Rose ‘Blushing Knock Out’

Rose 'Blushing Knock Out' (Rosa 'Blushing Knock Out') is a landscape rose bred to be planted and largely left alone. It makes a rounded bush about 1.1m tall and 1m wide, carrying soft pink flowers from spring through to autumn, and it is disease resistant enough that spraying is not part of the routine. Frost hardy, drought tolerant and not toxic to cats or dogs.

Why you'll love it

• It flowers for most of the year. Repeat flushes of soft pink run from spring to autumn rather than arriving in one short burst.
• Disease resistance you can rely on. Bred for foliage health, so the leaves stay clean without a spray program, and one shear in late winter is the only pruning it needs.
• Not toxic to cats or dogs. Safe if a pet chews the foliage, though the prickles can still scratch.
• It suits nearly every Australian garden. Frost hardy, drought tolerant and heat tolerant, from cool temperate Victoria to a dry inland block.

Where it works best

Low informal hedging. Plant 80cm apart. The bushes then meet at around 1m high and flower along the whole run, which suits a front fence line better than a clipped green hedge.

Mass planting and borders. In a wide bed, group at the same 80cm spacing so the colour reads as one block. Because the habit is rounded and even, it stays tidy without shaping.

Pots and small gardens. A 500mm or wider pot holds one plant and keeps it near 1m, earning its space by flowering across three seasons rather than one.

Growing Blushing Knock Out rose in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, six hours minimum. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean, subtropical and arid to semi-arid gardens, and being frost hardy it is at home in cold southern and tableland districts. In humid subtropical summers, give it an open position so air moves through the bush.

Soil. Well drained soil improved with compost before planting. Roses will not tolerate waterlogged ground, so raise the bed on heavy clay. Mulch 50mm deep, away from the base of the stems.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then reduce once established, watering at the base rather than over the foliage. A complete rose fertiliser in early spring and mid summer keeps the flushes running to autumn.

Pruning. Cut the whole bush back by about a third in late winter using shears, then take out anything dead or crossing.

What to expect when it arrives

This rose is supplied as tube stock, currently listed on backorder, so allow extra time before dispatch. A tube is a young plant on its own roots rather than a budded bush, usually a short single stem with a few leaves, and it will look small beside a potted rose from a garden centre.

That size is the sensible way to buy this variety in numbers, because it establishes quickly and reaches full size within two seasons. It is deciduous, so a plant sent in winter may arrive bare stemmed. Expect flowering in the first spring after planting. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full rose range
• Companion shrubs to plant alongside it
• Compare other low maintenance shrubs
• See the wider plants safe for pets range

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

Eighty centimetres apart gives a low informal hedge that closes over in the second season. Any tighter and the bushes crowd each other, which reduces airflow and works against the disease resistance.

Does it really not need spraying?

In most gardens, no. It was bred for foliage health and full sun with good airflow does the rest. In a humid summer you may still see some spotting on older leaves.

Will it flower in a cold garden?

Yes. It is frost hardy, so cool temperate and tableland gardens suit it well. Flowering starts later and finishes earlier than in a warm climate, but the season is still a long one.