15 Roses With Large Blooming Flowers
Do you want rose blooms that stop you in your tracks? Big, luscious flowers are part of what make roses so irresistible. If you’re looking for the largest-blooming roses, we’ve got recommendations for you! In this article, gardening expert and rose enthusiast Danielle Sherwood shares 17 beautiful roses with the biggest blooms.
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Sprays of small blooms have their place in the garden. But nothing makes me say “wow!” like full, giant blooms I can really stick my nose in. I’m talking blooms 5-7 inches across at minimum, rivaling showy peonies and lasting much longer!
Of course, the climate makes a big impact on your roses and their bloom size. Roses growing in the Pacific Northwest may thrive due to long, cool springs, while those in northern Canada will produce smaller flowers due to the short warm season. But don’t be discouraged. No matter where you live, you can get bigger blooms by starting with good care.
Many factors influence bloom size. The happiest roses:
- Have a consistent watering routine (deeply, 1-2 times a week is best)
- Are fertilized at least 3 times a year (spring, midsummer, and late summer/early fall)
- Get 6-8 hours of direct sun per day
- Are pruned to remove anything dead, diseased, or dying
Do this, and your rose blooms will reach their maximum size in your environment. But your goal isn’t just a healthy rose. To get the big blooms you’re after, your best bet is to start with varieties known for producing them. Here I’ll list 15 varieties with outstanding bloom sizes. Combine these roses with optimum care, and you’re on your way to a garden full of big, beautiful flowers. Ready? Let’s dig in.
‘Chicago Peace’
botanical name Rosa ‘JOHnago’ | |
plant type Perennial | |
sun requirements Full Sun | |
height 5’ – 7’ | |
hardiness zones 7-11 |
‘Chicago Peace’ is a natural sport of ‘Peace,’ often called the world’s most popular rose. This version beguiles with an intense citrus scent, deeper colors and blooms up to 6 inches across!
Each bloom is a bit of a surprise. Some tend more to pink, while others have a coral-orange center with hints of white and yellow. The individual artistry of each bloom is part of the fun.
‘Chicago Peace’ is a hybrid tea, a class known for large blooms atop long, sturdy stems. That extra stem length makes them a florist favorite and a great candidate for the cutting garden.
In addition to stunning large blooms, ‘Chicago Peace’ is a robust and healthy plant in the garden, with disease resistance and lots of rich green leathery foliage. This gold medal winner is a must for those in seek of impressive blooms.
‘Peter Mayle’
botanical name Rosa ‘MEIzincaro’ | |
plant type Perennial | |
sun requirements Full Sun-Part Shade | |
height 4’ – 6’ | |
hardiness zones 7-11 |
Sometimes a soft pink doesn’t pack the punch you need. ‘Peter Mayle’ has huge blooms in head-turning hot pink to draw the eye to your garden!
Named for the best-selling author, ‘Peter Mayle’ has lavish, full-petaled flowers that appear in regular flushes throughout summer. Its scent is a classic old rose aroma.
‘Peter’ will tolerate some shade, a rare attribute in the hybrid tea class. For the biggest blooms, ensure it gets a minimum of 6 hours of direct sun. When happy, this rose can exceed 6 feet tall. This is an all-around crowd-pleaser for vibrant color, gorgeous fragrance, and health.
‘John F. Kennedy’
botanical name Rosa ‘BOEgif’ | |
plant type Perennial | |
sun requirements Full Sun | |
height 3’ – 5’ | |
hardiness zones 7-11 |
Big, fluffy, snowy white blooms. Delicious licorice scent. Elegant, high-centered form. What more do you need? ‘John F. Kennedy’ is a presidential honorific rose with style.
Especially renowned for its ability to stand up to the heat, the large blooms of ‘John F. Kennedy’ stay strong where other white roses whither. This rose is best in formal gardens, where its upright stature and sophisticated ivory color add gravitas.
‘JFK’ is pretty compact and works beautifully in containers. Try it in a moon garden with Sweet Alyssum and airy Gaura or plant several in a raised bed (I like the look of Birdies Patio Raised Bed) to make your own cutting garden.
‘Charles Darwin’
botanical name Rosa ‘AUSpeet’ | |
plant type Perennial | |
sun requirements Full Sun | |
height 3’ – 4’ | |
hardiness zones 5-10 |
This variety is from UK breeder David Austin, famous for blending the beauty of Old World Roses with modern hardiness and disease resistance. With ‘Charles Darwin,’ he created one of the largest-blooming English-style roses available.
‘Charles Darwin’ has thickly petaled, buttery yellow blooms with a darling button-eye. Different conditions can make it deepen to gold and apricot. The flowers are not only huge but form that fantastic globular shape that stands out in the landscape.
‘Charles’ smells like fresh lemons and herbal tea. The shrub itself is healthy and on the smaller side, easy to tuck in the mixed border. Original and much talked about, just like its UK naturalist namesake.
