove-like spicy-sweet aroma.
These flowers come in hues of pink and red, as well as more vivid yellows and oranges. Some Double Dianthus exhibit many colors.
Because you grow roses tall, give them plenty of space to expand upward. To keep the long stems upright, you may even try supporting them with stakes.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 8 to 11
- Blooming season: Early Summer to Early Fall
- Light exposure: Full sun
- Soil requirements: Humus-rich soil. pH 6 – 6.5
Camellia
Asia is where the camellia flower was first cultivated. However, due to the over three thousand varieties of camellia, this rose-like flower gives gardens a wide range of possibilities. You may grow your garden to your tastes by growing Camellia in various shapes and colors.
Keep these plants out of direct sunlight if you want them to grow. More shady areas are better for camellias. Nevertheless, they should receive some sunlight, although they would like not to be in the sun’s direct path.
Given that the camellia grows as a shrub grows, it has plenty of space to spread out. Therefore, these flowers are frequently grown with white, pink, or red flowers from the spring to the beginning of the fall.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 8 to 11
- Blooming season: Spring to Early Fall
- Light exposure: Partial sun
- Soil requirements: Slightly moist, well-drained soil. pH 5.5 – 6.5
Double Anemone
Double anemones resemble dog roses in shape and have a double bloom. But this purple flower stands out, unlike the other plants on this list. Its striking look and deep purple hue can change your garden and give your house a unique flourish.
These aren’t large plants that grow like big shrub roses, but they produce many somewhat sized flowers that are far simpler to grow than roses and other bigger plants.
A double anemone is available in red, white, and blue. However, as purple is the color most associated with these flowers, many gardeners opt to plant purple Double Anemone.
Because of their smaller size, Double Anemone looks best when planted along pathways leading to or from your home or garden’s entrance.
These flowers favor sandy soil and less direct sunlight. Therefore, they will grow more effectively if you place them in a shaded area. But they can be exposed to full sunlight if it’s cooler outside.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 7 to 10
- Blooming season: Fall or spring
- Light exposure: Full to partial sun
- Soil requirements: Rich, moist, and acidic neutral
Lisianthus (Eustoma Grandiflorum)
Look at a lisianthus, and you’ll be amazed at the rose-like plants. This plant’s rounded cup-shaped double blooms may be the closest “initiation” to the most famous flowers. You can see the stamens and carpel through the petals that are as elegant as rose petals.
Dichromatic petals are fairly common, especially white petals with brilliantly colored ends (purple, blue, or pink). The purple and violet range is its strongest, but there are pastel and watercolor varieties like lemon and rose colors. (Learn What Do Plants Need To Live)
The plants aren’t as large as rose bushes, so they’re better for flower beds, borders, and containers.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 8 to 10.
- Light exposure: Full Sun
- Blooming season: Spring.
- Soil requirements: Well-drained but moist soil. Loam to clay is fine, yet it won’t tolerate sandy soil. The pH should be 6.5 to 7.0.
Ranunculus (Ranunculus Spp.)
Ranunculus has the “old world” rose pompon look. This is because Ranunculus petals are many and thick, giving them that “old world” look of rose varieties like ‘Pomponella‘ or ‘Pompon Flower Circus.’
These shapes suit traditional and informal gardens. Ranunculus thrives in cottage gardens, perfect settings, and romantic flower beds and hedges.
They’re short, so they can’t replace rose shrubs. Instead, they offer a variety of colors. White, yellow, bright orange, pink, purple, and blue. Some varieties feature romantic colors like peach and apricot.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 4 to 8.
- Light exposure: Full Sun or partial shade.
- Blooming season: Late spring and early summer.
- Soil requirements: Well-draining soil, loam, clay, or sandy soil, and a pH between 6.0 and 6.5.
Double Impatiens (Impatiens Spp.)
Out of all the flowers, Impatiens have a striking resemblance to the Queen of Flowers.
Their color range includes white, off-white, rose, and pink. They also come in deep crimson, bold pink, and vibrant orange.
As you may already be aware, impatiens are prolific bloomers that will cover their small plants’ thick, rich, green, and attractive leaves in a sea of flower heads.
They’re perfect for flower beds, borders, and containers, and the flowering plants can blossom in full shade.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 2 to 11
- Light exposure: Full Sun, Partial shade, or Full shade.
- Blooming season: Spring to fall.
- Soil requirements: Adaptable to well-drained loam, clay, chalk, or sandy soil, and pH between 5.5 and 6.5.
Double Anemone (Anemone Coronaria)
Anemones resemble roses yet are unique. For example, double anemones resemble semi-double roses and dog roses.
But the purple-blue core distinguishes them, and as they are smallmall, thus can’t replace rose bushes. But, on the other hand, they’re easy to grow and bloom profusely.
You can find them in white, violet, red, purple, and blue. Neither do blue roses. In cottage gardens, they’re a requirement for flower beds and borders.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 7 to 10.
- Light exposure: Full Sun.
- Blooming season: Spring.
- Soil requirements: Well-drained loam or sandy loam with pH between 5.6 and 7.5.
Conclusion
Although many of us love roses, we lack the time or knowledge necessary to care for them properly, so planting flowers that look like roses or rose bush alternatives makes sense.
Many gardeners spend hours tending to their rose garden. At the end of each growing season, you can gather the rose petals from the beautiful garden roses and use them to make various crafts. (Learn How Long Does Aloe Take To Grow)
You may still grow flowers that resemble roses, some that are incredibly fragrant by planting these rose bush substitutes, or opt for a Desert Rose or Apple Blossom if you like roses yet don’t have the time to devote to caring for your roses.
