Recently updated on May 23rd, 2026

The Best Heat Tolerant Roses to grow in Phoenix, Arizona

My Backyard Rose Garden in Phoenix, Arizona (early spring)

I have always romanced the idea of having a rose garden one day, but I didn’t think they would survive the brutal summers in my hometown of Phoenix, Arizona (garden zone 9b). Thankfully, I was wrong!

I planted my first rose, “Ring of Fire” in early spring 2022. I googled my way through the entire planting process, patted the soil off my hands and basically hoped for the best!

Now in 2026, 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 with the dogs 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 the (outrageously) sunny and 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.

However, there are quite a few roses in my garden that have been so successful and heat tolerant with minimal efforts on my end (other than the normal feeding, watering, deadheading and pruning).

By successful roses in my super dry/hot climate I mean:

• minimal sun damage on leaves
• thick, sturdy stems throughout the growing season
• 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

To me, Red Roses growing in a garden is just so magical. Vibrant velvety red blooms contrasting with healthy green foliage is just chefs kiss!

Don Juan takes my grand prize for the most romantic rose in my garden! The classic rose shape and velvety red color gives me total “Beauty and the Beast” vibes (Belle is my favorite princess btw…)

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 an abundance of large, velvety red roses that just 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 fuchsia purple/red in hot temps, but Don Juan will stay a true bright red during the end of the 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 with only minor crispy edges during 100 degree temps mixed with full sunshine.

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 which tends to be the driest point of summer. By then most of my roses typically have (what I like to say) “peaced out” for the summer months, 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. If you are local to Phoenix and near the Arcadia area, stop by! They have HUNDREDS of roses.

The tiny white flowers are “carpet of snow” Alyssum! They grow from late September until about mid June 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

My absolute favorite “red” rose (other than Don Juan) 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. As the bloom matures, it maintains a rich cocoa-red coloring throughout the life of the bloom.

The thing that stands out the most about this rose is it’s healthy, vibrant foliage that seems to thrive in the hot sun. By hot sun, I mean anything within the 80-upper 90s degree range (no rose will particularly thrive in anything above 100 degrees, but they will survive)

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 in my garden.

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.

I could not have chosen a better rose to start out with! In fact, I blame Ring of Fire’s superb heat tolerance and overall vigor for inflating my ego as a beginner rose 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 losing 1/5 roses. a Miranda Lambert Rose. Gorgeous, but struggled in our heat).

Ring of Fire is the dreamiest rose! This hybrid tea rose grows close to 6 feet tall every year and is filled with large, lush green leaves. Hybrid Tea Roses can often 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 with roses on it, of course).

I purchased my Ring of Fire potted rose from Home Depot.

Sedona Rose – heat tolerant roses

The Sedona Rose is a new addition to my garden this year. Sedona, Arizona is one of my favorite places in the world, so this rose was a must have! Just like the town, the Sedona Rose is absolutely beautiful with glowing red petals in a perfectly sculpted rose form.

Obviously, I will be planting this rose right next to my “Arizona” rose. For now, she has been in a large container until I can rearrange some roses this winter.

The Sedona Rose has a sweet pear-rose fragrance. I am a sucker for the more sweet fruity smelling roses in my garden! That, and I have become such a fan of my more fiery corals, oranges and reds in my garden (I used to be such a cottage-fairytale pastel rose girly…)

This rose can definitely take the heat! The blooms sat in full 100 degree sun for days and never budged. Only minimal color fade which is impressive for such a saturated rose color. The stems are very sturdy and thick and the foliage is vibrant and healthy.

Since this rose is fairly new, I will have to update you on its growth style. However, the stem and petal sturdiness alone tells me she is going to do justttt fine in my garden!

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. She’s a beast, folks!

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 more narrow growing style of a grandiflora! The more narrow the rose plant, the more roses I can plant…(did I mention I was obsessed?)

The entire Arizona Rose plant does so well in the heat! The leaves remain shiny and healthy and the stems are super thick and sturdy throughout the summer.

Bloom life and Vase life is one of the best in my garden! These petals do not wilt. They will keep their shape until I deadhead.

The BEST part of this rose is the fragrance. The Arizona rose smells very similar to Ring of Fire with its sweet floral and fruity scent. On a breezy day, this rose can be smelled from a few feet away.

I purchased my Arizona rose potted from Home Depot (not available online, but I have seen them in store at Home Depot and Lowe’s 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 orangey-yellow shade and slowly fades to a true yellow as the bloom opens up more. I am not the biggest fan of yellow roses, but this leans more warm and golden.

