Red is classic and yellow is like a ray of sunshine, but a perfectly pink rose is unforgettable. It’s not just about having a quiet, sweet moment. Pink hues can be bold, celebratory, or striking.
I’ve been guilty of buying a rose purely based on the color, but I’ve since learned that there are a jillion roses out there and you can find 100 different ones with the exact same hue.
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So if you have your heart set on a certain look, don’t settle for the first one you come across.
The fact of the matter is that some roses deserve their difficult, fussy reputation. But not the ones on this list.
Coming up, we’ll go over 29 options that won’t fade, fail, or struggle to survive, all in shades of pink ranging from nearly white to practically purple. Here’s a quick preview of the list:
29 of the Best Varieties of Pink Roses
Remember that in order to perform their best, roses need full sun and regular watering – but not on the leaves! Some also need regular pruning.
If you don’t give them what they want, they might not bloom or they might not display the color you crave. Our guide to growing roses for beginners has the lowdown.
Most of the ones on this list are pretty forgiving and will perform even if you aren’t constantly fussing and fiddling with your plants.
Okay, enough talk. More pink!
1. Alba Incarnata
If you ask rosarians what their favorite alba rose is, chances are pretty good that they’ll mention ‘Maiden’s Blush,’ also known as ‘Loyalist’ or ‘Alba Incarnata.’
It’s extremely disease resistant, tolerates shade, and is hardy from Zone 3b through 9b.
It’s also nearly thornless and an extremely vigorous grower. It has so much going for it that the blossoms are practically an afterthought.
The flowers are exceptionally stunning, though, so even if this plant didn’t have these other stellar characteristics, I’d still highly recommend it.
The very full blossoms are faint blush to the point that they nearly appear white.
The only drawback is that they only show up in one massive flush at the beginning of summer, and maybe, if you’re lucky and diligent about deadheading, once more a bit later in the summer.
2. Apricot Drift
Some modern roses suffer from bland blossoms. While they’re disease-resistant and maintenance-free, the flowers aren’t something you’d cut and place in a bouquet.
But ‘Apricot Drift,’ registered as ‘MEImirrote,’ is both as tough as anything and particularly prepossessing.
The very full blossoms of this Meilland rose are a heavenly pink on the outer petals and salmon on the inner ones. As the flowers age, they fade a touch lighter.
Growing about 18 inches tall and wide, this plant is ideal as a ground cover, but don’t assume that’s all it’s capable of.
This hybrid touts its parentage from ‘The Fairy,’ another exceptional cultivar we’ll discuss in just a bit.
As such, you can use this perpetual boomer in cut arrangements, as a container rose, or as a specimen in Zones 4b to 10a.
Love it? Me too. Grab a live plant in a quart-size container at Nature Hills Nursery.
3. Carefree Beauty
On any list of roses, I’m always going to include a Dr. Griffith Buck option or two (or 12…). I’d like to say that’s because he was so generous with his breeding.
He rarely patented a rose, and his legacy almost disappeared because he wasn’t concerned with commercial success. I always want to support someone who is breeding plants out of sheer love and interest for the species.
But what makes his roses truly worth seeking out is their disease resistance, shade tolerance, and general hardiness.
Dr. Buck cultivated his roses with the philosophy that a plant wasn’t worth breeding if it couldn’t survive without coddling.
That philosophy makes a lot of sense to me as a lazy gardener. I don’t want to have to fight tooth and nail to keep something alive.
Anyway, I digress.
‘Carefree Beauty’ is an exceptional rose, and one of Dr. Buck’s most beloved. It grows five feet tall and wide in pretty much any conditions, whether that’s partial sun, heavy soil, or near-drought.
The flowers are a cheerful medium pink and double petalled, and boy are there a lot of them. The shrub will pretty much be blanketed in blossoms from spring until fall.
4. Distant Drums
‘Distant Drums’ is the cultivar that convinced me to start growing roses.
Of course, I’d seen plenty of pretty blossoms before that I admired from afar, but something about the unique mauve, copper, and blush blend of hues really caught my eye.
When the owner explained that ‘Distant Drums’ was bred by Dr. Griffith Buck, who is known for breeding hardy, disease-resistant, maintenance-free plants (see above), I didn’t need any further convincing.
The full flowers are borne singly, perfect for cutting, and you’ll want to bring a few indoors because they’re truly exceptional.
They’re a constantly shifting kaleidoscope of colors, moving from reddish-pink buds to pink-copper-mauve blossoms, to blush and yellow as they fade and fall from the plant.
