8 Beautiful Flowers That Are Similar to Roses

flowers that look like roses

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Top 8 Flowers That Resemble Roses: Beautiful Alternatives for Your Garden

Roses are beloved in gardens and florists alike for their stunning beauty and captivating aroma, earning them the title “Queen of Flowers.” Known for their numerous tightly packed petals that conceal stamens and pistils, roses belong to the Rosa genus with nearly 30,000 varieties in various colors. However, the plant world offers many other flowers from different genera that closely mimic the elegance and charm of roses. If you’re looking to diversify your garden or floral arrangements, here are some exquisite flowers that look like roses you might consider.

Peonies

Peonies are among the most expensive flowers available, symbolizing distinction and luxury. Often considered the premium version of roses, peonies hold significant meaning in Feng Shui, representing love and happiness. This makes them a popular choice for rituals and bridal bouquets.

While peonies can be pricey, cultivating them at home is possible with the right care. They thrive in gardens that provide ample water and are sensitive yet dependent on sunlight. Peonies require thorough watering and should be planted in the fall to ensure blooming at the right time.

Beautiful Peonies

Gardenias

Gardenias boast a petal arrangement that is remarkably similar to roses, featuring a tubular corolla and colors ranging from white to yellow. Like roses, they emit a strong, distinctive fragrance, though it’s uniquely gardenia.

Growing gardenias requires consistent watering and maintaining temperatures between 68°F and 73°F (20°C to 23°C). It’s crucial to keep the flowers away from direct water contact to prevent browning. Gardenias are often used as centerpiece decorations and placed in vases to scent the room for days.

Beautiful Gardenias

Double Tulips

Double tulips feature more than the standard six petals, giving them a lush, full appearance that closely resembles roses. These tulips are divided into early bloomers, flowering from April to May, and late bloomers, starting in May. The late bloomers, also known as peony tulips, are prized for their delightful fragrance.

Double tulips are perfect for adding vibrant colors to your garden or floral arrangements. They come in a variety of hues, enhancing the visual appeal of any space.

Explore our articles on tulips color meaning

Double Tulips

Ranunculus (French Buttercups)

Ranunculus flowers are admired for their abundance of well-organized petals surrounding a central core. While wild varieties are simple, cultivated ranunculus come in numerous petal counts and colors, renowned for their beauty and delicate aroma. Popular varieties include Marshmallow with pastel pink blooms, Champagne with thin petals in orange to pink and gold shades, Pleniflorus with yellow flowers, and Picotee featuring colorful edges on a white background.

These flowers are versatile in floristry and can also be grown at home. Ranunculus thrive in warm, sunny climates and produce bulbous roots that determine the plant’s blooming capacity. Larger bulbs yield more flowers. They require fertilization every two weeks during spring and summer and moderate watering once a week. In winter, they enter dormancy and need minimal watering until the growing season resumes.

Beautiful Ranunculus

Camelias

The Camellia japonica in the wild produces five-petaled flowers, but over two thousand hybrids now exist, many modified to have a large number of petals, making them closely resemble roses. Varieties such as nobilissima with white, peony-like blooms, Elegans with deep pink flowers, and Black Lace, which tolerates cooler temperatures with red to pink hues, are especially popular.

Camelias are a staple in gardens for their ability to create grand, flowering hedges. They thrive in semi-shaded, wooded areas and require minimal maintenance once established.

Elegant Camelias

Zinnias

Zinnias are members of the aster family with a distinctly noticeable center from which the petals radiate, giving them a slight difference from roses. However, their multiple petals can remind one of roses, especially varieties with dense, petal-rich centers.

These flowers are highly favored in gardening and landscaping due to their wide range of colors. Zinnias thrive in warm climates and are not suited for cooler, temperate regions.

Colorful Zinnias

Lisianthus (Eustoma or Japanese Rose)

As its name suggests, lisianthus flowers are similar to roses and also bear a resemblance to carnations. Unlike camellias, lisianthus do not form shrubs. Their stems range from 12 to 24 inches tall, making them ideal for floristry and table arrangements. Once cut, lisianthus can continue to produce buds, allowing flowers to bloom over an extended period.

Lisianthus can be propagated from seeds or more easily through cuttings from a parent plant. They require watering once or twice a week, with increased frequency during summer. Providing filtered light helps prevent the flowers from burning.

Graceful Lisianthus

Double Impatiens

This variety of Impatiens features numerous petals that evoke the appearance of roses. All impatiens produce abundant flowers, making the double variety perfect for cultivating a profusion of rose-like blooms. Available in white, pink, purple, and even orange colors, double impatiens add vibrant touches to any garden.

Double impatiens thrive in shaded areas with a few hours of filtered sunlight. They are versatile enough to grow in pots or directly in the soil. However, they do not tolerate frost, so they should be avoided in very cold climates. These plants prefer slightly moist soil, with watering frequency adjusted based on the surrounding temperature. In summer, more consistent watering is necessary to compensate for heat-induced evaporation.

Vibrant Double Impatiens

While roses remain a timeless favorite, these flowers that look like roses offer diverse options for gardeners and florists seeking variety and unique beauty. From the luxurious peonies to the vibrant zinnias, each flower brings its own charm and benefits. By incorporating these alternatives into your garden or floral arrangements, you can enjoy a stunning array of blooms that rival the elegance of traditional roses.

Picture of Mitchell

Mitchell

Mitchell Ramdy is a dedicated horticulturist and the chief editor of Grow Your Patch. With over 15 years of experience in organic gardening and sustainable living, she shares her passion for cultivating vibrant gardens and healthy lifestyles. Mitchel specializes in providing expert advice on plants, organic products, DIY home decor, and pet care. When she’s not tending to her own garden, she enjoys exploring new eco-friendly practices and inspiring others to transform their green spaces. Her mission is to help readers nurture their patches of earth into thriving, beautiful environments.
Picture of Mitchell

Mitchell

Mitchell Ramdy is a dedicated horticulturist and the chief editor of Grow Your Patch. With over 15 years of experience in organic gardening and sustainable living, she shares her passion for cultivating vibrant gardens and healthy lifestyles. Mitchel specializes in providing expert advice on plants, organic products, DIY home decor, and pet care. When she’s not tending to her own garden, she enjoys exploring new eco-friendly practices and inspiring others to transform their green spaces. Her mission is to help readers nurture their patches of earth into thriving, beautiful environments.