Best Roses for Alaska

Rose canes that come through the snow and leaf out in late spring are the ones worth planting in an Alaska yard. Hardy rugosas, Turkestan roses and tough species roses do that reliably, while fussy hybrid teas often do not. Winter decides which roses earn a place here, and the choices narrow quickly once you plan around it.

Best Roses to Grow in Alaska

Hardy rugosas, Turkestan roses and species roses hold up in Alaska because winter sets the limit. Tender roses, meaning hybrid teas, grandifloras, floribundas and miniatures, do not reliably overwinter across the state.

Rugosa Roses

Rugosa rose (Rosa rugosa) is hardy in most locations around the state, which makes it a dependable first rose to plant. Varieties do differ from one region to another, so look at what survives in nearby yards before choosing a cultivar.

Turkestan Roses

Turkestan roses, sometimes called Sitka roses, have been grown in Alaska since the early 1900s. They are the dominant feature of any hardy Alaskan rose garden, and many cultivars have been released, so you can pick for flower color and size rather than just survival.

Polarstern

Polarstern is a hybrid tea, a type that usually struggles here, yet it has been reported to climb and stay hardy with minimal winter protection in Fairbanks. Treat it as the adventurous pick, planted after a hardy rose is already established.

Once-Blooming and Species Roses

Hardy rugosas and species roses suit Alaska, and once-blooming roses are another practical choice for cold winters. Once-blooming roses flower on last year’s wood, so prune them right after they bloom, never in early spring, or you cut off the season’s flowers.

How to Choose a Rose for an Alaska Garden

Start with your winter and your patience for protecting plants. A rose that needs wrapping and babying will cost you more effort here than one bred or grown for the climate.

The short season also matters, since a rose has to flower and harden off between late spring and the first hard freeze.

Small spaces are harder. Miniature roses are among the tender types that do not reliably overwinter, so a compact rugosa is the better bet there. Bare-root roses go in during June, while potted roses can be planted later.

Which Roses Suit Different Parts of Alaska

Turkestan roses grow across much of the state, but how much you can push beyond them depends on where you garden.

• Fairbanks and the Tanana Valley: The Interior season is far shorter than in Anchorage, so lean on rugosas and Turkestan roses. Polarstern is worth a trial only once those are established.
• Anchorage and Southcentral: This is one of the milder inhabited parts of Alaska, with about 143 frost-free days. Long summer daylight helps hardy roses make good growth even though the season is short.
• Sitka and Southeast coastal towns: Salt spray from the water is common here, and Turkestan roses tolerate it. That makes them the natural pick for a shoreline or harbor-facing yard.

Because varieties do differ statewide, a rose that thrives in one valley may be only a gamble in another.

Rose Buying Mistakes to Avoid in Alaska

Buying Tender Roses

Hybrid teas, grandifloras, floribundas and miniatures do not reliably overwinter across Alaska. The cost is a plant that dies back or fails in spring after you have paid for it and planted it.

Choose a rugosa, a Turkestan rose or a species rose instead, and if you want a hybrid tea, try Polarstern.

Planting Bare-Root Roses Too Early

Bare-root roses are tempting to set out as soon as the ground thaws, but a late cold snap can finish a plant that has no roots established yet. The safe plant date at Fairbanks is June 1, and June is the month to plan around.

In Fairbanks, wait until then, and keep potted roses for later planting if the schedule slips.

Feeding into Late Summer

Roses here get a soluble fertilizer regularly from May through July. Feeding past August 1 pushes soft new growth just as the plant should be hardening for winter, leaving that growth vulnerable to a hard freeze.

Stop feeding by the first of August, about four to six weeks before a hard frost is expected.

Where to Get Rose Advice in Alaska

Alaska has no local extension page on rose-pruning timing, so confirm the timing with a local garden center, rose society, or gardening group. University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension publishes gardening guides on roses and overwintering.

• The extension rose publications explain which types overwinter and how to protect tender ones, so read them before ordering plants.
• Your nearest extension office can tell you which hardy varieties do well in your part of the state, which is worth asking in winter while you plan spring planting.

Common Questions

What Can You Grow Instead of a Climbing Rose in Alaska?

Annual flowering vines are easy and dependable here. Canary bird vine, black-eyed Susan vine, sweet peas, scarlet runner beans, climbing nasturtiums and morning glories all do well. Milky Way morning glory has been reported to make a vigorous, thick vine covered with blooms in Fairbanks, while Cypress Vine did not flower at all.

Do Roses Need Winter Protection in Alaska?

Hybrid teas, floribundas and grandifloras need winter protection in cold winters. Hardy shrub roses, such as Knock Out or the Explorer series, perform well without extra protection, and rugosas fall in that low-fuss group.

When Should You Prune Roses in Alaska?

Prune repeat-blooming roses in May, once active growth has started. Wait for active growth before pruning, since snow cover lasts into spring. Once-blooming roses wait until after they flower.