The Best Heat Tolerant Roses to grow in Phoenix, Arizona
My Backyard Rose Garden in Phoenix, Arizona (early spring)
I have always loved the idea of having a rose garden, but I didn’t think they would survive the brutal summers in my hometown of Phoenix, Arizona (garden zone 9b).
I decided to give it a go anyways. I planted my first rose, “Ring of Fire” in early spring 2020. I googled my way through the planting process, patted the soil off my hands and basically hoped for the best!
Now in 2024, I have over 20 different rose plants growing throughout my yard. It has become quite the hobby (obsession may be a better word to be honest…), but it’s so rewarding!
Nothing beats waking up with the sunrise, walking barefoot through the grass while sipping an iced matcha latte and admiring the new blooms.
If you are wanting to try roses out in your hot region, I am happy to share the specific roses that have performed the best for me in sunny, hot ‘n dry Phoenix, Arizona.
The Best Heat Tolerant Roses to grow in Phoenix, Arizona
One thing is for sure, not all roses can take the heat.
I mean the super hot, dry desert, brutal sunshine heat of Phoenix, Arizona (or similar climates in the Southwest). However, there are quite a few roses in my garden that have been so successful and heat tolerant with minimal efforts (other than the normal feeding, watering, deadheading and pruning).
By successful roses in my super hot climate I mean:
- minimal sun damage on leaves
- thick, sturdy stems
- vibrant, minimally fading colors
- sturdy petals on the blooms that do not wilt quickly
- vigorous growth
My best performing roses in Phoenix, Az
This list will hopefully grow alongside the newer roses that I have planted this year and last year. I have a good feeling about some of my newbies! Until then, I am sharing the roses that I have had for a few years and have seen how heat tolerant they are.
All of my super heat tolerant roses will be shared below in Rainbow-ish order.
Don Juan Climbing Rose – heat tolerant roses
There is something so magical about red roses blooming amongst rich green foliage. A red rose garden gives me total Beauty and the Beast vibes! Don Juan takes my grand prize for the most romantic rose in my garden! This vigorous climber has been one of my fastest growing roses in my Phoenix, Arizona garden. Even while the roses are not blooming, this climber looks so healthy with dark green leaves.
THE BLOOMS though. Don Juan produces tons of large, velvety red roses that smell heavenly. The rose petals start out as an almost black-red color with a texture that looks and feels like velvet. As the blooms open and mature, the red slowly fades to a vibrant true red.
Red roses tend to turn more of a fuschia red in hot temps, but Don Juan stays a true bright red during the end of it’s bloom life. Likewise, strong heat can also cause some rose blooms to wilt and fall prematurely. However, Don Juan’s blooms remain sturdy and fragrant.
I purchased my Don Juan Bare Root Rose from Home Depot.
Ingrid Bergman Rose – heat tolerant roses
Named after one of Hollywood’s famous Golden Era Actresses, Ingrid Bergman is a show-stopping, hard working red rose.
I have a spot in my garden with a few different varieties of red roses. When they are all blooming at once, it looks so magical having all the different shades of red! However, Ingrid Bergman is definitely the show off (in the best way possible).
The photo above was during the middle of June last summer! By then most of my roses were slowing down in our triple digit heat, but Ingrid Bergman was, of course, having herself an “encore” moment 😉
I purchased my Ingrid Bergman Rose potted, from our local Phoenix Nursery, Berridge Nursery. The tiny white flowers are “carpet of snow” Alyssum! They grow from late september until about mid July for me in Phoenix. They re-seed and spread like crazy, so every year I find random new alyssum plants throughout my yard.
Hot Cocoa Rose – heat tolerant roses
One of my favorite “red” roses is, Hot Cocoa. Just as the name describes, this rose has a chocolatey red color that resembles red velvet cake batter when it first blooms.
The thing that stands out the most about this rose is it’s healthy, vibrant foliage that seems to thrive in the hot sun.
I purchased this rose from HeirloomRoses.com along with a few other varieties. They were all planted at the same time, however Hot Cocoa has grown so vigorously! It has even surpassed some of my older roses.
I find these blooms to be very sturdy. The petals do not wilt and the color remains vibrant throughout it’s bloom life!
I purchased this rose from HeirloomRoses.com
Ring of Fire Rose – heat tolerant roses
Ring of Fire was the first rose that I planted in my Phoenix, Arizona backyard rose garden. This was the rose that led to one of my favorite hobbies yet! (obsession is a better word, but ‘gardening’ is technically a normal hobby to have so…)
I could not have chosen a better rose to start out with! In fact, I blame Ring of Fire’s heat tolerance and overall vigor for inflating my ego as a beginner gardener. This rose grew SO well for me, that I purchased about 5 more different varieties of roses the following few months because I naively thought that all roses must do well in my climate (I wasn’t too wrong, but I did end up killing one of the five roses).
