Roses have long been wrapped up in symbolism – love, memory, resilience, new beginnings – which is perhaps why so many of us feel an instinctive pull towards certain varieties. But did you know that there’s a birth month rose for every single one of us?
From January through to December, every month carries its own mood, energy and rhythm in the garden. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re drawn to understated beauty, bold colour, fragrance, or wildlife-friendly blooms; there really is a rose to plant that reflects the season you were born in.
Better still? Anyone who knows how to grow roses will tell you that winter is the perfect time to plant them. ‘Many roses can be planted as bare roots while they’re dormant,’ explains Morris Hankinson, director of Hopes Grove Nurseries.
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Morris Hankinson
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Founder and managing director of Hopes Grove Nurseries
Morris Hankinson is the founder and managing director of Hopes Grove Nurseries Ltd, the UK’s only specialist grower-retailer of hedging plants. He established the thriving business in 1992, shortly after graduating with a Commercial Horticulture Degree from Writtle College, Essex.
‘Bare root roses are lifted from the ground and planted between late autumn and early spring,’ he continues. ‘Because they establish strong root systems before the growing season begins, they often grow into healthier, more resilient plants.’
Here, Morris shares his pick of a rose for every birth month – along with why each one suits the season it represents, and how to plant it for the best possible blooms in the year ahead.
January: Rosa virginiana
January is a quiet month in the garden, when interest comes less from flowers and more from structure, evergreens, and lingering winter seedheads and hips. Rosa virginiana reflects that calm resilience perfectly.
‘A dense, suckering shrub rose, it has light green foliage and small, single dark pink flowers that bloom over a long summer season. As autumn fades, it produces round red hips that hang on well into the colder months, adding colour and providing food for birds,’ says Morris.
Understated yet enduring, it’s a fitting birth month rose for January birthdays. And, as Morris adds, ‘Rosa virginiana is ideal for bare root planting during winter dormancy’.
‘Planted now, it focuses on developing strong roots, ready to burst into life in spring,’ he promises.
You can buy a Rosa virginiana from RV Roger Nursery for £19.60.
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February: ‘Wedding Day’
February is often cold and grey, even if it’s widely considered to be the most romantic of all. Planting something like ‘Wedding Day’ brings the promise of delicate brightness to the garden still to come, making it the perfect birth month rose.
‘Its extravagant clusters of small, double white flowers and red-speckled buds sit above glossy dark green foliage. And, while they won’t bloom until after February itself, it offers hope and anticipation before the growing season truly begins,’ says Morris.
Bare root planting is perfect for this rose in late winter, giving the roots time to settle so the blooms can shine when the days lengthen. Pick up your ‘Wedding Day’ bare root rose at Crocus, £32.99.
March: Dog Rose (Rosa canina)
March brings the start of spring, and the native Dog Rose embodies renewal.
‘Fast-growing with arching, prickly stems, it bears soft pale pink flowers in early summer, followed by bright red hips,’ says Morris, noting that this birth month rose is ideal for wildlife gardens or natural boundaries, as it establishes quickly from bare root planting and supports bees, butterflies, and birds alike.
You can buy bare-root dog roses, £1.99 from Thompson & Morgan.
April: ‘Silas Marner’
April is the heart of spring romance, and its birth month rose, ‘Silas Marner’, perfectly captures that.
Its soft pink, fully double blooms and rich fragrance fill borders and patios with scent. ‘Flowering continuously, this rose thrives when planted bare root in early spring, giving roots time to settle before the demands of repeat flowering begin,’ adds Morris.
Pick up a ‘Silas Marner’, £33 from Burford Garden Co..
May: ‘The Mayflower’
May is a month of optimism and growth, which is well and truly reflected in its birth month rose, ‘The Mayflower’.
‘This mid-pink English shrub produces classic Old Rose-style blooms with a medium-strong fragrance,’ says Morris.
‘Hardy and disease-resistant, it is ideal for bare root planting in late winter or early spring, ready to flourish through the summer months.’
Buy your very own ‘The Mayflower’, £33, from Burford Garden Co.