This three-foot-tall and four-foot-wide floribunda shrub blooms continuously throughout the season in Zones 5b through 9b, so you’re never without the unique blossoms during the growing season.
5. Earth Song
The deep, vibrant hue of this heavily fragrant rose will have you singing its praises.
And the cupped blooms won’t fade or fail, even during the hottest of summers, when other roses struggle.
Another Griffith Buck offering, this plant grows four feet tall and wide and is hardy in Zones 4b through 9b.
The large and full blossoms appear in near-constant flushes throughout the growing season.
This hybrid tea grandiflora can even tolerate some shade and will still bloom in full color.
6. Easy Elegance Calypso
It’s all in the name. ‘Easy Elegance Calypso’ is easy to grow while still being perfectly elegant. Plant it and enjoy it without worry about whether you’ve sprayed recently or pruned it right.
This shrub type grows to two feet tall in Zones 4 through 9, with big clusters of medium-sized apricot and pink blooms. These flushes appear practically constantly from spring until fall.
Nature Hills Nursery carries this easygoing beauty in #2 containers.
7. Eden
Meilland’s ‘Eden’ is perpetually popular and well-loved, and no wonder. It’s a striking climber with huge, fully double blossoms.
The flowers have a perfectly cupped shape with creamy petals on the exterior and blush pink ones at the center.
Want more? The blossoms appear continually from spring until fall in Zones 5b through 9b, and the plant can reach up to 12 feet tall, making for a big but sweet statement.
8. Euphoria
This hybrid tea could be classified as a yellow rose. Or cream. Or pink. Or apricot. It’s quite the chameleon.
The large, full flowers with ruffled petals start out pastel pink and apricot with darker pink edges.
As the flower opens fully and begins to age, it enters its next phase of life as a pale yellow bloom before fading to cream and then dropping to the ground.
It maintains a nice, compact shape at two feet tall and wide, in Zones 6a to 9b. The long stems and good holding ability make it a marvelous cut flower option.
If you’re looking for a rose that keeps things interesting with an ever-changing display, this one’s unbeatable. Purchase one of your very own at Fast Growing Trees in a two-gallon container.
9. Eustacia Vye
This four-foot-tall David Austin shrub rose is covered in clusters of huge, very full, fruit-scented blossoms with apricot and rose ruffled petals.
The flowers have apricot centers and rose-pink outer petals when they’re young, and then fade to a uniform pale pink as they age. These clusters repeat bloom throughout the year.
‘Eustacia Vye’ grows happily in Zones 4 to 11, making it a versatile and eye-catching option in a variety of locales. It’s also disease resistant and has a marvelously fruity fragrance.
10. The Fairy
‘The Fairy’ is a rose legend. It’s a fairytale-perfect cultivar with clusters of classic pink, very double flowers on a petite plant that stays under three feet tall.
The blossoms will continue from late spring until late fall, meaning you will have months of fairy-like flowers flitting around your shrub.
This option is practically immune to diseases and performs even in less than ideal conditions like heavy soil or some shade.
Bring home this dreamy shrub from Nature Hills Nursery. They carry live plants in a #3 container.
11. Francis Meilland
‘Francis Meilland’ is a stunning hybrid tea bred by Meilland International that grows six feet tall and about as wide, in Zones 6b through 9b.
It’s not just a pretty face, though. It’s extremely disease resistant as well.
But honestly, it’s the scent that makes this plant so special.
The very full, white and blush pink blossoms have a pungent citrus and old rose fragrance that you’ll want to bottle and take with you everywhere.
The flowers grow in small clusters or on solitary stems, which are ideal for cutting.
12. Grande Dame
An elegant, six-foot-tall hybrid tea with full, massive, cupped, fuchsia flowers, ‘Grande Dame’ certainly lives up to her name.
Just admiring her from afar is enough, but get up close and take a whiff. The fruity, damask fragrance is heady and strong, and the blooms appear in flushes from spring through fall.
Its classic look has earned this cultivar the label of “modern antique,” meaning you get the look of a classic rose with the vigorous, disease-resistant growth of a modern rose.
It grows well in Zones 6 to 10 and is extremely heat tolerant.
Invite this lady to your home by purchasing a plant at Nature Hills Nursery in a #3 container.
13. Marc Chagall
If you want to draw comments any time someone visits your garden, plant ‘Marc Chagall.’ The pink and yellow striped petals are so vibrant that they practically look artificial.
The flowers aren’t small, either. They’re large and double, appearing all summer and fall in repeat flushes. Even more attention-grabbing is the scent – it has a bold, peachy, fruity aroma.
