Where to Buy Rose Bushes
You can buy roses from local garden centers, specialist rose nurseries, and mail-order growers. Each has trade-offs in selection, quality, and price.
Local garden centers let you inspect plants in person and take them home the same day, but their selection is limited to popular varieties. Dedicated rose nurseries — many of them mail-order — carry far wider ranges, including heirlooms and the newest introductions, and often ship high-quality bare-root plants in the dormant season.
Wherever you buy, look for plump, unshriveled canes, a healthy graft union, and no signs of disease or pests. Bare-root roses should have firm, well-developed roots; potted roses should be growing strongly with green, spot-free foliage. Buying from a reputable source is the single best predictor of a rose that thrives.