Roses for Christmas and New Years is a holiday tradition in many homes, but getting those summery blooms in the dead of winter isn’t always easy. After all, white Christmases and Christmas roses aren’t a very likely combination. It takes a little gardening savvy and hunting around to find good winter-blooming roses, but they are out there. Here are a few of the choices you have whether you want roses indoors or out.
Winter-blooming roses
If you’re looking for roses that bloom around Christmastime and New Years, you’ll be happy to know that there’s actually a plant called the Christmas rose, also known as Hellebore (helleborus niger). Although not a true rose, this plant does produce white and pink blossoms that resemble the flowers of the wild rose. Hellebores should be planted in early spring to produce blooms come December. Another option is to plant them in pots and keep them outdoors until Christmas. Either way, they need exposure to cold to start blooming.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for garden roses for Christmas and New Years and you live in a tropical or sub-tropical climate, you have a lot of options. One popular choice for warm climates is the Gloire des Rosomanes, a red antique China rose with a subtle fragrance. For brilliant vermillion blooms with a strong fragrance, try the double-bloom Marquise Litta de Breteuil, a tea rose that’s hardy to USDA zone 7. The tea rose Isabelle Nabonnand, one of the hardier winter-blooming roses (down to zone 6) produces unusual variegated peach blooms and a mild fragrance. Another winter rose with unusual coloring is the General Schablikine, an antique tea rose with blossoms in a copper-pink blend.
Potted miniature tea roses
Living in a colder climate doesn’t mean you can’t have roses for Christmas and New Years, though. You may not have blooms in your garden, but keeping a few potted mini hybrid tea roses around the house can brighten the dark winter days a little. These roses produce delicate, lightly fragrant blooms in red, pink, yellow, white, and several combinations.
Roses for Christmas and New Years may not be available in every garden center, but if you know which rose varieties too look for, you’ll be able to find something that will bloom for you.