Grow this cultivar in Zones 6 to 9.
Ready to start the conversation? Visit Fast Growing Trees for a live plant in a two- or three-gallon container.
14. New Dawn
‘New Dawn’ has been bringing soft pink color to gardens for nearly 100 years.
The clusters of very full, sweet-smelling blossoms appear continually and reliably throughout the season on a climbing rose plant that can stretch up to 15 feet tall in Zones 5 to 11.
This climber is so beloved that it has been used in numerous breeding programs to create many of the modern perpetual climbers.
If you want the original, though, you can nab it from Nature Hills Nursery in a #3 container.
15. Olivia Rose Austin
Some roses are so striking that they defy description. In this case, a picture is worth more than a thousand words.
Let’s start with the large, cupped rosettes. They have so many petals – more than 90 per flower! – that you may find it difficult to comprehend how they all got stuffed in there.
Maybe magical elves had something to do with it?
The outer petals are looser and pale pink, while the center is frilled and packed with slightly darker petals.
Now, onto the shrub. It grows to a perfectly compact three feet tall and wide in Zones 5a to 10a. And it’s disease resistant and vigorous.
Named for David Austin’s daughter, the flowers appear in repeat flushes all growing season long.
Do one better than a mere 2D image and add a plant to your garden. These are available for purchase at Burpee.
16. Pink Double Knock Out
Knock Out roses are tough as heck, but they don’t have the big, full, elegant blossoms that make many other roses so sought-after.
Until now. The company recently released both a pink and a red version with double blossoms.
The bubblegum-hued flowers in the first option have a classic cupped rose shape, and appear non-stop on the four-foot-tall bush from spring right until the first frost in Zones 5 to 9.
For a carefree pick, this is an easy choice. Purchase one at Nature Hills Nursery.
17. Pinkerbelle
On paper, ‘Pinkerbelle’ sounds like it’s straight out of a fairy tale: almost too good to be true.
This Meilland rose has a heavy, classic rose fragrance, grows to a robust five feet tall with a bushy, graceful shape, and is smothered in blossoms from spring until the arrival of frost.
And then there’s the color. Pink with speckles of fuchsia outlining the outer edges of the petals, it stands out from any other rose.
The flowers are cupped and high-centered, and appear singly or in small groups. Cut them or enjoy them in the garden.
Either way, they’re a fairy tale come true for those living in Zones 5 to 9.
Make a wish and bring ‘Pinkerbelle’ home from Fast Growing Trees as a live plant in a two-gallon pot.
18. Pretty Polly
If you’re looking for a rose that you can keep in a container, ‘Pretty Polly’ by Star Roses is worth checking out. The vibrant rosy petals appear on small, double blossoms in large clusters.
This cultivar blooms perpetually throughout the growing season on a rounded, two- to three-foot-tall shrub.
And because it tends to spread wider than it grows tall, you can use it as a ground cover option as well.
Grab this disease-resistant rose for growing in Zones 4 to 10 at Fast Growing Trees. They stock this plant in one- to two-foot or three-gallon options.
19. Queen Elizabeth
A hybrid of a grandiflora and a floribunda, ‘Queen Elizabeth’ is royally awesome.
Hybridized 70 years ago, it continues to be a favorite for its mild, woody fragrance and full, large, solitary blossoms. In fact, it’s one of the most popular roses in cultivation.
This classic reaches up to five feet tall and is covered in glossy, leathery leaves that are almost as pretty as the flowers.
Disease resistant, vigorous, and hardy in Zones 5b through 9b, ‘Queen Elizabeth’ makes a worthy addition to any garden.
Make one yours by purchasing a plant at Fast Growing Trees.
20. Queen of Sweden
Every time I see the cupped, layered flowers of ‘Queen of Sweden,’ I want to peel them open like an elegant, colorful onion. She loves me, she loves me not…
Nah, ‘Queen of Sweden’ definitely loves us!
How else do you explain the blush and apricot blossoms that are very full, with an astonishing 140-plus petals? Or the myrrh fragrance? It seems like it was created in a lab to be absolutely ideal for human enjoyment.
This three-foot-tall shrub is perfectly sized for most gardens. Return the love by deadheading to encourage new flushes of blooms.
If you live in Zones 6b through 9b, you can nab one at Burpee for growing in your garden.
21. Quietness
Some roses shout in bright colors, but ‘Quietness’ offers a moment of reflective peace with a pale blush hue on a huge, very full, classic blossom.
You can relax when you grow this Buck shrub rose because it’s exceptionally disease resistant, and practically immune to fungal issues.
