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Drift Red (Rosa 'Drift Red'), whole plant
  • Drift Red — close-up of leaves and flowers
  • Drift Red — seasonal appearance
  • Drift Red in a garden setting

Drift Red

Rosa 'Drift Red'

Easy · Beginner friendly

About Drift Red

Drift Red is a compact cherry-red groundcover shrub rose producing clusters of 1 to 2 inch double blooms on a low 1.5 to 2 foot mounded plant. Part of the Drift series by Meilland, it delivers bright red color with disease-resistant low-care performance, an excellent choice for small American gardens, containers, and low borders.

  • Disease-resistant
  • Groundcover
  • Compact
  • Container-friendly
WATER
Regular
Top inch dry
LIGHT
Full sun
6+ hrs direct
HARDY
Hardy to -30°F (-34°C)
USDA hardiness zones 4–10

How to care for Drift Red

Watering

  • Springevery 7 days
  • Summerevery 5 days
  • Fallevery 10 days
  • Winterevery 21 days

Soil · Rich & loamy

  • Top dressingBark mulch15%
  • Main mixRich loam + compost 3:170%
  • DrainageGravel15%

Use fully finished compost — fresh compost burns roots.

FERTILIZER

Balanced Feed 14-14-14

An even feed covers all three needs at once, keeping leaves, roots and blooms moving together with nothing pushed out of balance.

N33%P33%K33%
  • Nitrogen · Leaves
  • Phosphorus · Roots + Blooms
  • Potassium · Strength
  • Springevery 45 days
  • Summerevery 45 days
Get watering reminders for Drift Red — free on iPhoneDownload on the App Store

At a Glance

  • NativeEurope
  • Height1–2 ft (0.3–0.6 m)
  • Spread2–3 ft (0.6–0.9 m)
  • Flower colorRed
  • Foliage colorGreen
  • SoilLoamy, Well-drained, Rich
  • LocationsYard · Balcony

Bloom time

BLOOM CYCLE

Peak bloom

May–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Self-cleaning; shear lightly late winter for shape

Fragrance

LIGHT FRAGRANCE

The flowers have a light scent.

Toxicity

Humans Slight

Unknown toxic principle

Slight

  • Stem
  • Contact

EXPOSURE Touching stems.

EFFECT Pricks from thorns.

NOTE Not toxic; thorns cause mechanical injury.

Safe

EXPOSURE No exposure route is reported.

EFFECT No toxic effect is reported.

NOTE Listed as non-toxic for dogs; avoid eating ornamental plants unless confirmed edible.

Safe

EXPOSURE No exposure route is reported.

EFFECT No toxic effect is reported.

NOTE Listed as non-toxic for cats; avoid eating ornamental plants unless confirmed edible.

Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.

DISTRIBUTION

Drift Red · Native
  • Native
  • Europe

History

Illustrated historical scene for Drift Red

Rosa 'Drift Red' is a dwarf groundcover shrub rose bred by the Meilland nursery in France and released in North America by Conard-Pyle as part of the Drift series. The compact plants reach 45 centimeters tall and spread 75 centimeters wide, producing continuous clusters of small fully double bright cherry-red blooms from late spring to heavy frost. Like its siblings, 'Drift Red' was developed by crossing full-size landscape groundcover roses with miniatures, combining the disease resistance and easy care of modern landscape shrub roses with the scale of a miniature.

The cultivar resists black spot and powdery mildew without spraying, tolerates summer heat and drought, survives cold into USDA zone 4 without protection, and blooms continuously without deadheading. Excellent for small gardens, container rims, rock gardens, and mass landscape plantings in limited spaces.

Symbolism & meaning

What It Symbolizes

The Drift Red Rose can symbolize small-scale passion, its compact bright-red blooms offering all the heat of a classic red rose in a body suited to a low groundcover. Another layer is its place in the Drift family, the landscape series of disease-resistant low roses now found along countless suburban driveways and entries. In the modern landscape, this is the manageable romance of the genus, a red rose scaled to a world of tighter beds and busier lives.

  • Small-scale passion — compact bright-red blooms
  • Drift family — landscape groundcover series

Where the Name Comes From

Named for the red color within the Drift groundcover rose series.

Uses & Fun Facts

  • Red Drift roses cascade over slopes and bed edges
  • Compact mounding rose suits patio planters

Related plants

More Rosa plants

Plants with similar care

Frequently asked questions

How often should I water Drift Red?

In summer, water about every 5 days; in winter, about every 21 days. Adjust for heat, pot size and drainage.

How much light does Drift Red need?

Full sun: 6+ hrs direct. Watch the leaves — scorching or stretching means the light needs adjusting.

Is Drift Red toxic to cats or dogs?

Pets Safe (Dogs Safe · Cats Safe) Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.

Is Drift Red easy to grow?

Yes — it is considered an easy, beginner-friendly plant.

When does Drift Red bloom?

It typically blooms May–Sep in the Northern Hemisphere.

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