Roses

Gardeners in Arizona often are discouraged by the immense desert heat when it comes to roses. They assume it isn't a good fit for the hot, dry conditions, but even in the hottest parts of Arizona certain roses can be stunning garden plants!

Rose lovers, take heart, many varieties of roses thrive in our normally-withering summer temperatures. Do you need to pay attention to them? Of course! Don't expect to plant a rose bush and get show-stopping looks from them without at least a little bit of effort! After all, the most rewarding things in life always require a bit of work, don't they?

Many heirloom roses bloom into mid-summer and keep their leaves, even through the intense summer heat. In the cooler zones of Arizona it's even easier to establish roses in the garden.

Roses out here are sold bare root (typically). This is the best way to get them rooted in your own garden. Once you get the roses home, soak them in a bucket of water full enough to cover the entire root system and most of the stems. Let it soak for 24-48 hours indoors or in a shady location.

Roses grow best in thriving, fertile soil. Once your rose has become established keep it on a drip system and follow the same rules you apply to your other flowering shrubs. They have a deep root system that prefers a long, thorough soak rather than several short-lived waterings. Deep and in intervals is best.

Climber roses are some of the best roses for growing in the desert. Learn more about some of the best varieties here.

If you have your roses in containers, water them once per day. Container roses will do best in the summer if you can provide some sort of protection from the afternoon sun.

In the summer, roses can be pruned lightly around mid-August to early October to encourage a hearty fall burst of flowers. Prune them hard in January for shape and to encourage a repeat performance in March.

Feeding roses is important, especially in our unforgiving desert soil. Give them a good dose of proprietary rose fertilizer twice a year, once in the spring and once in early fall. Foliar feeding is not needed for roses as the leaves don't seem to respond all that well to nutrient uptake like other plants (such as citrus). Read more info on foliar feeding.

Below is a comprehensive list of roses that can grow in the desert. Some of these need and require more care than others, but growth in the desert region (primarily Zone 9b) is proven. To search for roses by color and style, check this section out.

Wild Roses
Rosa acicularis nipponensis
Rosa arkansana - Arkansas Rose
Rosa arvensis - The Field Rose
Rosa banksiae - Lady Banks' Rose
Rosa banksiae normalis - Normalis Banks Rose
Rosa beggeriana
Rosa blanda - Hudson's Bay Rose, Labrador Rose
Rosa bracteata - Chicksaw Rose, Macartney Rose
Rosa brunonii - The Himalayan Musk
Rose californica - California Wild Rose
Rosa canina - Briar Brush, Dog Rose
Rosa carolina - Caroline Rose, Pasture Rose
Rosa chinensis - Bengal Rose, China Rose
Rosa cinnamomea - Cinnamon Rose, Rose de Mai
Rosa davidii - Father David's Rose
Rosa ecae
Rosa eglanteria - Sweet Briar, Eglantine
Rosa elegantula 'persetosa' - The Threepenny Bit Rose
Rosa fedtschenkoana
Rosa filipes
Rosa foetida - Austrian Briar
Rosa fiolosa
Rosa forrestiana
Rosa gallica
Rosa gentilliana
Rosa gigantea
Rosa giraldii
Rosa glauca
Rosa harisonii - Harrison's Yellow Rose
Rosa helenae
Rosa hemisphaerica - Sulphur Rose
Rosa holodonta
Rosa hugonis - Father Hugo's Rose, Golden Rose of China
Rosa laevigata - The Cherokee Rose
Rosa longicuspis
Rosa maximowicziana
Rosa micrantha
Rosa moschata - The Musk Rose
Rosa moyesii
Rose mulliganii
Rosa multiflora - Multiflora Rose
Rosa nitida -
Rosa nutkana
Rosa omeiensis
Rosa pendulina - Alpine Rose
Rose phoenicia
Rosa pisocarpa
Rosa pomifera
Rosa primula
Rosa roxburghii - Burr Rose, Chestnut Rose
Rosa rubrifolia - Shrub Rose
Rosa rugosa - Hedgehog Rose, The Japanese Rose, Rugosa Rose, Sea Tomato
Rosa sempervirens
Rosa sericea
Rosa sericea pteracantha - Wingthorn Rose
Rosa setigera - Prairie Rose
Rosa setipoda
Rosa sherardii
Rosa sicula
Rosa soulieana
Rosa spinosissima - Altaica, Burnet Rose, Scotch Rose
Rosa stellata mirifica - Gooseberry Rose, Sacramento Rose
Rosa sweginzowii
Rosa virginiana - Virginia Rose
Rosa webbiana
Rosa wichuraiana - Memorial Rose
Rosa willmottiae
Rosa woodsii - Mountain Rose, Wood's Rose
Rosa xanthina - Manchu Rose, Father Hugo's Rose