Ring of Fire is the dreamiest rose! This hybrid tea rose grows close to 6 feet every year and is filled with large, lush green leaves. Hybrid Tea can grow leggy and sparse, but Ring of Fire fills out beautifully and would make a wonderful set of hedges!
Ring of Fire produces an abundant amount of ginormous, fiery red-orange blooms throughout the year. These blooms literally glow in the sun and can be smelled from a few feet away. The fragrance is heavenly and resembles Herbal Essences rose shampoo (the infamous pink bottle).
I purchased my Ring of Fire potted rose from Home Depot.
Arizona Rose – heat tolerant roses
If there ever were a rose that should do well in Phoenix, Arizona it should obviously be the “Arizona” Rose. This beautiful rose gives me some of the most stunning and HUGE blooms in my garden! The rose coloring resembles our infamous AZ sunsets with shades of orange and pink.
For me, this rose grows very tall and column like (almost 6 feet each year prior to pruning every winter). I would need to plant a few more clustered together to create a fuller hedge, but I honestly appreciate the growing style of a grandiflora! This allows me to plant more surrounding roses.
The entire plant does so well in the heat. The leaves remain shiny and healthy and the stems are thick and sturdy throughout the summer. I’ve noticed that my Arizona rose blooms last longer than most of my other roses in my garden (both in a vase and while left on the plant).
The BEST part of this rose is the fragrance. On a breezy day, this rose can be smelled from a few feet away! The Arizona rose smells very similar to Ring of Fire with its sweet floral and fruity scent. I strategically planted this rose with a few other highly fragrant roses in a corner where I plan to put a garden bench.
I purchased my Arizona rose potted from Home Depot (not available online, but I have seen them in store at Home Depot and Lowes this season!)
—> see how I feed all of my roses: Growing Healthy Roses – The Best Fertilizer Recipe for Gigantic Blooms
South Africa Rose – heat tolerant roses
The South Africa rose is part of “Star Roses” Sunbelt line. These roses were bred to do well in hotter climates! My South Africa rose is quite the beast when it comes to our hot desert sun!
I had a spot that needed a plant, but this particular spot sits in the sun all day without a break of afternoon shade until the sun begins to set. I of course wanted a rose, so I did a bit of research and discovered the Sunbelt Roses! We planted South Africa last mother’s day and it grew so well even during our record breaking summer last year.
The South Africa Rose starts out as the most beautiful orangy-yellow shade and slowly fades to a true yellow as the bloom opens up more. I find the fragrance to be moderate, but I am more in love with the fact that this rose can tolerate the hottest sun in my garden!
My husband bought me the South Africa Rose from our local Phoenix Nursery, Berridge Nursery as a mother’s day gift 🙂
Lady Banks Rose – heat tolerant roses
Did you know the world’s largest rose plant is here in Arizona?! It is actually a Lady Banks that was planted in 1885 and covers about 9,000 square feet. We love an Arizona rose moment!
My Lady Banks roses are definitely not that big, but they are vigorous roses that LOVE the desert heat! They are often labeled as a climbing rose, but I consider them more to be a rambler rose. The blooms are tiny, but they cover most of the surface of each stem and they only bloom once a year. For me, this is usually sometime in April. I own a buttery yellow lady banks, but they also come in white!
This rose also does not have any thorns, which makes them easy to train and deal with since they do grow wildly out of control at times. This is the perfect rose to have growing up a pergola, patio column, fence or any other place you need foliage and color.
I purchased my Lady Banks roses from Lowes. (currently not online, but they are carried at most nurseries in Phoenix from March-June)
Marilyn Monroe Rose – heat tolerant roses
Named after one of the most famous Hollywood Actresses, the Marilyn Monroe rose is simply stunning! The blooms begin as a bright blonde yellow color and slowly mature to a pale creamy apricot as they open up.
I purchased my Marilyn Monroe Rose from a an Heirloom Roses sale. It was one of those roses that I initially thought, “hey, why not?!” *adds to cart to fulfill amount needed for free shipping*. However, it has quickly become one of my favorite roses in my garden! The blooms are HUGE, perfectly rose shaped, smells like peaches & lemons and they have such a delicate color compared to the rest of my garden.
These blooms are anything but delicate though! My Marilyn Monroe rose sits in full sun from about 7am-4pm. These blooms last for days without any wilting, crisping or dramatic color fade. The strength of these petals are thick and hardy.