It will bloom in some shade, needs no chemicals to keep it healthy, and grows in a huge range of climates, from Zone 5 to 9.
22. September Song
This pink-apricot rose sings out with a bold, fruity fragrance, and its large, very full flowers appear repeatedly throughout the summer and fall.
The four-foot-tall shrub is tough enough to grow in Zones 4b through 9b and is extremely disease-resistant and shade tolerant.
This Buck rose is challenging to find except at specialty retailers, but it’s well worth the hunt.
23. Serendipity
With a coral center and large, pale blush blossoms, ‘Serendipity’ is a perfectly sweet rose.
This hybrid tea by Dr. Griffith Buck has extremely large, double flowers that have a deeply cupped shape and sit high.
The flowers grow singly and appear in flushes from spring through fall on a three-foot-tall shrub. It’s hardy in Zones 4b through 9b.
24. Sexy Rexy
If any rose could be called sexy, this is it. It’s a picture-perfect floribunda with a narrow and tall form at four feet tall and two feet wide.
The upper branches tend to arch as they are filled with masses of classic pink, medium, cupped rosettes.
The shrub is an exceptionally prolific bloomer and the blooms will return over and over throughout the year.
Bring sexy back to your garden, assuming you live in Zones 5 to 9, by snagging a live plant in a #2 container at Nature Hills Nursery.
25. Silas Marner
Named for the classic novel by George Eliot (which, if you haven’t read, you should pick up at Amazon immediately), this rose features hues across the spectrum, from pale blush on the reverse to nearly cream at the edges of each petal.
Viewed from the front, the inside of the petals are a deep, bright pink.
This David Austin cultivar is highly sought-after for the ruffled, very double flowers, but also for its extreme disease resistance and vigorous repeat-blooming nature.
The heady old rose fragrance is merely a bonus.
The shrub itself stays about four feet tall and wide, and it’s hardy enough to survive the cold winters of Zone 4 through the warm summers of Zone 11.
26. Tiffany
It’s clear why ‘Tiffany’ has been a beloved option for the 70 years it has been around. This rose features a kaleidoscope of color, with rose, yellow, and salmon hues.
The flowers are high-centered and appear singly on long stalks, which makes them perfect for cutting. Once snipped, they last a long time off the plant.
They are large, very full, and appear in flushes on the four-foot-tall shrub through summer and fall in Zones 4b to 10a. This hybrid tea blooms best if you deadhead regularly.
Nature Hills Nursery carries this classic beauty in #2 containers.
27. Touch of Class
So bright and beautiful, ‘Touch of Class’ has vibrant rose petals with a subtle orange undertone on massive double flowers.
In Zones 7 to 10, this hybrid tea will attain a six-foot-tall and two-foot-wide narrow shape, which means you can plant it in a narrow footprint.
The flowers appear singly on long stems, making them marvelous for cutting.
Pop on over to Nature Hills Nursery to bring home a live plant in a #2 container and add a touch of class to your garden.
28. Virginia Reel
So deeply pink it’s nearly purple, ‘Virginia Reel’ offers an old-fashioned looking flower on a modern shrub rose that is super disease-resistant, shade tolerant, and tough enough to grow in Zones 4b and up.
This Buck rose grows up to four feet tall and has a huge initial flush of large, double blossoms, followed by smaller flushes, particularly if you deadhead regularly.
29. Zephirine Drouhin
If I could only grow one climber, no question it would be ‘Zephirine Drouhin.’ There is so much to love about it.
This bourbon rose has medium-pink blossoms with a bold damask fragrance.
Older flowers have a pale pink center, and the blooms are large, double, and held firmly against the stem without drooping or sagging. It grows in Zones 5b to 10b and holds its color even in heat.
This cultivar is also nearly thornless, shade tolerant, and largely disease resistant, though it can come down with black spot now and then. It’s vigorous, quickly growing up to 20 feet tall, and blooms repeatedly.
Make ‘Zephirine Drouhin’ yours by heading to Nature Hills Nursery.
Think Pink
If you love roses, you have to include a pink one in your collection. Or maybe you’re looking for a sweet bloomer to add a peaceful moment to your space.
Whether you lean towards a quiet, pale blush hue or you want something a bit bolder, a climber or a ground cover, there are so many exceptional options.
Do any of these sound like just the thing for your garden? Will you be bringing any of them home? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
The rose journey doesn’t end with color selection. There’s so much more to know about growing these popular and versatile plants.
If you’d like to learn more about growing roses, check these articles out:
Very nice flowers