Gardeners looking for beautiful roses without the constant upkeep now have five new options to consider. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has announced its 2026 Earth-Kind rose selections, highlighting varieties that thrive with minimal care while supporting sustainable landscaping.
The Earth-Kind rose program focuses on plants that perform well with less water, fewer resources, and little to no need for fertilizers or pesticides. These roses are tested for years under real Texas growing conditions to ensure they can handle heat, drought, poor soil, and other common landscaping challenges.
The 2026 Earth-Kind rose selections are Candy Oh!, Chuckles, Easy Does It, Lady Banks White, and Pink Knock Out.
Roses Built for Texas Landscapes
Earth-Kind roses are chosen for their ability to grow successfully in a wide range of Texas conditions, from sandy soils to heavy clay. These varieties are known for strong disease resistance, dependable blooms, and lower maintenance compared to traditional roses.
This makes them ideal for homeowners who want attractive landscaping without the extra work of constant watering, spraying, and fertilizing.
The goal of the program is to help Texans create landscapes that are both beautiful and environmentally responsible.
2026 Earth-Kind Rose Selections
Each rose selected for 2026 offers a different look and purpose in the landscape.
Candy Oh!
Candy Oh! is a landscape shrub rose that produces bright red blooms in continuous clusters throughout the season. It is known for strong disease resistance and reliable performance.
Chuckles
Chuckles offers coral-pink flowers with a light fragrance and a more traditional rose appearance. This shrub rose brings classic charm with less maintenance.
Easy Does It
Easy Does It is a Floribunda rose with ruffled blooms that change color from apricot-orange to soft peach. Its unique color shifts make it a standout in flower beds and borders.
Lady Banks White
Lady Banks White is a climbing rose that produces cascading white blooms in early spring. It is a vigorous, nearly thornless variety that works well on fences, trellises, and arbors.
Pink Knock Out
Pink Knock Out is a popular shrub rose known for bright pink blooms and dependable performance. It continues to be a favorite for low-maintenance landscapes.
Supporting Sustainable Gardening
These rose selections offer homeowners more choices for shrub borders, groundcover, climbing accents, and colorful landscape design while reducing water use and chemical inputs.
The 2026 Earth-Kind Rose campaign launches this spring, with educational materials and plant information available at local nurseries and garden centers.
For gardeners looking to improve curb appeal while keeping maintenance simple, Earth-Kind roses provide a practical and proven solution for Texas landscapes.
