You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!
Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.
Login
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.
There is something regal about a purple rose. Purple is the royal color, reserved for kings... and some of the most beautiful roses.
In my rose garden, the purple roses grow in the "Dawn Garden". Dawn comes calling in all shades of pinks, roses, mauves, lavenders and purples. The pinks and roses have already been covered in another article [1]. That leaves us with the next section of the color wheel.
As the reds just start to mix with the blues, you will find the mauves and mauve blends. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines mauve as "a moderate purple, violet, or lilac color." These are the majority of the purple roses. In fact, many of them will appear as more pink depending on climate and/or soil conditions. Here's a hybrid tea rose, 'Wild Blue Yonder' (2004, Carruth), which you might expect to be blue (or at least close to blue). It's anything but blue...more like a mood ring. It is pictured below from my garden and 3 other DG members', just to give you an idea of the range of colors.
Photo credit: Kell
Photo credit: grampapa
Photo credit: alicewho
Photo credit: chicochi3
I am a great lover of purple roses of all kinds, as is my wonderful DG friend, kassia, a frequent poster on the Rose Forum here at Dave's Garden. Both of our rose gardens are young, started last season, spring of 2007. I will share with you here some of our purple roses.
'Angel Face' (1969, Swim & Weeks)[l], floribunda. This rose gets to a height of 3' to 4' and blooms in flushes all season long in sprays of 3" blossoms. The fully double, ruffled blooms have a strong citrus scent. It is hardy to zone 6 and somewhat susceptible to black spot.
'Distant Drums' (1985, Buck)[r], shrub. With a fragrance like myrrh and anise, the 3.5" to 4" blooms have 40 petals. It repeat blooms well, has a mature height of 3' to 4' and is hardy to zone 5. It's most interesting feature is it's coloration "often with dusky purple lower petals and buff, or parchment, upper petals." [2]
'Ebb Tide' (2001, Carruth), floribunda. An unusual deep purple with 4", 26-40 petaled blooms, 'Ebb Tide' is good plant for the front of the border at 24"-32". It has a strong clove fragrance, an upright growth habit and blooms will repeat throughout the season. As you can see, both kassia [l] and I [r] are fond of this rose.
'Fragrant Plum' (1990, Christensen) [l], grandiflora. The name gives it away; strong, fruity fragrance! The bush is a 4' rebloomer with medium to large blooms with 20-25 petals. It is lavender with a deeper edging.
'Lavender Simplicity' (Jackson & Perkins) [r], shrub. This is an excellent hedge rose, 5' high by 3' wide, covered with clusters of 3.5" blooms. There is a strong citrus scent. Jackson & Perkins now has this available as an own-root rose. Grows in zones 5 through 9.
'Night Owl' (2005, Carruth) [l], large-flowered climber. Climbing to a mature height of 10'-14', 'Night Owl' is disease resistant and hardy to zone 6b. The 4" blossoms open in small clusters with a large flush in late spring or early summer, then sporadically for the remainder of the season. This rose can put on quite a show in full bloom on a trellis or arbor and has the added attraction of a spicy-sweet clove fragrance.
'Purple Heart' (1999, Carruth) [r], floribunda. Another of the purples with that spicy clove fragrance, this one is a season-long rebloomer. It has a very full blossom with about 40 petals and a 4" diameter. 'Purple Heart' is also available as a tree rose, or standard, which is the desired rose grafted onto a tall stem of a stock rose.
'Rhapsody in Blue' (1999, Cowlishaw) [l], shrub. Listed as a mauve or mauve-blend because these are the official categories, this rose is actually a smoky purple. Hardy to zone 6b, it can grow to about 6' in height. As with most shrubs, it blooms in clusters of smaller, 2.5" blooms all season. This is a good landscape rose and has a pleasant spicy scent.
'Royal Amethyst' (1989, DeVor) [r], hybrid tea. One of the parents of this rose is 'Angel Face' listed above and it has the strong, fruity fragrance of it's predecessor. It blooms all season with large (30-35 petaled) blossoms on a 3'-4' bush. An extra benefit is round orange hips in the fall. Hardy to zone 6.
