Introduced in the mid-twenties, this was one of the first roses in the class that eventually came to be known as "floribundas." They were achieved by crossing polyanthas with hybrid teas and at first they were called "hybrid polyanthas." The "floribunda" classification did not evolve until the 1950s.

Kirsten Poulsen boasts loose clusters of bright red, five-petaled blooms. Like most floribundas, the bush grows in a vase-shaped form (about 4 feet high in my garden). Disease resistance is quite good and it re-blooms throughout the summer. It is an unassuming but tough rose that will thrive with little care and is not particular about soil.