Cultivars
'A Country Woman'
'A Longs Pedoncules'
'Aalsmeer Gold'
"Abailard'
'Abbaye de Cluny'
'Abbeyfield Rose'
'Abbotswood'
'Abigaile'
'Abraham Darby'
'Acapulco'
'Acey Deucy'
'Achievement'
'Acidalie'
'Adair Roche'
'Adam'
'Adam Messerich'
'Adam's Smile'
'Adelaide d'Orleans'
'Adele Prevost'
'Admiral Rodney'
'Adolf Horstmann'
'Adventure'
'Aennchen von Tharau'
'Africa Star'
'Afterglow'
'Agatha'
'Agatha Christie'
'Agathe Incarnata'
'Age Tendre'
'Agena'
'Aglaia'
'Agnes'
'Agnes Bernauer'
'Agreement'
'Ahoi'
'Aicha'
'Aimable Amie'
'Aimable Rogue'
'Aimee Vibert'
'Akebono'
'Alain'
'Alain Blanchard'
'Alamein'
'Alba Maxima'
'Alba Meidiland'
'Alba Semi-plena'
'Alba Suaveolens'
'Alberic Barbier'
'Albertine'
'Alchymist'
'Aldo'
'Alec's Red'
'Alexander'
'Alexander Hill Gray'
'Alexander MacKenzie'
'Alexander von Humboldt'
'Alexandre Girault'
'Alexandre Laquement'
'Alfred Colomb'
'Alfred de Dalmas'
'Alice Amos'
'Alida Lovett'
'Alika'
'Alister Clark'
'Alister Stella Gray'
'All That Jazz'
'Allegro'
'Allelulia'
'Allen Chandler'
'Allgold'
'Allotria'
'Allspice'
'Almost Sunset'
'Aloha'
'Alouette'
'Alpine Sunset'
'Altissimo'
'Amadis'
'Amalia'
'Amanda'
'Amatsu-Otome'
'Amatsu Pink'
'Ambassador'
'Amber Nectar'
'Amber Queen'
'Amber Waves'
'Ambossfunken'
'Ambridge Rose'
'Ambrosia'
'Amelia'
'America'
'American Beauty'
'American Heritage'
'American Home'
'American Pillar'
'American Pride'
'Americana'
'Amethyste'
'Amiga Mia'
'Amore'
'Amorette'
'Amorosa'
'Amsterdam'
'Amy Johnson'
'Amy Robsart'
'Anabell'
'Anais Segalas'
'Anastasia'
'Andalusien'
'Andenken an Alma de l'Aigle'
'Andre Leroy d'Angers'
'Andrea Stelzer'
'Andrewsii'
'Anemone'
'Angel Darling'
'Angel Face'
'Angela'
'Angela Rippon'
'Angelina'
'Angel's Blush'
'Anita'
'Anita Charles'
'Ann Aberconway'
'Ann Endt'
'Anna de Diesbach'
'Anna Ford'
'Anna Livis
'Anna Louisa'
'Anna Olivier'
'Anna Pavlova'
'Anna Zinkeisen'
'Anne Cocker'
'Anne de Bretagne'
'Anne Diamond'
'Anne Harkness'
'Anne Letts'
'Anne-Marie de Montravel'
'Anne Marie Trechslin'
'Anne Morrow Lindbergh'
'Anne of Geierstein'
'Anneka'
'Anne's Delight'
'Annie Vibert'
'Annie's Song'
'Another Chance'
'Anthony Meilland'
'Antigone'
'Antigua'
'Antike 89'
'Antique'
'Antique Rose'
'Antique Silk'
'Antoine Rivoire'
'Antonia Ridge'
'Antonine d'Ornois'
'Anusheh'
'Anytime'
'Apart'
'Apfelblute'
'Apogee'
'Apollo'
'Apothecary's Rose'
'Apple Blossom'
'Applejack'
'Appreciation'
'Apricot Delight'
'Apricot Gem'
'Apricot Nectar'
'Apricot Queen'
'Apricot Silk'
'Apricot Summer'
'Apricot Sunblaze'
'April Hamer'
'Aquarius'
'Arabian Nights'
'Aramis'
'ARC Angel'
'Archduke Charles'
'Archiduc Joseph'
'Archiduchesse Elizabeth d'Autriche'
'Arctic Sunrise'
'Ardoisee de Lyon'
'Ards Beauty'
'Ards Rover'
'Arethusa'
'Arianna'
'Arielle Dombasle'
'Aristide Briand'
'Aristobule'
'Arizona'
'Arizona Sunset'
'Armada'
'Arnold'
'Arrillaga'
'Arthur Bell'
'Arthur de Sansal'
'Arthur Hillier'
'Artistic'
'Artistry'
'Aruba'
'Aschermittwoch'
'Ascot'
'Aspen'
'Assemblage des Beautes'
'Assiniboine'
'Asso di Cuori'
'Asta von Parpart'
'Baby Love'
'Rosa Betty Boop'
'Rosa Brandy'
'Rosa Brass Band'
'Rosa Candelabra'
'Rosa Easy Going'
'Rosa Fabulous!'
'Rosa First Prize'
'Rosa Fragrant Apricot'
'Rosa Fragrant Cloud'
'Rosa French Perfume'
'Rosa Iceberg'
'Rosa Oregold'
'Rosa Red Carpet'