Pink roses hold the distinction of being one of the oldest rose colors in cultivation, since many of the earliest known garden roses bred in Europe and the Middle East centuries ago were naturally pink or rose-toned long before yellow, orange, or true red hybrids became widely available. Today pink roses are produced across nearly every classification the American Rose Society recognizes, including hybrid tea, floribunda, grandiflora, climbing, shrub, polyantha, and old garden rose types such as Bourbon and Alba roses. A mature hybrid tea or grandiflora typically reaches 3 to 7 feet tall, floribundas and shrub types generally stay more compact at 2 to 5 feet, and climbing pink roses can send canes anywhere from 8 to 20 feet up a support structure.
The shade of pink found in roses spans an unusually wide range compared to other rose colors, from the palest blush and shell pink to vivid cerise, hot pink, and deep rose-red, and many cultivars shift in tone depending on temperature, sun exposure, and the age of the bloom. Classification matters a great deal to how a pink rose performs in the garden: hybrid teas produce a single, high-centered bloom per stem ideal for cutting, floribundas and polyanthas bear their flowers in generous clusters for a fuller garden display, grandifloras combine both traits on a taller plant, and climbers require a trellis, fence, or arbor to reach their full potential. Old garden classes like Bourbon, Alba, and Hybrid Perpetual roses, many bred well over a century ago, tend to bloom in a single dramatic flush and are prized today for their intense, old-fashioned fragrance.
Breeding history plays an especially large role in the story of pink roses, since the class includes both some of the very first roses ever formally registered and some of the newest introductions from major modern breeding houses like Meilland, Kordes, Weeks Roses, and David Austin. Pink roses are generally hardy across USDA zones 4 through 10 depending on the specific class, with old garden roses and hardy shrub types typically tolerating colder winters better than tender modern hybrid teas. Fragrance also varies considerably by class, with old garden roses and English shrub roses often carrying the strongest, most classic rose scent, while some modern hybrid teas and floribundas were bred primarily for bloom form and color rather than perfume.
As cut flowers, pink roses typically hold up for 5 to 12 days in water, and their soft, romantic coloring has made them the most popular rose color for weddings, anniversaries, and expressions of admiration and gratitude. Many of the cultivars below carry major industry honors, including All-America Rose Selections awards and the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit, reflecting decades of refinement across nearly every rose-producing country in the world. Whether trained along a fence, massed in a border, or grown for cutting, the following 52 types represent some of the most celebrated pink roses across the full range of rose classifications.
Pink Flowering Rose Bushes for Your Garden
Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth is a grandiflora, the very first rose of its class, bred by Dr. Walter E. Lammerts in the United States and introduced in 1954 from a cross between the hybrid tea ‘Charlotte Armstrong’ and the floribunda ‘Floradora.’ Reaching a commanding 6 to 8 feet tall, it produces clear, medium pink blooms held on tall, sturdy stems, either singly or in small clusters, giving it the presence to define an entirely new class of rose upon its release.
Chicago Peace
Chicago Peace is a hybrid tea bred by Stanley C. Johnston in the United States and introduced in 1962 as a naturally occurring sport of the legendary ‘Peace’ rose. Its very full blooms display a striking pink blend, deeper and warmer than the original ‘Peace,’ typically opening one flower per stem with a slight fragrance, and it has become a favorite for expressing appreciation and romance on special occasions.
New Dawn
New Dawn is a large-flowered climbing rose introduced by the Somerset Rose Nursery in 1930, historically notable as the first plant ever granted a U.S. plant patent. Its light pink, moderately fragrant double blooms appear in a solitary habit along vigorous, hardy canes, and it produces fragrant hips useful for teas and jams once the flowering season ends, remaining one of the most widely planted climbing roses in the world.
All Dressed Up
All Dressed Up is a grandiflora bred by Christian Bédard for Weeks Roses in the United States and introduced in 2019, producing medium pink, full blooms with a slight rose fragrance in a mostly solitary bloom habit. As one of the more recent grandiflora introductions, it reflects continued breeding interest in combining hybrid tea flower form with grandiflora vigor and height.