'Shocking Blue' (1974, Kordes), floribunda, mauve) [l], floribunda. The only thing I find shocking is that I see no 'blue' in this rose at all. Not that it isn't lovely... it just isn't blue. What it is: very fragrant, repeat blooming, height of 30"-40" by 24" wide, large fully-double blooms in clusters, hardy to zone 7.
The rose in the opening thumbnail is 'Basye's Purple Rose' (1968, Basye), shrub (hybrid rugosa). The velvety 3" blooms are quite distinctive in large clusters on a bush that will mature at about 5' by 5'. It is not in constant bloom but does repeat. The strong, fruity, clove-like fragrance and excellent disease resistance sold me on this one. And it is hardy to zone 4.
There are many more wonderful purple roses for you to choose from. I am hoping that these are just enough to make you want to run out and get at least one. Spring is here and it's rose planting time in most of the country. Go for it!
A huge 'thank you' goes to kassia for her contribution to this article!
kassia: Ebb Tide, Fragrant Plum, Lavender Simplicity, Night Owl, Purple Heart, Rhapsody in Blue, Royal Amethyst
grampapa: Basye's Purple Rose, Wild Blue Yonder, Angel Face, Distant Drums, Ebb Tide, Shocking Blue, Dawn photo from my back yard
About Jan Recchio
I'm a 'dabble' gardener. Been gardening for over 40 years. I will plant anything that will grow for me and some things that won't, indoors or out. Outdoors I have theme gardens: roses, butterfly/hummingbird, heathers/dwarf conifers, a rock garden (in progress) and a new English-style cottage garden with an herb garden at it's 'heart'. Indoors I try to concentrate on orchids, African violets, anything that will flower or has lots of color and unusual houseplants. I try to stay organic and keep chemicals to a bare minimum. My non-gardening interests include quilting, counted cross-stitch and watercolor painting. I am a proud grandma and before my recent retirement, I was a clinical systems analyst (computer geek) for 24 years.
Great to see such an enthusiast. We relocated to Spain a mere 18 months ago and are just establishing a garden out of wilderness and scrub land !
Have enclosed a few photos of progress so far ......,.................................
Happy gardening
Geoff
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 8, 2008 at 10:44 AM:
Geoff, no fair sending pics without naming the beautiful rose LOL Where in Spain are you located? Can you garden year 'round?
...
Subject: Oh you are so good!
Posted by Kassia (from Framingham, MA) on April 7, 2008 at 10:29 AM:
How can anyone not love them!!!!! oh I miss them!!!!
Jan, Royal Amethyst survived the winter really well! she has tons of growth! oh I am so happy! and Angel Face did well also!
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 7, 2008 at 11:55 AM:
Kass, I'm so glad to hear it! I haven't gotten down to that end yet. My Austins are in great shape :0) I pruned them yesterday, and I did a quick trim of some dead bits on a couple of once-blooming OGR's.
...
Posted by Kassia (from Framingham, MA) on April 7, 2008 at 1:58 PM:
mine too... Crown Princess Margareta are all doing good... Grace is absolutely a trooper... Eglantyne is taller than me... Graham Thomas is skinny but very tall also!!!! oh it feels like spring today finally!!!!!
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 7, 2008 at 5:09 PM:
Here, too. 70 degrees today... and sunny!
...
Subject: How Terribly, Wonderfully Special
Posted by MistyPetals (from North Augusta, SC) on April 6, 2008 at 10:29 PM:
The purple rose is my hands-down favorite. I'm waiting for my Ebb to arrive later this week, and I know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I simply cannot live without the Lavendar Simplicity so it seems I'll be going rose shopping again really soon. YES!!!
My DH is going to scream. (LOL)
Thanks for another nice rose article, Jan.
Misty, with a smile
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 7, 2008 at 7:53 AM:
I'm smiling as I read your comments, Misty. I so wish I could see Kassia's 'Lavender Simplicity' in person. She has a hedge of them surrounding a small seating area. My 'Ebb Tide' is still very small (hope it made it thru the winter, I was doing some work in the rose garden yesterday, but it's too early to tell on a lot of them), but I'm in love with it.
happy spring and enjoy your roses
~ jan
...