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 🙂

Gold Medal Rose – heat tolerant roses

I purchased my “Gold Medal” rose during the 2026 Winter Olympics last February. We love a good on-theme rose lol

I typically find yellow roses to be kind of bland, but this rose takes on a more golden, peachy glow and it is truly stunning! The color does fade quickly in our heat. However, the petals remain sturdy and I love the variety of color saturation among all the different blooms on the the plant.

The “Gold Medal” rose has a strong fruity fragrance that can be detected from a few feet away. Like every other grandiflora in my garden, this rose is getting pretty tall, with thick sturdy canes and clean growth!

I purchased my Gold Medal Rose from Lowe’s.

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 rose plants 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 Lowe’s. Also comes in white!

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.

I purchased my Marilyn Monroe Rose from 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 or crisping. The strength of these petals are thick and hardy. They color does tend to fade to a more white shade and sometimes a green-white shade (it’s parent rose is “St. Patrick’s Day”).

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 medium sized 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 blooms start off with a copper center that fades to a mauve-lavender outer petal. The petals do not wilt in the heat, but the color eventually fades to a pale lavender-pink color. No matter the color, the blooms appear to glow across the garden! Magical fairy rose vibes.

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. This rose will even bloom during July and August (peak heat). Obviously, the blooms look like little hot messes, but the effort is astounding!

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 resembles a perfect rose, but the coloring is what makes this rose so special. It starts out as a blueish lavender purple shade. As the day gets warmer and sunnier, the tips of the petals slowly turn to a vibrant hot pink color. As the bloom sits in the sun (for a day or two), the entire bloom will turn hot pink with a hint of the purple still left in the center.

As if Paradise couldn’t get any better, this rose has a strong heavenly sweet classic rose fragrance.

ewel toned roses tend to fade and/or wilt in super hot sun, but Paradise’s petals remain vibrant and sturdy! I have my Paradise Rose planted in a spot that gets sun all day until around 4pm and it remains so healthy.

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

Out of all my roses, “Sexy Rexy” gives the most amount of blooms per bloom cycle. Each stem is just packed with clusters of frilly bubblegum pink blooms! The blooms don’t really have a fragrance, but they make up for it in show and remain sturdy even in full sun.

The “Sexy Rexy” Rose does not get very tall, but grows to a decent rounded shrub with vibrant shiny foliage year around. Like most floribundas, this rose is best for the front parts of your garden or even in a patio container where it can be seen and enjoyed.

As for heat tolerance, this rose will bloom year around for me! Obviously, the blooms during our 110 degree weather are no where near as full as they are during the fall and spring. However, the effort is noted and inspiring lol.

I purchased my Sexy Rexy rose from SummerWinds Nursery in Glendale, Arizona.

Scent-sation Rose – heat tolerant roses

The “Scent-sation” Rose is just as fragrant as it sounds! I planted this rose with 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 I watch my toddler tear apart the rest of the yard…

I was actually very surprised with how well this rose performs in full sun (6am-4pm, then shaded by a large tree nearby). My more pale colored roses have usually been quite delicate and tend to wilt in our hot sun, but “Scent-sation” is right up there with “Arizona” in terms of heat tolerance.

This rose is from Heirloom Roses, and if you are familiar with their roses…they arrive tiny yet mighty. This rose in particular grew over 3 feet in just the first season. Two years later, and it is about 3 feet wide and reaches close to 6 feet tall by the end of fall each season.

The “Scent-sation” Rose gives out clusters of the most perfectly shaped, large & fragrant blooms. The color is a delicate peachy pink with a sunny center. 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/white, 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!

Iceberg Rose – heat tolerant roses

I will admit, I used to overlook the “Iceberg” Rose. I knew it was hardy. I knew it did very well in Phoenix. I always see them at every Lowe’s, Home Depot and local Nursery. However, the lack of fragrance and uninteresting blooms (sorry) just turned me away.

I was wrong! The Iceberg Rose is actually quite stunning. This is a hardy landscape rose that blooms continuously throughout the year…even the summer! Because of this, they are a super popular rose variety for landscaping all over the Southwest. If you are in Southern California or pretty much anywhere in the Southwest and see a hedge of roses with an abundance of frilly white blooms…they are probably Iceberg roses.

During the ideal growing months in Phoenix, “Iceberg” will be covered in large clusters of pure white puff ball roses that actually have a mild “barely there” fresh rose fragrance.

I planted a few Iceberg roses in a row as a hedge, and it is simply beautiful.

I purchased this rose from Lowe’s garden center

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!

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