Funny enough, the Marilyn Monroe rose is the parent rose of “Ring of Fire” (few roses above) which explains their similarities in growth, shape and bloom strength.
I purchased this rose from Heirloom Roses!
Distant Drums Rose – heat tolerant roses
If I had to choose a favorite rose, I think (most days) I would say it is Distant Drums. Distant Drums is not only stunningly beautiful, but it grows so full each spring, tons of blooms all year long and has proven to be very low maintenance.
Distant Drums grows in an almost perfect shrub shape and would make the perfect hedge with multiples planted together. I wish I could go back in time and plant all Distant Drums along a bay window that I filled with other roses (I’ve actually considered moving those roses elsewhere, so Distant Drums can conquer lol).
The entire plant itself does so well during our hottest months. There is always new healthy growth, and the foliage looks and feels healthy despite being in triple digit weather for months. The blooms start off with a copper center that fades to a mauvy lavender outer petal. The petals do not wilt in the heat, but the color eventually fades to a pale lavender-pink color.
I purchased my Distant Drums rose as a bare root rose from our local Phoenix Nursery, Berridge Nursery
Paradise Rose – heat tolerant roses
My Paradise rose is one of the most beautiful and unique blooms in my garden!
The bloom shape itself is the perfect rose, but the coloring is what makes this rose so special. It starts out as a blueish purple. As the day gets warmer and sunnier, the tips of the petals turn a vibrant fuschia color. As the bloom sits in the sun (for a day or two), the entire bloom will turn fuschia with a hint of purple in the center.
As if Paradise couldn’t get any better, this rose has a strong heavenly fragrance. I have my Paradise Rose planted in a spot that gets sun all day until around 4pm and it remains so healthy. Jewel toned roses tend to fade and/or wilt in super hot sun, but Paradise’s petals remain vibrant and sturdy!
I purchased my Paradise Rose from the clearance section at Home Depot! She was hanging on by a thread, but roses are SO resilient. Now she is in her third spring and thriving! I have seen this variety at Home Depot and Lowes this year.
Sexy Rexy Rose – heat tolerant roses
If you need an abundantly pink rose, Sexy Rexy is it. Out of all my roses, Sexy Rexy always puts on the biggest show of blooms! During a bloom cycle, the entire rose plant is covered in clusters of frilly bubblegum pink blooms. This alone makes me wish I had planted more!
The Sexy Rexy Rose does not get very tall, but grows to a decent full shrub with vibrant shiny foliage year around. This is another one of my roses that blooms even during the hottest parts of summer.
The blooms don’t really have a fragrance, but they make up for it in show. One cane will literally produce an entire bouquet of large ruffled pink roses. The blooms are very sturdy and last quite a bit on the plant and in a vase before dying.
I purchased my Sexy Rexy rose from SummerWinds Nursery in Glendale, Arizona.
Scent-sation Rose – heat tolerant roses
The Scent-sation Rose is as fragrant as it sounds! I planted this rose along with my Arizona Rose and a few other highly fragrant varieties. My goal is to have a bench placed in this corner so I can sit and enjoy the clouds of fragrance while my toddler tears apart the rest of the yard…
I was actually very surprised with how well this rose performed during its first year. While this rose is technically entering its second spring with me, I had to add it to this post! It has surpassed some of my older roses and is currently filled with new buds getting ready to bloom.
The Scent-sation Rose gives the most perfectly shaped blooms with a sunny center that fades to peachy pink outer petals. The petals are very sturdy and do not wilt despite sitting in the hot sun for days. The color does tend to fade to a very light pink, but it’s still impressive how sturdy the petals remain!
As stunning as these blooms are, the foliage is just as beautiful! The leaves are a deep green color and remain shiny and healthy all year for me. This was a last minute purchase during one of Heirloom Rose’s sales last year and I am SO glad I added it to my cart that day.
I purchased this rose from Heirloom Roses!
Closing Thoughts
This list of heat loving roses is currently less than half of all the roses I grow within my Phoenix, Arizona rose garden. So what is going on with my other roses? They are all still alive thankfully haha, but they are either too new or they tend to struggle in our super hot weather.
Not all roses are ideal for the desert, but they can still thrive throughout our beautiful spring and fall weather! These roses tend to take a bit more babying from me, and that’s okay! I will share more about the other varieties I grow in a future post and how I cater to them during the super hot months.
I hope you found this post helpful in selecting roses for your desert rose garden! I will be sharing more on some of the tips and tricks I use to ensure that roses have the best chance of survival during our super hot months!