There’s nothing I love more than plants with a personal touch, like birth month plants. They make for great gifts for loved ones, and no flower symbolises love more than the rose. That’s why birth month roses are my latest obsession.
Unlike birth month flowers and birth month trees which are rooted in historic and modern cultural tradition, there is no definitive list of birth month roses. Rather, we’ve used our garden expertise to perfectly pair a rose to each month of the year.
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(Image credit: NataliaNaberezhnaia / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images)
12 Birth Month Roses
If you’re keen to include your birth month rose in your yard, check out our rose care and growing guide and rose growing mistakes to support your successes.
January
Knock Out roses are known for their showstopping displays and disease resistance. This white variety is perfect for January birthdays, reflecting the snowiest months. It’s hardy in US hardiness zone 4 to zone 11, blooming in full sun from late spring to fall.
February
February is the month of Valentine’s Day and there isn’t a flower more appropriate than a red rose – ‘Roxanne Veranda’ is a particularly dazzling choice. It’s disease-resistant, cold-tolerant, and is perfect as a compact rose for pots. Hardy across zone 5 to zone 9, it blooms with repeat flushes between spring and fall.
March
For March birthdays, it’s a climbing rose. ‘Earth Angel’ blooms come out in early spring, with nostalgic flowerheads, reminiscent of peonies and perfect for a cottage garden. They have a sweet, fruity scent. This rose does best in US hardiness zone 5 to zone 9, flowering right through to fall.
April
By the time April comes around, pollinators are busy buzzing around roses. There’s no better choice than single varieties that have an exposed, open center for bees and butterflies to access the nectar easily. Japanese Rose Bush is a vibrant example of this, forming a shrub typically three to 10 feet in size. It’s best grown across US hardiness zone 4 to zone 9, flowering in spring.
May
The colorful spring garden is complete with ‘Peach Drift’, a shrub that flowers with roses in a mix of pink and orange hues. Reaching just two feet in height, it’s great for the front or middle of a border and even pots. It’s hardy across zone 4 to zone 11 and does best in a full sun position.
June
This striking rose is a floribunda variety, with maroon and yellow variegation. Of the birth month roses on our list, it makes a great fit for June birthdays because its display is peak during the summer months. What’s particularly special is no two flowers are the same, with slight differences in variegation. It’s hardy across zone 5 to zone 9, needing full sun to maintain its beautiful colors.
July
Fourth of July Climbing Rose
No explanation needed for this one. ‘Fourth of July’ has beautiful red and white stripes, celebrating the US holiday. As a climbing rose, you can train it up a trellis (like this white lattice trellis from Wayfair) to turn it into a living sculpture for your holiday celebrations. It blooms from late spring through the summer months, fairing best in zone 5 to zone 10.
August
Everest Double Fragrance Rose
This peachy rose is an heirloom variety. It’s disease-resistant, grows with vigour, and puts out a delicious apple and clove scent. Its large, double flowers are particularly impressive, dazzling in borders. It blooms from late spring right through to fall, bringing romantic texture to the garden for the entire summer.
September
Towards the end of summer, ‘Apricot Drift’ has a dynamic display, with a mix of orange and pink flowers. It’s a low-growing ground cover rose, adding color and texture to the yard’s landscape. As fall settles in, its glossy green foliage turns red and yellow. Hardy across zone 4 to zone 11, it does best in a slightly acidic, loam soil type.
October
Knock Out Orange Glow Rose
Another Knock Out variety for October, this time in a fiery hue perfect for the season. ‘Orange Glow’ is a breathtaking double-flowered rose, with flowerheads measuring around 2.75 inches wide. It’s one of the longer flowering roses, lasting up until the first frost, and it grows best across zone 4 to zone 11, suiting a wide range of gardens.
November
By November, the last of summer roses are hanging on. ‘Iceberg’ continues to bloom this month, up until the first hard frost. It’s considered an reliable variety, resistant to disease, and displaying profuse blooms through the growing season. It grows best across zone 5 to zone 9 in well-draining soil in a full-sun position.
December
Fragrant Plum Grandiflora Rose
Although not blooming in December, there’s no better rose to represent the month than this sweet, fruity rose that smells just like plums, fitting for the holiday season. It has large double blooms, excellent for cut flower gardens. This rose has repeat flushes of flowers from late spring through to late fall, making it a reliable choice for color through the summer. It’s best grown in zone 5 to zone 10.
FAQsAre There Any Roses That Bloom in Winter?
Yes, there are some hardy roses that will bloom into winter, though this is limited. However, hellebores are thought to be the ‘winter rose.’ These flowers emerge in winter and last through to spring, generally hardy across zone 4 to zone 9.
If you’re feeling up for a challenge, and you have the space for it, you can try starting your own rose garden with all 12 birth month roses. Alternatively, if you have limited space to work with, try growing the best roses for small spaces.
Shop Rose Growing Accessories
Use these bypass pruning shears to keep on top of rose pruning tasks. It has a stainless steel blade, cutting through 1-inch stems.
Rose Pruning Gardening Gloves
These long sleeve gardening gloves are thorn-proof, made of leather, to protect your arms and hands from shar thorns and stems when tending to roses.
Use this liquid rose fertilizer to give your rose a boost of essential nutrients. Simply mix with water before watering your rose.
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