June: Rosa glauca (Rosa rubrifolia)
‘June’s long days and abundance of wildlife are mirrored in Rosa glauca,’ says Morris.
This birth month rose boasts delicate cerise flowers that bloom in small clusters over June and July, followed by bright red hips. Better still, its blue-green foliage adds long-term interest to garden borders, hedging, or wildlife gardens.
Planting bare root allows deep, strong roots to establish before the peak flowering season. You can pick up your Rosa glauca, £29.99 from Crocus.
July: ‘Korresia’
Morris says that July calls for robust, sun-loving blooms, which makes ‘Korresia’ an ideal birth month rose.
‘Its bright yellow, fragrant flowers are show-stopping in summer borders, and dormant bare root planting stores energy in the roots for a bold growth surge and abundant mid-summer flowering,’ he adds.
Pick up your ‘Korresia’, £22.99 from Bents now if you want its spicy scent to grace your garden this summer; it’s the only floribunda to receive the Gamble Award for Fragrance (1979), after all.
August: ‘Alpine Sunset’
August is warm, rich, and dramatic – just like its birth month rose ‘Alpine Sunset’.
‘Large, apricot-pink blooms intensify in summer sun, complemented by dark green foliage and strong fragrance,’ says Morris. ‘While hybrid teas are often sold in containers, bare root planting earlier in the year ensures strong roots for peak bloom performance.’
You can buy an ‘Alpine Sunset’, from £16.64 at Etsy.
September: Rosa rugosa rubra
Morris notes that September brings harvest and abundance, and Rosa rugosa rubra delivers both with its fragrant red flowers that continue through summer and autumn, followed by large, glossy hips.
‘Rugosas are fast-growing, hardy, and ideal for hedging or wildlife-friendly gardens, thriving from bare root planting in late winter or early spring,’ he notes.
You can buy a Rosa rugosa rubra from £34.99 at Crocus.
October: ‘Summer Wine’
October mirrors autumn warmth, making the climbing rose ‘Summer Wine’ its ideal birth month bloom.
‘Its orange-pink blooms suit arches, fences, and walls, and late autumn planting of bare root roses is perfect while the soil remains warm, letting roots develop before winter dormancy,’ says Morris.
You can buy Rosa ‘Summer Wine’, £26.99 from RHS Plants as a bare root specimen.
November: Rosa Mundi
Morris notes that November’s moody autumn tones are reflected in its birth month Rosa Mundi, thanks to its pink-and-white striped blooms and abundant hips.
‘Peak bare root planting now lets roots establish quietly over winter, preparing for vibrant spring growth and flowering,’ he promises.
You can buy Rosa Mundi, £34.99 from RHS Plants.
December: ‘Festive Jewel’
December deserves drama and scent, which is why Morris has selected ‘Festive Jewel’ (available at Peter Beales Roses, from £21) as its birth month rose.
‘Deep salmon-pink, high-centred blooms in upright clusters offer seasonal cheer,’ he says.
Planted bare root in winter, he adds that it focuses on root development while the garden rests, bursting into life in spring – a perfect gift for any December birthday.
FAQsWhat is the birth month flower for roses?
Traditionally, the birth month flower for June is a rose, in any form. They symbolise love, beauty, and honour, but specific colours have their own meanings, too.
As the experts at Bloom & Wild point out, red roses are synonymous with love and passion, while pink signifies femininity and joy. Peach is gratitude, yellow is everlasting happiness, and white is tied to the idea of grace and new beginnings.
Orange, surprisingly, is associated with enthusiasm, purple with nobility and mysticism, and green with renewal and rejuvenation.
Why are there two birth flowers for each month?
To give more choice and reflect different cultural traditions, each month can have two birth flowers. This approach merges historic lists from across the world, creating a richer, more flexible system that lets you connect with the blooms that best suit your personality – or your local season.
Now that you know our pick of the best birth month roses, will you be planting one in your garden as an early birthday treat?
Any excuse, we suppose, to fill our lives with more beautiful blooms. We’ll see you at the local garden centre…