Hardiness zone maps are a helpful tool gardeners use to choose plants that are well suited to their climate. Zones are based on factors like minimum winter temperatures, frost-free days, rainfall, and summer heat. Because Canada and the United States use slightly different systems, we include both CA and USDA zones in our rose descriptions to make choosing easier for you.
If you’re new to growing zones, here’s a simple way to think about it:
Colder areas have lower numbers, and warmer areas have higher numbers. For example, Yellowknife, NWT is a Zone 1, while Vancouver, BC - much milder and farther south - is a Zone 9.
Roses are wonderfully resilient plants, and with proper care, many can thrive even in colder climates. Roses grafted onto multiflora rootstock, in particular, have an advantage when it comes to winter hardiness. You can learn more about this in our article 'Grafted Rose Benefits'.
Our zone ratings are based on horticultural standards, grower feedback, hybridizer experience, international awards, and our own growing observations. When you see a “+” after a zone, it means that a rose can also grow successfully in warmer zones beyond the listed range.
For gardeners in very warm regions, you can explore our Heat Tolerant roses - varieties proven to perform well in high temperatures.
Here’s how zones appear across our website:
-
Highly Winter Hardy | CA Zones 3–5+ | USDA 2–4+
-
Very Winter Hardy | CA Zones 5–6+ | USDA 4–5+
-
Winter Hardy | CA Zones 6+ | USDA 5+
-
Heat Tolerant | CA Zones 9+ | USDA 8+
To find your growing zone, click here. Canadian addresses will display a CA zone, and U.S. addresses will show a USDA zone.
Knowing your zone helps you choose roses that are hardy, healthy, and ready to flourish right where you live.
