17 Roses That Will Flourish in Southern Gardens

Growing roses in the South is challenging, but gardening shouldn’t be a constant battle. Southern rose varieties are known to flourish in heat and humidity. In this article, expert gardener and rose enthusiast Danielle Sherwood shares her top roses for southern gardens. 

Growing roses in the South comes with its own set of challenges. Heat and humidity are high. Year-round warm temperatures mean no dormant period, increasing disease and pest pressure. 

Noisette roses, originally hybridized in South Carolina over 200 years ago, are known for thriving in humid southern states. This charming bush is an excellent repeat flowerer and can bloom year-round when temperatures are mild. 

A versatile petite climber reaching up to 8 feet tall, ‘Blush Noisette’ tolerates some shade (and even prefers a bit of protection from the hot afternoon sun). It will perform despite poor soils and is a champ in hot, humid conditions. 

‘Blush’ has clusters of delicate cream pompon flowers tinged with blush. They have a yummy clove and apple scent. If its beauty and fragrance aren’t enough to entice you, this rose is nearly thornless, a definite perk when training canes up an obelisk or arbor.

‘Perle d’Or’

	botanical name Rosa ‘Perle d’Or’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun-Part Shade
	height 4’ – 5’
	hardiness zones 6- 9

‘Perle d’Or’ is a stunning buff to apricot-pink rose with a rich, sweet fragrance. French for “golden pearl,” this variety shines in dappled shade and has silky, gently pointed petals. Their blooms develop into a fluffy pompon shape as they fully open. 

‘Perle’ is a bloom machine. New flushes emerge almost as soon as the previous blooms drop, but you can speed the process by deadheading withered flowers. Even when not in bloom, the bright spring green foliage looks great in the garden. 

‘Perle d’Or’ is an Earth-KindⓇ rose, trialed and tested in spray-free gardens and intense heat. It performs beautifully in the South and resists diseases like black spot and mildew that afflict more fragile roses. This is a late 1800s polyantha type, known for longevity, a robust growth habit, and flourishing despite neglect. A definite winner.  

‘Cramoisi Supérieur’

	botanical name Rosa Indica caryophyllea
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun-Part Shade
	height 4’ – 6’
	hardiness zones 7-10

‘Cramoisi Supérieur’ is a China rose with gorgeous chalice-shaped fuschia to crimson blooms. Its fragrance reminds me of raspberry jam. A stalwart in the South, this variety can spread to about 5 feet tall and wide, making it an excellent candidate for hedging. 

This rose loves the heat. Its vivid red blooms won’t fade or scorch. Their beauty is enhanced with lighter silver streaks on the petals’ reverse. The leaves are small and dark green, the flowers holding their elegant cupped form even when fully open.

Perpetually blooming in warm climates, this cultivar is tough and sturdy. It thrives despite drought or humidity. A popular choice for southern gardens, ‘Cramoisi’ is a guaranteed burst of early year-round color. 

‘Lamarque’

	botanical name Rosa ‘Lamarque’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun-Part Shade
	height 8’ – 15’
	hardiness zones 7- 10

Another easy-care climbing noisette, ‘Lamarque,’ is named after the French general of Les Misérables fame. This beautiful rose is a glowing white with creamy pale lemon centers. Blooming gorgeously even in December in the South, it offers dazzling flushes of full-petaled blooms in small clusters.

‘Lamarque’s’ scent matches its appearance. Its flowers smell slightly of lemons and whipped cream, making lovely and fragrant tabletop bouquets.  

This tender variety despises the cold and must be kept protected during frost. It loves southern growing conditions and can grow to nearly full height in one season despite a slow start. It looks especially breathtaking when canes are trained horizontally along a wall, increasing the number of flowering shoots. 