Pink Drift
Pink Drift is a groundcover shrub rose bred by Alain A. Meilland of Meilland Richardier in France and introduced in 2006, producing deep pink, semi-double flowers in large clusters with a moderate scent. Its wild-looking, thornless, low-spreading habit makes it a favorite for low-maintenance landscaping, and its cupped flowers are large enough to make a visual impact while staying small enough to bloom in dense masses.
Bonica
Bonica is a floribunda shrub rose bred by the Meilland family in France and introduced in 1985, producing abundant sprays of semi-double, shell-pink flowers against dark, glossy foliage. This sturdy, bushy shrub is a reliable repeat bloomer with excellent disease resistance, flowering from late spring to frost and followed by long-lasting, bright red hips, and it holds both an RHS Award of Garden Merit and an All-America Rose Selections award.
Constance Spry
Constance Spry is a shrub and climbing rose bred by David Austin in England and introduced in 1961 as the very first English Rose, the cultivar that launched Austin’s entire breeding program. Its enormous, deeply cupped flowers, up to 4 inches wide, are filled with soft pink petals and carry a sweet myrrh fragrance, blooming in a single abundant flush in late spring or early summer on a vigorous shrub or climber.
Dee-Lish
Dee-Lish is a hybrid tea bred and introduced by Weeks Roses in the United States, producing large, deep pink, fully double blooms about 4 inches across with a strong verbena-citrus scent. Its award-winning fragrance sets it apart from many other modern hybrid teas bred primarily for form and color, making it a favorite among gardeners who prioritize scent in the garden.
America
America is a large-flowered climbing rose bred by William Warriner in the United States and introduced in 1976, winning the All-America Rose Selections award the same year. Its warm salmon-pink, fragrant blooms appear repeatedly on vigorous canes reaching 10 to 14 feet, making it one of the more dependable repeat-flowering pink climbers available to home gardeners.
Smooth Sailing
Smooth Sailing is a thornless grandiflora bred by Harvey Davidson in the United States and introduced in 1977, the result of a cross between the floribunda ‘Little Darling’ and the hybrid tea ‘Pink Favorite.’ Its clear pink blooms and notably smooth, prickle-free canes make it an especially popular choice for gardeners who want the classic grandiflora form without the difficulty of handling thorny stems during pruning and cutting.
Tiffany
Tiffany is a hybrid tea bred by Robert V. Lindquist in the United States and introduced in 1954, winning the All-America Rose Selections award and later the Rose Hall of Fame honor. Its graceful, orchid-pink blooms with pale yellow at the base carry a strong, classic damask fragrance and perform especially well in the heat of summer, making it a long-standing favorite among fragrance-focused rose gardeners.
Pink Peace
Pink Peace is a hybrid tea bred by Francis Meilland in France and introduced in 1959, developed from the same influential Meilland breeding line responsible for the original ‘Peace’ rose. Its large, deep pink, fully double blooms carry a strong, classic rose fragrance, considerably more intense than its famous parent, making it a favorite for gardeners who want the storied Meilland pedigree paired with heavier scent.
Duet
Duet is a hybrid tea bred by Herbert Swim in the United States and introduced in 1960, winning the All-America Rose Selections award for its two-toned blooms in soft pink with deeper rose-pink reverse petals. Its reliable, vigorous growth and classic high-centered form made it a popular garden and exhibition rose throughout the following decades.
First Prize
First Prize is a hybrid tea bred by Herbert Swim and Ollie Weeks in the United States and introduced in 1970, winning the All-America Rose Selections award for its enormous, high-centered blooms blending soft pink with ivory tones. Its exceptionally large flower size, often exceeding 6 inches across, made it a favorite for rose exhibitions throughout the 1970s and beyond.
Miss All-American Beauty
Miss All-American Beauty is a hybrid tea bred by Marie-Louise Meilland in France and introduced in 1965, winning the All-America Rose Selections award in 1968 for its large, deep rose-pink, intensely fragrant blooms. Its strong, classic rose scent and vigorous, disease-resistant growth have kept it a garden favorite for decades after its release.
