Carefree Beauty™

Earth Kind Roses are among the most thoroughly tested and environmentally responsible plants for the use in Texas landscapes. These roses do very well in almost any soil type, from the well-drained acid sands of East Texas to the poorly aerated, highly alkaline clays of central and Southwest Texas. Earth Kind roses are certainly not immune to pest problems. However, their tolerance to pests is so great that they rarely require the use of chemical pesticides.

In the late 1970s or early 80’s Dr. and Mrs. Stahl of Houston, Texas collected an outstanding rose near Katy, that soon became known as Katy Road Pink. Later, after further study, it has been determined that this selection is probably a Buck rose named ‘Carefree Beauty’. Famed breeder Griffith Buck first released Carefree Beauty in 1977 but this rose has enjoyed much more popularity under the name Katy Road Pink than it did under its trademarked name.

Carefree Beauty forms large (4”-5”), light pink, semi-double blooms with up to 20 petals each. Flowering begins
in spring and continues in cycles until fi rst frost. These flowers open medium-light pink but colors are often more vivid in the cool weather of spring and fall. The color fades slightly to light pink as blooms age. The plant forms an upright shrub, 4’ to 5’ in height with medium sized, smooth, olive green foliage.

Landscape Uses:
Carefree Beauty has a very well shaped form that creates an attractive accent for perennial borders and beds. This selection can be used in mass to create a breath taking sea of color or as a specimen plant providing a focal emphasis in the garden. Carefree Beauty also creates large hips which are an additional asset.

The Earth Kind designation also ensures that Carefree Beauty is extremely resource efficient with outstanding landscape performance characteristics.

Join the Earth Kind Rose Brigade:
We invite you to become a member of the “Earth Kind Rose Brigade,” a group of dedicated amateurs helping to conduct advanced field testing of experimental rose selections. Your participation will be educational as well as valuable in providing information to the Earth Kind Team of Extension specialists and research scientists at Texas A&M University.

To participate, simply purchase and plant one or more of the Brigade roses then, at one, two, three, and four years after transplanting, provide the benefit of your growing experience.

These cultivars should be planted where they will receive at least 8 hours of direct sun each day with good air movement over the foliage. The use of compost and organic mulches is encouraged.