‘Miss All-American Beauty’
botanical name Rosa ‘MEIdaud’ | |
plant type Perennial | |
sun requirements Full Sun | |
height 5’– 7’ | |
hardiness zones 7-10 |
With flowers consistently between 5.5 to 7 inches across, ‘Miss All-American Beauty’ puts on quite the show. Her name reminds me of a pageant winner, apropos for this highly awarded rose. Named an All-America Rose Selection in 1968, she’s a shoo-in for the title of garden centerpiece.
‘Miss All-American’ has deep, electric-pink blooms in the iconic swirled shape of hybrid tea roses. Her fragrance is sweet and pleasing, most remarkable on warm days.
While rated highly for disease resistance, this rose is not recommended for humid climates. ‘Miss All-American Beauty’ struggles with black spot. Keep her pruned in a vase-like formation to keep the center clear and air flowing for the best chance of success.
‘Milestone’
botanical name Rosa ‘JACles’ | |
plant type Perennial | |
sun requirements Full Sun | |
height 3’ – 5’ | |
hardiness zones 7-11 |
‘Milestone’ has huge blooms with a two-tone, almost ombre effect. Centers are strawberry pink. The color deepens as it reaches the outer layer of petals, which are a pretty red. The contrast gives the blooms depth and makes them look even larger.
‘Milestone’ is an excellent cutting rose with a long vase life. The fragrance is light and fruity. I like this rose as a single specimen plant in the center of a small bed or in a pot where other busy plants won’t detract from its outstanding color.
While it does well in warm regions, ‘Milestone’s’ biggest blooms appear in the cooler months of spring and fall. Very healthy for a hybrid tea, this is a good one to try if you’re new to roses and desire large blooms.
‘Lichfield Angel’
botanical name Rosa ‘AUSrelate’ | |
plant type Perennial | |
sun requirements Full Sun | |
height 3’ – 5’ | |
hardiness zones 4-11 |
‘Lichfield Angel’ is another dreamy English rose from David Austin, this time with creamy peach pompon blooms. Ideal for mass planting or a low-hedge, ‘Lichfield’ is all cottage garden charm.
This variety is cupped with densely petaled centers and slightly reflexed outer petals. ‘Lichfield’ is highly floriferous, with generous flushes of large blooms all summer long. Its health and beauty made it a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit winner.
Best of all, ‘Lichfield Angel’ is nearly thornless. It’s easy to prune and wonderful to cut for indoor arrangements. It has a soft clove scent and gently nodding blooms. Evoke a soothing ambiance by planting it with other pastel shades, or go for contrast with dark purple salvia and delphiniums.
‘Medallion’
botanical name Rosa ‘Medallion’ | |
plant type Perennial | |
sun requirements Full Sun-Part Shade | |
height 4’ – 5’ | |
hardiness zones 5-9 |
If the biggest, showstopping blooms are your only motivation, you can stop reading and pick up a ‘Medallion’ rose now. Famous for its massive blooms that reach 7-8 inches across, ‘Medallion’ is a frequent rose exhibition prizewinner.
‘Medallion’ isn’t just big. It also has a lovely form, with attractively pointed outer petals. Its color is a gentle apricot that fades to cream. This is a gorgeous choice for wedding bouquets or any home garden with a focus on softer shades.
Medallion has a sweet citrus and anise perfume. Its foliage is thick and sturdy, with almost thornless canes. An All-America Rose Selection winner that blooms in repeat flushes spring through fall.
‘Paul Neyron’
botanical name Rosa ‘Paul Neyron’ | |
plant type Perennial | |
sun requirements Full Sun | |
height 4’ – 6’ | |
hardiness zones 5-9 |
‘Paul Neyron’ impresses with large lilac to magenta blooms and scalloped petals. This hybrid perpetual rose was popular in the Victorian era for large flowers and excellent repeat bloom.
‘Paul’ has rich color and an intense old rose fragrance to match. The blooms have a deep cup that opens to a ruffled flat flower. The stems are strong and sturdy, with thorn-free canes that make cutting for bouquets a breeze!
If you’ve fallen in love with ‘Paul Neyron,’ know that it can be somewhat susceptible to black spot. Prevent it by planting in full sun, watering at the base of the rose, and spacing appropriately (at least 2-3 feet from other plants). This rose is spectacular in the garden and the vase.
‘Oshun’
botanical name Rosa ‘ARDorisha’ | |
plant type Perennial | |
sun requirements Full Sun-Part Shade | |
height 4’ – 7’ | |
hardiness zones 5-9 |
‘Oshun’s’ blooms regularly reach 6 inches across and have a wonderful rich apricot hue. Named for the Yoruba goddess of love, ‘Oshun’ is strong and beautiful, with frequent rebloom and good health.
Luminous and golden, this rose holds up well in the heat and resists fading. It has an award-winning citrus fragrance.
While ‘Oshun’ is an American-bred rose, it has the style of old-fashioned English varieties, with densely-petaled centers and cupped form. This rose glows when paired with blue flowers, like forget-me-nots or blue flax.