Posted by MistyPetals (from North Augusta, SC) on April 7, 2008 at 4:24 PM:
U 2.
...
Subject: OMG, my favorites
Posted by doccat5 (from Fredericksburg, VA) on April 6, 2008 at 3:54 PM:
Just lovely, lovely, lovely! I love purple roses.....and I see all kinds of new varieties............yummy, yummy!! Thanks for sharing and enabling so well, Jan.......grin
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 6, 2008 at 8:45 PM:
Let me know what I talked you into LOL. I really go for the deep purples and they're hard to come by.
~ jan
...
Posted by doccat5 (from Fredericksburg, VA) on April 6, 2008 at 10:24 PM:
The Shocking Blue and Ebb Tide are floating my boat! LOL I have a small area next to the house that I want to turn into a purple and cream/white theme flower garden. But it's in full afternoon sun, so I'm looking for plants that can take the heat. But I could those almost anywhere. LOL
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 7, 2008 at 7:54 AM:
Oh, wow, sounds absolutely scrumptious! Looking forward to pics.
Thanks for all the names - I have Angel Face and Night Owl, and am always on the lookout for another purple rose.
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 6, 2008 at 8:41 PM:
Your welcome. I'd like to get Night Owl, but I need space for another climber first. I love Angel Face.
~ jan
...
Subject: Purple Roses! I love them!
Posted by gloria125 (from Greensboro, AL) on April 6, 2008 at 10:37 AM:
Oh thank you for this review of the newer purples. I love Sterling Silver even if it is so stingy with its blooms.
And I have Angel Face, but the newer ones I did not know about. And the idea of a 'Dawn Garden' is wonderful.
gloria
...
Posted by soulgardenlove (from Marietta, GA) on April 6, 2008 at 7:38 PM:
I've got a purple rose garden going :) Love them!! :)
Susan
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 6, 2008 at 8:40 PM:
Gloria and Susan, glad you enjoyed the article. I have ordered 'Silver Shadows', a Buck rose, for spring delivery (hey, that's soon). Sounds like a beauty. What is your latest mauve/purple?
~ jan
...
Posted by soulgardenlove (from Marietta, GA) on April 6, 2008 at 9:46 PM:
I haven't found one this year :) YET!!
...
Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on April 6, 2008 at 11:06 PM:
Great article, I am still looking for purples and your article just makes me more determined. Great photos, too. Thank you.
...
Posted by gessiegail (from Taft, TX) on April 6, 2008 at 11:55 PM:
Thanks, thanks and more thanks for this article. I have been wanting the Simplicity roses just because they are easier but i didn't know they came in purple. This is great news to hear.
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 7, 2008 at 8:10 AM:
Sharon, some of the rose vendors have a search by color on their web sites. Even if you don't buy from them, it may help you find the one you want. Have you tried?
At Chamblee's, put a color (i.e. purple, lavender, mauve) in the search box/ click short description
[HYPERLINK@www.chambleeroses.com]
there are others...these are just to get you (and anybody else who may be reading) started
Gessiegail, looks like they come in pink, lavender, yellow & white. In case this link doesn't work, just go to the Jackson & Perkins web site and search on 'Simplicity'
Posted by gloria125 (from Greensboro, AL) on April 7, 2008 at 10:20 AM:
jan. My purple this year is replacing an old one I lost in the heat.
Lady X. (Meiland 1965)
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 7, 2008 at 11:59 AM:
Gloria, I took a look at your Lady. She's beautiful. I can see why you'd want to replace her. And so mysterious...'Lady X'. Somebody didn't want anybody to know who he was naming this rose after. Must be a good story there somewhere.
...
Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on April 7, 2008 at 12:02 PM:
Jan, thanks.
I too have Lady X, but was looking also for Sterling Silver and some deeper purple ones. The links will help a lot. Thank you so much.
S
...
Posted by gloria125 (from Greensboro, AL) on April 7, 2008 at 5:04 PM:
I really identify with Lady X. Just what Id like to be when I grow up.
A mysterious woman. And purple!
