Roses in Hawaii yards keep pushing new shoots and buds through the winter months, because the lowlands never get the cold that sends roses in other states dormant. Pruning here follows a month on the calendar, not a frost date. The month depends on whether your rose blooms again and again or only once a year.
When to Prune Roses in Hawaii
Prune repeat-blooming roses in January. In Hawaii, many gardeners cut the bushes back to within 24 inches of the ground in early January. Lowland Hawaii has no frost season, so no freeze date can set the schedule.
The hard cut costs you flowers for a while, but it pays back. The bush loses all its bloom for a time, then produces a burst of color 3 months later.
| Rose type | When to prune in Hawaii | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid teas, floribundas and modern shrub roses (repeat-blooming) | January, with many gardeners cutting back to 24 inches in early January | The cut removes all bloom for a time and sets up a strong flush 3 months later |
| Old garden roses, ramblers and many climbers (once-blooming) | Right after they bloom, never in early spring | They flower once a year on last year’s wood, so a spring cut removes the flowers |
Climbers that bloom again and again have no month of their own in the Hawaii calendar. Climbers that flower once a year follow the second row, and the cut comes when the last flowers fade.
Hawaii — the year and the numbers
- State
- Hawaii
- USDA zones
- 9a-13a
- Frost
- none in an average year
- Annual rain
- 16 in
- Lawn zone
- warm-season
- Source
- NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 Climate Normals: not-computable flag for every freeze percentile at 32F and 36F, zero days per year at or below 32F, station USW00022521 — https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-annualseasonal&stations=USW00022521 · Honolulu
How to Tell When Your Roses Are Ready to Prune
Signs that work in colder states, such as swelling buds or a hard freeze that has passed, mean little where roses never stop growing. These are the cues that apply in Hawaii.
- Early January arrives, which is the cue for repeat-blooming roses, since a bush at sea level grows and flowers all year and never gives you a dormant moment to wait for.
- You are not waiting on a freeze, because lowland Hawaii has no frost season and no cold spell to see out before you cut.
- There is no winter mound to pull off, since roses in Hawaii yards are not hilled up for protection.
- The last flowers on a once-blooming rose are fading, which tells you the cut can happen now, while the plant is setting the wood for next year’s bloom.
- The bush is still a repeat-bloomer in full flower in December, which says to hold off, because the cut removes all bloom for a time and January is the month for it.
Rainfall and exposure shape how the plant looks from month to month, but they do not move the January cut for repeat-bloomers.
Should You Prune Roses in Fall or Winter in Hawaii?
Winter, specifically January, is the pruning month for repeat-blooming roses. Fall is not. Nothing in the guidance for Hawaii calls for cutting repeat-bloomers in the fall, and a hard cut then would leave the bush without flowers for a time.
Between cuts, roses here do not rest. Feeding continues all year, so a fall rose is a working plant, not a sleeping one. Once-blooming roses are the exception to the winter rule, since they get pruned right after flowering, whatever month that falls in.
How Rose Pruning Dates Shift Across Hawaii
Hawaii has no frost-based calendar, so rainfall, elevation and exposure to the wind do the shaping. January remains the pruning month in Hawaii’s inhabited areas.
- Sea level on any island: Roses grow and flower throughout the year in the warm climate, so the January cut for repeat-bloomers applies as written.
- Windward and leeward sides: Rainfall differs between them, and it affects how the plants grow and how you water. The extension guidance gives no separate pruning month for either side.
- Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa and Haleakala: Frost shows up only on these high volcanic summits, never where people garden, so it does not enter a rose calendar.
Hardiness zones in Hawaii cover a wide spread of conditions, so a garden high on a slope may behave differently from one by the shore. Local advice fills that gap.
Where to Get Rose Advice in Hawaii
Local experts can help with questions about a specific yard, a specific slope or a rose that looks off. The state’s land-grant extension service and your county office both handle them.
- The College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii publishes rose growing guidance written for Hawaii, so check it before you plan a cut.
- Your county extension office can speak to conditions on your island and side of it, so call before a big pruning job if your yard sits well above sea level.
Common Questions
Can You Plant a Rose in Hawaii in Summer?
Yes. Dormant bare-root roses are usually available in spring, but they can be planted at any time of year in Hawaii.
How Often Should You Feed Roses in Hawaii?
Feed them every 4 to 6 weeks, all year. For organic fertilizers, the Hawaii guidance gives a rate of 3/4 pound per 100 square feet at each feeding.
Do Roses Grow Well in Hawaii?
They do. Roses thrive in a wide variety of climates in Hawaii, and in the warm climate at sea level they grow and flower throughout the year.