The New Dawn Rose isn’t just a beautiful flower, it’s also an interesting backstory. Don’t let the soft-pink flowers fool you, this rose is much more versatile than it might seem at first. You’re going to want to make the most out of this pretty climber.
If you’ve never grown roses before, or if you’ve never taken the plunge to grow a climbing rose, you’ve been missing out! Keep reading to learn about the New Dawn rose and whether or not you should add it to your garden this year.
History of the New Dawn Rose
The New Dawn Rose was first discovered at Somerset Rose Nursery in New Jersey in 1930. This rose is known as a “sport,” which is a genetic mutation of another rose variety. The New Dawn Rose is a sport of the Dr. W. Van Fleet rose.
Prior to 1931, patent claims could not be filed on plants. The New Dawn Rose was the first plant to receive a patent in 1931, which gives it a place in legal history. The original patent for the New Dawn Rose was held by H.F. Rosenberg.
In 1997, New Dawn won the award for “Most Popular Rose in the World” at the 1997 11th World Convention of Rose Societies.
Characteristics of the New Dawn Rose
This type of rose can grow up to 20 feet high with a spread of 6 to 9 feet — a very large rose. If you’re looking for a sizable flowering plant, this might be the rose for you.
The flowers of the New Dawn Rose are pink to soft pink in color. The color typically gets paler towards the tips of the pedals and can become white in mature flowers. These roses can continue flowering into mid-winter.
The New Dawn produces a sizable number of rose hips.
How To Grow a New Dawn Rose
The New Dawn Rose does best in USDA zones 5 and warmer. Colder climates might want to opt for a rose that can take harsher winters a little better than the New Dawn. This covers most areas of the United States, but gardeners in more northern climates may need to select a more cold-tolerant variety of rose.
This rose also needs a little extra TLC in the summer months. Mulch around the base of your roses to retain moisture so they can better withstand the harsh summer weather.
When To Plant a New Dawn Rose
If you are planting a bare root New Dawn, late winter or early spring is the best time to plant. Once the temperature is regularly over 70 degrees, roses can have trouble taking root before they go dormant for winter.
If you are planting New Dawn Rose seeds, there are a few more steps to take:
- Let your seeds germinate in a cold environment for six weeks. This can be in a zip top bag in the fridge.
- Plant your seeds in trays indoors at first. This will let your seedlings get established before having them be “out in the wild.”
- Follow the same timing rules for bare root plants when you transplant your seedlings to the outdoors.
New Dawn Rose Bush Care
So now that your New Dawn rose is planted, you need to know how to care for it.
Water
These roses need one inch of water every week. This is usually met by local rainfall in most areas. If you are live in a hot, dry climate or your area is experiencing a drought, a New Dawn Rose needs roughly 4 gallons of water each week.
Sunlight
Most roses need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day. The New Dawn Rose is also shade tolerant. If you only have partial sun in your garden, the New Dawn Rose bush may still be a good choice for you.
Air Circulation
These roses also require good air circulation to prevent disease. Avoid planting a New Dawn in places where they’ll be cramped.
Pruning the New Dawn Rose
You prune a rose for a variety of reasons: to remove older and unhealthy branches, to encourage blooming, and to control the rose’s shape and growth.
The New Dawn is a climbing rose. It’s a repeat bloomer and requires a trellis for supporting growth. Avoid pruning central canes and only prune new growth. This ensures the core of the plant remains healthy while still allowing you to shape and manage the rest of the rose.
For best blooming from your New Dawn, remove any spent blooms. This encourages the plant to grow new flowers for the next season.
When Should You Prune a New Dawn Rose?
Prune in colder months when these plants have gone dormant, late fall through winter. This allows the plant to recover from the pruning before new growth begins in the spring.
Transplanting
It happens. Sometimes that spot you picked for your rose doesn’t work out or you make changes to your garden space and your roses have to be moved. The good news is roses handle transplanting well, provided you follow best rose transplanting practices.
The ideal time to transplant is while the rose is still dormant during the winter or very early spring. This allows the rose to be moved to new soil without having it get too stressed out in the coming seasons. If the growing season has already begun, transplant on a day when temperatures aren’t too hot, preferably when it’s cloudy, and water the rose well before and after transplanting.
For detailed instructions about transplanting a climbing rose, refer to this blog post.
Different Varieties of the New Dawn Rose
There are a few variations of the New Dawn Rose that you can add to your garden. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
Aloha
The Aloha has a deeper pink color and a larger cup to its flowers. These roses are also smaller than the New Dawn Rose. The Aloha is great for hot climates and grows about 10 feet tall.
White Dawn
These roses have striking blooms with white petals and a golden center that appears to glow under the right lighting conditions. These are hardy plants that can withstand a wide range of climates.
The White Dawn Rose has a reputation for being tough and easy for beginner gardeners to grow.
Pink Cloud
This rose has impressive 4-inch blooms. This one of the smaller variations of the New Dawn Rose and can be kept as small as 6-feet tall. Repeat blooms of fragrant pink roses will make this one of your favorites!
Don Juan
Dark red blossoms cover this vigorous rambler/climber that grows to 15 feet tall or more. Named after the mythical literary figure who has come to represent the ultimate ladies’ man, this rose adds a touch of Old World romance to a garden space.
Creating Bouquets & Decorating with this Rose
One of the most fun things to do with New Dawn Roses is to make a bouquet or a centerpiece. Here are some quick tips to showing off your creative side with the New Dawn Rose.
- This is a climbing rose, so you can create bouquets and arrangements with free-formed shape that gives a nod to the rose’s natural style.
- The soft pink flowers aren’t just for delicate occasions. They can be combined with more rustic pairings to soften up cottage and rustic design.
- You can always go the classic route and embrace the delicate nature of these soft-pink flowers and use them in formal arrangements or decorations.
Where To Buy
The New Dawn rose is readily available as cuttings, bare root plants, and even as bouquets. Here’s where you can get one.
Where To Buy New Dawn Rose Bushes
New Dawn roses are popular varieties and can be found at local nurseries and garden centers. You can also order them from a number of online retailers.
Where To Buy New Dawn Rose Bouquets
It’s not clear how widely used New Dawn roses are in the floral industry. Call local florists to ask. If they don’t carry them, they may direct you to a shop that does.
Reviewing the New Dawn Rose
A climbing rose is an opportunity to go vertical in ways you can’t with other kinds of roses. They can spread color over structures like trellis, fences, arbors, pergolas, or gazebos. Their cascading blossoms add a touch of romantic whimsy to any outdoor space. A New Dawn rose is great for a gardener who’s new to climbers (or roses, in general) but it’s also ideal for seasoned gardeners who appreciate adding a low-maintenance variety to their garden.
Have you ever grown a New Dawn rose or one of the New Dawn variations? If so, tell us about your experiences with this rose in the comments section below!
Excited for more rose content? Then keep reading all about these beautiful flowers, how to take care of them, and more on our roses page!