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 7, 2008 at 5:12 PM:
gloria, a mysterious purple woman?? I'd stick with purple clothes LOL. Gorgeous deep purple... and maybe even, one day when you're 'mature', a red hat!
...
Posted by gessiegail (from Taft, TX) on April 7, 2008 at 6:48 PM:
Thanks, Jan........we have a nursery in Corpus who carry the simplicity but i didn't get started soon enough this year. They really need to go in the ground in February here or late fall. I have tried the bareroot ones from Perkins and they always ship too late for us to do it that way.
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on April 7, 2008 at 7:29 PM:
that's kind of funny, because everybody up North is mad at J&P because they ship too soon for us
In my rose garden, the purple roses grow in the "Dawn Garden". Dawn comes calling in all shades of pinks, roses, mauves, lavenders and purples. The pinks and roses have already been covered in another article [1]. That leaves us with the next section of the color wheel. 
'Angel Face' (1969, Swim & Weeks)[l], floribunda. This rose gets to a height of 3' to 4' and blooms in flushes all season long in sprays of 3" blossoms. The fully double, ruffled blooms have a strong citrus scent. It is hardy to zone 6 and somewhat susceptible to black spot.
'Distant Drums' (1985, Buck)[r], shrub. With a fragrance like myrrh and anise, the 3.5" to 4" blooms have 40 petals. It repeat blooms well, has a mature height of 3' to 4' and is hardy to zone 5. It's most interesting feature is it's coloration "often with dusky purple lower petals and buff, or parchment, upper petals." [2]
'Ebb Tide' (2001, Carruth), floribunda. An unusual deep purple with 4", 26-40 petaled blooms, 'Ebb Tide' is good plant for the front of the border at 24"-32". It has a strong clove fragrance, an upright growth habit and blooms will repeat throughout the season. As you can see, both kassia [l] and I [r] are fond of this rose.
'Fragrant Plum' (1990, Christensen) [l], grandiflora. The name gives it away; strong, fruity fragrance! The bush is a 4' rebloomer with medium to large blooms with 20-25 petals. It is lavender with a deeper edging.
avender Simplicity' (Jackson & Perkins) [r], shrub. This is an excellent hedge rose, 5' high by 3' wide, covered with clusters of 3.5" blooms. There is a strong citrus scent. Jackson & Perkins now has this available as an own-root rose. Grows in zones 5 through 9.
'Night Owl' (2005, Carruth) [l], large-flowered climber. Climbing to a mature height of 10'-14', 'Night Owl' is disease resistant and hardy to zone 6b. The 4" blossoms open in small clusters with a large flush in late spring or early summer, then sporadically for the remainder of the season. This rose can put on quite a show in full bloom on a trellis or arbor and has the added attraction of a spicy-sweet clove fragrance.
'Purple Heart' (1999, Carruth) [r], floribunda. Another of the purples with that spicy clove fragrance, this one is a season-long rebloomer. It has a very full blossom with about 40 petals and a 4" diameter. 'Purple Heart' is also available as a tree rose, or standard, which is the desired rose grafted onto a tall stem of a stock rose.
'Rhapsody in Blue' (1999, Cowlishaw) [l], shrub. Listed as a mauve or mauve-blend because these are the official categories, this rose is actually a smoky purple. Hardy to zone 6b, it can grow to about 6' in height. As with most shrubs, it blooms in clusters of smaller, 2.5" blooms all season. This is a good landscape rose and has a pleasant spicy scent.
'Royal Amethyst' (1989, DeVor) [r], hybrid tea. One of the parents of this rose is 'Angel Face' listed above and it has the strong, fruity fragrance of it's predecessor. It blooms all season with large (30-35 petaled) blossoms on a 3'-4' bush. An extra benefit is round orange hips in the fall. Hardy to zone 6.
'Shocking Blue' (1974, Kordes), floribunda, mauve) [l], floribunda. The only thing I find shocking is that I see no 'blue' in this rose at all. Not that it isn't lovely... it just isn't blue. What it is: very fragrant, repeat blooming, height of 30"-40" by 24" wide, large fully-double blooms in clusters, hardy to zone 7. 