‘Yellow Lady Banks’

	botanical name Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun-Part Shade
	height 15’-20’
	hardiness zones 6-9

Of all the southern roses, there is a high chance you’ve spotted the vigorous ‘Lady Banks’ coming into its awe-inspiring spring bloom. This giant climber is no timid wallflower- you’ll need to allot quite a bit of space to show her off! In fact, the largest known rose in the world is a white ‘Lady Banks’ found in Tombstone, Arizona, spreading over 8,000 sq. ft. 

While the white version is beautiful, I prefer the cheerful sun-drenched look of ‘Yellow Lady Banks’, which is slightly less robust. As long as you have enough room, this cultivar requires virtually no assistance to do its thing.

Plant it, and your garden will be covered by a dazzling display of miniature, fluffy, lemony-buttercream blooms every spring. It is a once-bloomer, but the show lasts around a month, rivaling most perennials. If you’d like to prune it, do so after the spring flush to avoid cutting off this year’s flowers. 

‘Yellow Lady Banks’ likes 6-8 hours of direct sun. You can leave it to become a gigantic sprawling shrub or train it up a support (this rose can grow up trees!) to display the blooms vertically. This is an antique rambler with major garden impact and the enticing smell of violets. 

‘Cupcake’

	botanical name Rosa ‘SPIcup’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 1’ – 2’
	hardiness zones 5- 11

Does ‘Lady Banks’ sound like way too much rose for you? If you’d like something a bit more demure, check out the delightful miniature ‘Cupcake.’ This rose is just as cute as it sounds, with soft pink double blooms on a bushy shrub that grows only 1 to 2 feet tall. 

‘Cupcake’ looks elegant filling patio pots or en masse for a short burst of color in the border. Its glossy, dark green foliage has tints of burgundy. This is an American Rose Society Award of Excellence and Hall of Fame winner, with a record of disease resistance and reliable repeat bloom since the 1980s. 

The flowers have excellent form, with high centers and swirled petals that look like cupcake frosting. It has a light sweet scent. Deadhead often for constant blooms. 

‘Ambridge’

	botanical name Rosa ‘AUSwonder’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun- Part Shade
	height 3’ – 4’
	hardiness zones 5- 10

I’m a big fan of David Austin roses, with old-fashioned English blooms, rich scent, and disease resistance. ‘Ambridge,’ a pale coral apricot variety, does well in the South, especially when planted in partial shade.  

‘Ambridge’ produces a profusion of globular blooms in flushes all season, often coming into its full beauty in the fall in southern states. While generally disease-resistant, it is somewhat susceptible to powdery mildew. Planting at least 2-3 feet away from other large plants and pruning out canes that grow into the center will maintain the good airflow needed to keep it at bay. 

‘Ambridge’ has pretty rosette centers encircled by slightly reflexed outer petals. The shrub is compact and bushy and looks striking when planted with deep purple salvias or blue flax. This rose makes a wonderful cutting flower and has a lush myrrh perfume. Cut buds right as they begin to open for the longest vase life. 

‘Louis Philippe’

	botanical name Rosa ‘Louis Philippe’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 4’ – 5’
	hardiness zones 7-10

Named to honor the French king, ‘Louis Philippe,’ is a classic beauty among southern roses. It develops into a wide (about 5 feet) bushy shrub and works as a beautiful landscape or hedging plant. 

‘Louis’ is a generous producer of full, cupped, cherry-red blooms nodding slightly on a backdrop of green foliage. It has a strong, sweet China rose scent and essentially laughs at disease and humidity. 

Sometimes called “Red Cracker” or “Southern Old Rose,” ‘Louis Philippe’ is a beloved choice for southern gardens. It will bloom continuously and needs little attention to look fantastic. Other than deadheading to welcome new blooms, this is one to sit back and enjoy. 

‘SunbeltⓇ South Africa’

	botanical name Rosa ‘South Africa’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 4’-5’
	hardiness zones 6-10

Do pale, timid colors do nothing for you? Check out ‘South Africa, ’ a vibrant head-turner in bright Tuscan gold. This rose is a stunner from the Kordes Sunbelt Ⓡ collection, bred to perform in the heat. 