‘Mr. Lincoln’
botanical name Rosa ‘Mister Lincoln’ | |
plant type Perennial | |
sun requirements Full Sun | |
height 3’ – 6’ | |
hardiness zones 5-10 |
Do you need a plush, velvety-red rose? Considered the number one red rose by many in the industry, ‘Mister Lincoln’ has it all: high-centered exposition-worthy form, intriguing dark red color, and mesmerizing perfume.
‘Mister Lincoln’ smells like strawberry-plum jam. Perfect for bringing indoors, each long graceful stem is topped with a single, perfect bloom that lasts for a long time when cut. The shrub is also handsome, with bushy foliage and a balanced, upright form.
‘Mister Lincoln’ is known for its generous repeat blooms, with continual flushes from spring through frost. Named the All-America Rose Selection in 1965, it’s been the most popular red rose ever since.
‘Madame Marie Curie’
botanical name Rosa ‘Madame Marie Curie’ | |
plant type Perennial | |
sun requirements Full Sun | |
height 4’ – 5’ | |
hardiness zones 6-9 |
‘Madame Marie Curie’ is a bold canary yellow. Named for the scientific pioneer, it makes a splash in the garden with colossal (at least 5 inches in diameter) sunny blooms.
‘Madame’ has an all-season interest, with showy orange hips that decorate the bushy shrub fall through winter. Bouquets emit a pleasantly sweet and fruity scent.
For fans of yellow, ‘Madame Marie Curie’ is a must. It’s healthy, sturdy, and highly floriferous. Plant it as an homage to women in science. Use it to brighten up your lavender bed. No matter where you plant ‘Madame,’ it will get noticed. Keep it deadheaded (remove spent blooms) to keep the show going all summer!
‘Larger than Life’
botanical name Rosa chinensis ‘JACmedameye’ | |
plant type Perennial | |
sun requirements Full Sun-Part Shade | |
height 4’ – 5’ | |
hardiness zones 5-9 |
As the name suggests, the large blooms of this descendant of the famous ‘Mellow Yellow’ crossed with ‘Memorial Day’ are noteworthy. A soft yellow with cream outer petals, ‘Larger than Life’ has a gentler appearance than ‘Madame Marie Curie.’
While technically a hybrid tea (the class known for achieving big, single blooms), ‘Larger than Life’ has the swirled form of an old-fashioned garden rose. Flowers are heavily petaled and at least 5 inches across.
This rose has a fruit tea fragrance and is beautiful cut for the vase. ‘Larger than Life’ was popular vendor Jackson & PerkinsⓇ Rose of the Year in 2021 and continues to receive rave reviews.
‘Royal Sunset’
botanical name Rosa ‘Royal Sunset’ | |
plant type Perennial | |
sun requirements Full Sun | |
height 8’ – 15’ | |
hardiness zones 7-9 |
What’s better than a rose with giant blooms? A climbing rose with giant blooms, of course. ‘Royal Sunset’ can be trained to cover a wall or trellis up to 15 feet tall, blanketing your view in peaches and cream roses.
Sadly for me, ‘Royal Sunset’ isn’t cold-hardy enough for my region’s harsh winters. But for gardeners in zones 7-9, this rose is the perfect way to get armfuls of luxurious sunset-toned roses all summer long. Flowers begin almost pumpkin orange and fade to ivory in the sun, making the bush look multicolored as the flowers open and mature at different times.
Train this climber’s long canes horizontally (tie them to a sturdy structure with old nylons or zip ties)to increase the number of flowering shoots. Soon you’ll have a stunning display of candied-lemon scented roses that comes back every year.
‘Mermaid’
botanical name Rosa ‘Mermaid’ | |
plant type Perennial | |
sun requirements Full Sun-Part Shade | |
height 15’ – 25’ | |
hardiness zones 7-10 |
Here’s one last climber for your consideration, and this one is pretty tempting. ‘Mermaid’ has dazzling, saucer-sized single blooms with dramatic golden stamens that welcome pollinators. A major plus, all this beauty is low-maintenance and disease-free.
This very robust rose can climb 15-25 feet in just a few years. It doesn’t mind lower light conditions and will transform shady, neglected corners of your yard into a blooming sanctuary. Poor soils don’t slow it down, so try ‘Mermaid’ if you’ve struggled with more fragile varieties in the past.
‘Mermaid’ is the palest antique yellow, with foliage that stays evergreen in warm regions. It blooms continuously from spring until frost. Use it to cover a garden eyesore and savor its mild, refreshing fragrance. If training it vertically sounds like a hassle, let it grow into a large sprawling hedge that deters unwanted visitors.
Final Thoughts
Generous, showy blooms with enticing fragrances are roses’ claim to fame. If you want to go big this season, these roses will provide the impact you’re hoping for.
Remember to select varieties that do well in your growing zone (or be prepared to baby them with winter protection), and give them consistent care with deep watering sessions, regular fertilization, and lots of sun. They’ll reward you with luscious flowers year after year. Enjoy your roses!