The Hardiest Roses for Cold Climates
The hardiest roses include the rugosas and the Canadian Explorer and Parkland series, many rated to USDA zones 3-4. Grown on their own roots, they survive brutal winters with little or no protection.
Gardeners in cold regions have excellent options. The rugosa roses are famously tough, disease-resistant, and hardy into USDA zone 3, and the Canadian-bred Explorer and Parkland series (such as William Baffin, Champlain, and the Morden roses) were developed specifically to survive harsh prairie winters, many to zones 3 and 4.
For the best results in cold climates, choose own-root roses rather than grafted ones — if the top is killed back, an own-root rose regrows as the same variety. Even hardy roses benefit from a mound of mulch over the crown in the coldest zones. See our guide to winter protection for details.