‘South Africa’ is a floribunda, with clusters of large flowers that don’t fade under harsh rays. It easily handles heavy rains and humidity, a top pick for southern gardens with nearly tropical conditions. If your southern garden tends more to drought, ‘South Africa’ can handle it (but not as a baby rose. Always provide supplemental water until plants mature). 

The large golden-yellow blooms smell like orange candy and last well in arrangements. Plant it in a mixed bed with annuals in hot pink or orange for bold color, or tone it down with purple sedums or creeping thyme as a natural mulch. Either way, this one will draw attention and compliments! 

‘Peggy Martin’

	botanical name Rosa ‘Peggy Martin’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun- Part shade
	height 6’-10’
	hardiness zones 4-9

I think every southern garden needs a ‘Peggy Martin’ rose. Tough-as-nails and strikingly beautiful, ‘Peggy’ became famous after surviving 2 weeks under 20 ft. of salt water during Hurricane Katrina. Named to honor the Louisiana gardener who found it still standing tall, this rose is a strong showstopper.

‘Peggy Martin’ is a climber that grows up to 10 feet tall. Nearly thornless canes make training against a wall or over a trellis easy. While its heaviest bloom is in spring, it will repeat with smaller flushes while temperatures remain mild. 

The abundant blooms are semi-double, display a nice mid-pink hue, and have a mild fruity scent. They appear in heavy sprays that can be admired even from a distance. ‘Peggy’ is a bit of a slow starter but will grow tall and robust over 2-3 years. 

‘Souvenir de la Malmaison’

	botanical name Rosa ‘Souvenir de la Malmaison’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun-Part Shade
	height 4’ – 5’
	hardiness zones 4- 9

‘Souvenir de la Malmaison,’ a French-bred rose from 1843, is still popular in modern gardens. Named for Empress Josephine’s lavish gardens at Malmaison, this pale pink rose has gorgeous old-world-style cupped double blooms that open nearly flat. 

‘Souvenir’ smells like apple cider and freely repeat-flowers. It’s an old bourbon rose inducted into the World Rose Society’s Old Rose Hall of Fame for its historical significance, enduring beauty, and good contemporary performance. 

This rose boasts smooth canes, abundant quartered flowers, and excellent heat resistance. It’s best in dry rather than wet regions, as its large blooms tend to ball in the rain. Avoid pruning this beauty except to remove diseased or dead canes. It prefers a hands-off approach (music to my ears!). 

‘Oso Easy Paprika’

	botanical name Rosa ‘CHEWmaytime’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 1’-3’
	hardiness zones 3- 11

I can be a bit of a snob when it comes to heavily marketed easy-care roses, but I know a good thing when I see it. The Oso Easy series from Proven Winners is just what it claims to be: low-maintenance ground cover or edging rose with bloom power, endless color, and the ability to thrive in a huge range of climates. 

‘Oso Easy Paprika’ is a lively dark orange with sunny yellow centers. The single open blooms nearly cover the small mounded shrub and are popular with pollinators. The sweet musky fragrance is an unexpected bonus. 

This is just a happy, no-fuss rose that will make beginners look like they have a serious green thumb. Plant several of these gold medal-winners in your front yard beds and let them do all the work for you! 

‘The Fairy’

	botanical name Rosa ‘The Fairy’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun- Part shade
	height 2’ –4’
	hardiness zones 5-11

While discussing plant-it-and-forget-it roses, I have to put in a good word for landscape favorite, ‘The Fairy.’ A dwarf polyantha with major cottage garden appeal, this rose gives us plentiful clusters of adorable small pink blooms. Planted en masse, it oozes charm.

A low spreader, ‘The Fairy’ is perfect for a small hedge and pure magic when allowed to spill over a rock wall or the edges of a container. It smells slightly of apples, but beauty and reliability are the main attraction here. 