Perfume Delight
Perfume Delight is a hybrid tea bred by O.L. Weeks in the United States and introduced in 1973, winning the All-America Rose Selections award for its large, deep pink blooms and notably strong, spicy fragrance. As its name suggests, this cultivar was specifically bred with fragrance as a priority, making it a standout choice among fragrance-focused hybrid teas of its era.
Sheer Bliss
Sheer Bliss is a hybrid tea bred by William Warriner in the United States and introduced in 1985, winning the All-America Rose Selections award for its creamy white blooms blushed with pink at the center and edges. Its strong, spicy-sweet fragrance and elegant, high-centered form have made it a popular choice for both garden display and cut flower arrangements.
Pink Parfait
Pink Parfait is a grandiflora bred by Herbert Swim in the United States and introduced in 1960, winning the All-America Rose Selections award for its blend of soft pink and cream tones within a single high-centered bloom. Its reliable clusters of medium-sized flowers and strong disease resistance have kept it a widely recommended grandiflora for over half a century.
Bewitched
Bewitched is a hybrid tea bred by Herbert Swim in the United States and introduced in 1967, winning the All-America Rose Selections award for its clear, rich pink, intensely fragrant blooms. Its classic, high-centered exhibition form and strong perfume have made it a favorite among rose show competitors since its release.
Century Two
Century Two is a hybrid tea bred by William Warriner in the United States and introduced in 1979, producing large, cupped, medium pink blooms with a moderate, pleasant fragrance. Its reliable repeat bloom and vigorous, upright growth habit have made it a dependable choice for home gardeners seeking a classic pink hybrid tea.
Sonia
Sonia, also sold under the name Sweet Promise, is a hybrid tea bred by the Meilland family in France and introduced in 1974, producing coral-pink, high-centered blooms with a light, sweet fragrance. Its exceptional vase life and elegant form made it one of the most widely grown commercial cut flower roses of its era, especially popular in the florist trade.
Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower is a hybrid tea bred by Herbert Swim for Armstrong Nurseries in the United States and introduced in 1963, producing tall, elegant, light pink blooms with a strong, classic rose fragrance. Its notably vigorous, upright growth habit, often reaching 6 feet or more, made it a popular choice for gardeners wanting height and fragrance combined in a single hybrid tea.
Dainty Bess
Dainty Bess is a single-flowered hybrid tea bred by B.R. Cant and Sons in England and introduced in 1925, producing five-petaled, silvery pink blooms centered with dramatic maroon stamens. Its simple, open flower form stands apart from the densely petaled blooms typical of most hybrid teas, and its old-fashioned charm combined with strong disease resistance has kept it in cultivation for a century.
The Fairy
The Fairy is a polyantha rose bred by Ann Bentall in England and introduced in 1932, producing small, soft pink, rosette-shaped blooms in large, cascading clusters on a low, spreading shrub. Its exceptional hardiness, disease resistance, and continuous bloom from summer through frost have made it one of the most widely planted polyantha roses in the world.
Zephirine Drouhin
Zephirine Drouhin is a thornless Bourbon climbing rose bred by Bizot in France and introduced in 1868, producing bright cerise-pink, semi-double blooms with a strong, classic old rose fragrance. Its lack of thorns makes it especially easy to train along a doorway or fence, and its early, generous flowering combined with occasional repeat bloom has kept it a favorite among heirloom rose collectors for over 150 years.
Cecile Brunner
Cecile Brunner is a polyantha rose bred by Joseph Pernet-Ducher and Widow Ducher in France and introduced in 1881, producing miniature, perfectly formed, light pink blooms that closely resemble a tiny hybrid tea flower, earning it the nickname “the sweetheart rose.” A climbing sport was introduced in 1894, capable of reaching 15 to 20 feet, and both forms remain treasured for their delicate, refined flower form.
American Beauty
American Beauty is a hybrid perpetual rose of disputed French origin, widely cultivated in the United States beginning in the 1870s, producing large, deep rose-pink, intensely fragrant, globular blooms on a vigorous but somewhat unruly shrub. Its rich color and heavy perfume made it one of the most iconic American cut flower roses of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, lending its name to the deep pink shade still associated with it today.
