Choose Your Country
Cold climate gardeners have waited long enough. For decades, those in USDA Zones 3–5 were told roses weren't an option, or at least not the ones they really wanted. If you lived in the northern Midwest, New England, the Rockies, or other zones with tough winters, your choices were limited to rugged species roses like Rosa rugosa or a handful of simple, once-blooming shrubs. They were reliable, but maybe not inspiring.
No high-centered hybrid teas. No billowing rambling or climbing roses. No richly scented floribundas blooming all season long. Roses like that were reserved for California and the South, until now.
Thanks to groundbreaking breeding work and new introductions through Jackson & Perkins' Library of Roses, the game has changed. Cold hardy roses mark a dramatic shift in what's possible for gardeners in cold climates by offering the kind of beauty and variety once only available to milder regions. This guide is your comprehensive resource to understanding, selecting, and successfully growing cold hardy roses. With expert insight, practical tips, and regional advice, we'll show you how to help your rose garden flourish, even through the harshest winters.
Cold hardy roses are specifically bred or selected for their ability to survive in regions with freezing temperatures, harsh winds, heavy snow, and short growing seasons. These roses power through winter, returning each spring with strong growth and various bloom cycles.
They are developed with features like deep, resilient root systems, thick and woody canes, strong disease resistance, and the ability to go fully dormant before regrowing in spring. For gardeners in Zones 3, 4, and 5, this class of roses brings back what was missing: elegance, fragrance, and abundance, without the fear of winter loss.
In the past, growing roses in colder zones meant making some pretty major compromises: simple flower shapes, limited reblooming, or intensive winter protection routines like wrapping, mounding, or digging and storing. Now, cold hardy roses provide all the variety and beauty of their warmer-zone counterparts, in hardy packages built to be resilient.
Gardeners in USDA Zones 3–5 can now confidently grow:
Jackson & Perkins leads the charge in making exceptional roses accessible to gardeners across the country. Through our Library of Roses initiative we're introducing rare, reimagined, and hard-to-find forms including cold hardy ramblers, climbers, and classic hybrid teas, into our seasonal offerings beginning with the spring 2025 collection. Look for these new cold hardy roses and more in mid-November to reserve for spring 2025.
This collection evolves every year with the latest breeding breakthroughs. If you've been waiting for a rose garden that doesn't require compromise, this is it.
Thousands of gardeners across the country are searching for answers about growing roses in cold climates. At Jackson & Perkins, we help lead the conversation through expert blogs, planting guides, video tutorials, and a curated collection shaped by over 150 years of experience.
Here are some of the top questions we get, and where you can find answers:
Visit our Cold Hardy Rose Collection page to explore top-rated varieties.
Yes, and many are in our Library of Roses each bred for beauty and resilience.
Our cold hardy climbers are trialed for winter endurance and repeat blooming.
Use our filters to shop roses by fragrance, bloom form, and hardiness zone.
Find expert-picked favorites by using the Zone filters.
Start with our practical zone-by-zone tips earlier in this guide, and browse our recommendations by zone.
Want more help choosing the right rose? Visit the Jackson & Perkins blog for tools, inspiration, and expert rose gardening advice for every zone.
The arrival of modern cold hardy roses is a turning point for northern gardeners. Jackson & Perkins is proud to help lead that change, making it possible to grow world-class roses in climates once considered too harsh.
This isn't a trend. It's a restoration of possibility for anyone who wants a rose garden without limits.
Explore the Cold Hardy Rose Collection today and discover how strong, stunning roses can thrive in your garden, no matter what zone you're growing in.
