Rose Guide
Are Roses Perennials
Yes — roses are perennials. A rose bush is a woody perennial shrub that lives and blooms for many years, dying back or going dormant in winter and returning with new growth each spring.
Roses are woody perennials, meaning a single plant lives for many years rather than one season. In cold climates a rose drops its leaves and goes dormant through winter, then pushes out fresh growth and blooms again the following spring — often for decades.
This is different from annuals, which complete their life in one year. Because roses come back every year, the care you invest — good planting, annual pruning, and winter protection in cold zones — pays off season after season.