Gertrude Jekyll
Gertrude Jekyll is a shrub rose bred by David Austin in England and introduced in 1986, named after the celebrated English garden designer, producing large, deep pink, rosette-shaped blooms widely regarded as one of the most fragrant English Roses ever bred. Its strong, classic old rose myrrh fragrance and vigorous, upright growth habit, reaching 4 to 8 feet, have made it a benchmark for fragrance among modern shrub roses.
Mary Rose
Mary Rose is a shrub rose bred by David Austin in England and introduced in 1983, named after King Henry VIII’s flagship, producing loosely double, rich pink blooms with a warm, old rose fragrance. Its relaxed, informal flower form and reliable repeat bloom on a bushy, 4-foot shrub have made it one of the most popular and widely planted English Roses since its release.
Heritage
Heritage is a shrub rose bred by David Austin in England and introduced in 1984, producing soft, shell-pink, cupped blooms with a distinctive lemon-and-myrrh fragrance considered one of the most refined scents among English Roses. Its elegant, slightly nodding flower form and reliable repeat bloom have made it a long-standing favorite since its introduction.
A Shropshire Lad
A Shropshire Lad is a shrub and climbing rose bred by David Austin in England and introduced in 1996, named in honor of the A.E. Housman poetry collection, producing large, soft pink, cupped blooms with a light, fruity fragrance. Its vigorous growth allows it to be trained as a short climber or grown as a large freestanding shrub, offering flexibility uncommon among most English Roses.
Queen of Sweden
Queen of Sweden is a shrub rose bred by David Austin in England and introduced in 2004, named in honor of Queen Silvia of Sweden, producing perfectly formed, pale pink, cupped blooms with a light, fruity myrrh fragrance. Its neat, upright growth habit and excellent disease resistance have made it one of the more low-maintenance English Roses recommended for beginning gardeners.
Olivia Rose Austin
Olivia Rose Austin is a shrub rose bred by David Austin in England and introduced in 2014, named after the breeder’s granddaughter, producing soft pink, rosette-shaped blooms with a fruity, tea-scented fragrance. It has won multiple international rose trial awards for its exceptional disease resistance and continuous bloom, quickly becoming one of the most celebrated modern English Roses.
Princess Alexandra of Kent
Princess Alexandra of Kent is a shrub rose bred by David Austin in England and introduced in 2007, named in honor of the British royal, producing large, deep pink, peony-like blooms with a fresh, tea fragrance that intensifies as the flower matures. Its strong, upright growth and large flower size have made it one of the more dramatic English Roses in the pink color range.
Sexy Rexy
Sexy Rexy is a floribunda bred by Samuel Darragh McGredy IV in New Zealand and introduced in 1984, producing clear, rose-pink, rosette-shaped blooms in large, dense clusters on a compact, bushy shrub. Its exceptional bloom production and reliable, repeated flushes throughout the season have made it one of the most awarded floribundas of its generation.
Cherish
Cherish is a floribunda bred by William Warriner in the United States and introduced in 1980, winning the All-America Rose Selections award for its coral-pink, high-centered blooms carried in generous clusters. Its dependable disease resistance and continuous bloom have made it a long-standing favorite for borders and mass plantings.
Simplicity
Simplicity is a floribunda bred by William Warriner in the United States and introduced in 1978, producing clear pink, semi-double blooms on a dense, upright shrub specifically bred for use as a flowering hedge. Its rapid, uniform growth and continuous bloom from late spring through frost have made it one of the most widely planted hedge roses in North America.
Betty Prior
Betty Prior is a floribunda bred by the Reverend Joseph Elgar Prior in England and introduced by Star Roses in the United States in 1935, producing single, carmine-pink blooms in large clusters on a tall, vigorous shrub. Its exceptional hardiness and nearly continuous bloom from spring through frost have kept it a beloved garden rose for nearly a century.
Pinkie
Pinkie is a polyantha rose bred by Herbert Swim in the United States and introduced in 1947, producing small, bright pink, semi-double blooms in dense clusters on a low, spreading shrub. A climbing sport was later introduced as well, and both forms remain valued for their reliable, abundant bloom and excellent disease resistance.