‘The Fairy’ is another Earth-KindⓇ rose with proven performance in hot southern gardens. It won’t be phased by an unexpected cold snap, either. This rose will delight you if you’re committed to a no-spray organic garden like I am. A favorite since the 1930s!

‘Nastarana’

	botanical name Rosa ‘Nastarana’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun-Part Shade
	height 6’ – 10’
	hardiness zones 5- 11

‘Nastarana’ is a romantic semi-double white rose that opens to show off pretty golden stamens. In the South, it can grow quite large where warm temps encourage it to reach upwards of 10 feet tall. 

‘Nastarana’ has an intense Persian musk perfume. It will repeat bloom throughout the year where the weather is mild, with the most impressive flushes in fall and spring.  

‘Nastarana’ looks dreamy in bouquets, and the scent will fill your room. This rose’s dainty appearance belies its true tough and hardy nature. 

‘Mutabilis’

	botanical name Rosa Chinensis ‘Mutabilis’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun-Part Shade
	height 6’ – 10’
	hardiness zones 7- 10

Old China roses are known to do well in southern gardens, and multicolored ‘Mutabilis’ is no exception. This beauty has open single blooms in watercolor shades of pink, yellow, cream, and red. The delicate blooms open and change color at different times, making the shrub look covered in a flutter of butterflies. 

Beloved since its formal introduction to the market in 1891, ‘Mutabilis’ is still recognized as an outstanding rose today. It was recognized as Earth Kind’s Rose of the Year in 2005 for its remarkable performance despite minimal irrigation in 3-digit summer temperatures.

When ‘Mutabilis’ likes the conditions (loamy soil and deep watering once a week), it can grow up to 10 feet tall and wide. Grow it up a sturdy trellis or even a tree, or let it spread into a giant shrub. Either way, you’ll enjoy the evolving color show. 

‘Red Masterpiece’

	botanical name Rosa ‘JACder’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 4’– 4’
	hardiness zones 6-11

Are you searching for a classic red rose with Valentine’s bouquet-worthy blooms and noteworthy fragrances? Heat-loving ‘Red Masterpiece’ might be the one. 

This is the only hybrid tea on the list, as they are generally more susceptible to disease in the humid South. ‘Red Masterpiece’ breaks the mold, staying healthy where its brethren would be plagued by mildew and black spot. 

This rose rewards growers with large, exposition-style flowers and long, slender stems perfect for cutting. Outer petals are lightly streaked with deepest burgundy, while centers are velvety crimson. The fragrance recalls luxurious rose perfume. Cut this one to give to friends. Expect some swooning.  

‘Flower Carpet Apple Blossom’

	botanical name Rosa ‘NOAmel’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 1’ – 3’
	hardiness zones 5- 9

I’ve got good news if you love the look of sweet blush apple blossoms in spring. You can channel the same aesthetic in your garden all summer long! 

‘Flower Carpet Apple Blossom’ is everblooming. Falling between 1 and 3 feet tall, it truly looks like a carpet of flowers and makes a stunning ground cover. The rose is perfectly named, with shell pink to ivory semi-double blooms reminiscent of delicate apple blossoms. 

Once established, ‘Apple Blossom’ is practically bullet-proof. Hack it to the ground, and it’ll sprout back up. Forget to water it for a couple of weeks, and it won’t miss a step. This gentle spreader will transform your flowerbeds, and all you have to do is plant it (well, I would recommend watering it once a week or so, but is that much to ask in return for all those flowers?). 

Final Thoughts

Southern rose gardeners, it is time to work with what you’ve got! The pest and disease issues you face due to high heat and humidity are no joke, and they’re not going anywhere. 

To make the most of your conditions:

1. Seek out highly-rated varieties for health and floriferousness in your region.
2. Ask a neighbor whose garden you admire.
3. Check out the recommendations of your local rose society.

I hope the roses listed inspired you to get started. Enjoy your roses!