Ma Perkins
Ma Perkins is a floribunda bred by Eugene Boerner in the United States and introduced in 1952, winning the All-America Rose Selections award for its coral-pink, double blooms carried in generous clusters. Its dependable performance and classic mid-century floribunda form have kept it in cultivation among heirloom rose enthusiasts.
Vogue
Vogue is a floribunda bred by Eugene Boerner in the United States and introduced in 1951, winning the All-America Rose Selections award for its cerise-pink, high-centered blooms held in loose clusters. Its vigorous growth and strong color have made it a notable mid-century milestone in floribunda breeding.
Nearly Wild
Nearly Wild is a floribunda shrub rose bred by Dr. Walter Van Fleet’s protege Brownell in the United States and introduced in 1941, producing single, soft pink blooms resembling a wild rose on a low, spreading shrub. Its exceptional hardiness and continuous bloom from spring through frost have made it a popular low-maintenance landscaping choice for nearly a century.
Bridal Pink
Bridal Pink is a floribunda bred by Eugene Boerner in the United States and introduced in 1967, producing soft, clear pink, high-centered blooms carried in generous clusters with a light fragrance. Its elegant flower form and reliable performance made it a popular choice for wedding bouquets, giving rise to its name.
Aloha
Aloha is a large-flowered climbing rose bred by Eugene Boerner in the United States and introduced in 1949, producing large, deep rose-pink, intensely fragrant, cupped blooms on sturdy, moderately vigorous canes reaching 8 to 10 feet. Its strong fragrance and repeat bloom throughout the season have made it a long-standing favorite among climbing rose enthusiasts.
Compassion
Compassion is a large-flowered climbing rose bred by Jack Harkness in England and introduced in 1973, producing salmon-pink, fragrant, high-centered blooms on vigorous canes reaching 8 to 12 feet. Its strong scent, excellent disease resistance, and reliable repeat bloom have earned it the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit and made it one of the most recommended climbing roses in the United Kingdom.
Blush Noisette
Blush Noisette is a Noisette climbing rose bred by Philippe Noisette in the United States and introduced in 1817, one of the founding cultivars of the entire Noisette class, producing small, soft pink, clustered blooms with a spicy clove fragrance. Its historic significance as an early American-bred rose class founder has kept it valued among collectors of antique and heirloom roses.
May Queen
May Queen is a rambling rose bred by W.A. Manda in the United States and introduced in 1898, producing double, rich pink, quartered blooms with a light fragrance in a single abundant spring flush. Its vigorous, trailing canes make it well suited for covering a large fence, pergola, or old tree, in the informal style typical of rambling roses.
Awakening
Awakening is a large-flowered climbing rose discovered as a sport of ‘New Dawn’ by Josef Lens in Germany and introduced in 1935, sharing its parent’s vigorous growth habit but producing fuller, more densely petaled, soft pink blooms. Its exceptional hardiness and abundant spring flowering, with light repeat bloom later in the season, have made it a popular alternative to the original ‘New Dawn.’
Souvenir de la Malmaison
Souvenir de la Malmaison is a Bourbon shrub rose bred by Jean Béluze in France and introduced in 1843, named in honor of Empress Josephine’s rose garden at Malmaison, producing large, pale flesh-pink, quartered blooms with a strong, classic old rose fragrance. Its historic pedigree and richly perfumed, old-fashioned flower form have kept it one of the most celebrated Bourbon roses in cultivation.
Louise Odier
Louise Odier is a Bourbon shrub rose bred by Margottin in France and introduced in 1851, producing warm, rose-pink, cupped, many-petaled blooms with a strong, sweet old rose fragrance. Its vigorous, upright growth habit and reliable repeat bloom, unusual for many old garden roses, have kept it a favorite among collectors of historic Bourbon cultivars.
Königin von Dänemark
Königin von Dänemark, also known as Queen of Denmark, is an Alba shrub rose bred by James Booth in Germany and introduced in 1826, producing intensely fragrant, deep pink, quartered blooms that fade to a paler pink at the outer petals as they mature. Its exceptional cold hardiness and classic old rose fragrance have made it one of the most enduringly popular Alba roses over the nearly two centuries since its introduction.