Rose register

The New Zealand National Register of Heritage Roses project was begun in 2011. The aim was to record all the old roses brought to New Zealand and to locate and propagate the lost and rare roses no longer commercially available in this country.

To compile the list of roses current nursery catalogues, old publications, public garden plantings and private garden lists were checked, with Peter Beales Classic Roses and the Rosenlexikon to confirm the names. 

The focus is on old rose families and species, with a cut-off date of 1945 for the Hybrid Teas. The work is ongoing as new lists are supplied and new locations discovered.

To find a rose

Scroll through the alphabetical list below and click on the rose name to view the HelpMeFind description and photos.

To buy a rose

Check the codes in the 'Available' column to see which nurseries to contact.

To visit a rose

Check the public garden codes to see reported locations

For more detailed searching, or for sorting by family groups, save an excel copy or a pdf copy to your computer

The Register Project

The Register Team of Inger Gledhill, Fran Rawling, Daphne Whitfort-Smith, Maureen Viggo and Murray Radka, meets several times a year to review progress and plan for the next season.

An Annual Report is published in the May Journal each year, when the success of the previous season's propagation is known.

Adding entries to the Register, new names and new locations, is an ongoing task for Inger and tracking down and arranging for the propagation of rare roses keeps the other team members busy. We are grateful for the support and assistance of HRNZI members and the propagating nurseries.

THE ROSE REGISTER

Our aim is to have a new edition of the list of roses on the web page each year, with any changes or major new additions notified in the Journal.

The 'PR' code in the locations column indicates that we have been advised of a private garden location. Please ask if you are interested in a rose with only this location. We may be able to arrange for propagation.

Mystery roses and treasured family roses have not been added to the Register. That information is being held separately while identity checks are being carried out.

RESCUED ROSES

To view the list of rescued roses please click Rescued Roses (2015).

THE ROSES AND THE FUTURE

It is agreed that to ensure the survival of the rescued roses it is desirable to establish new plants in several locations.

The number of rare roses located has been greater than we expected which means the nurseries have been able to produce only  limited numbers of each variety.  

We are working on ways to make the lost treasures more easily available.

Contact Us

Inger Gledhill	03 467 2772	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Fran Rawling	03 488 3988	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Daphne Whitfort-Smith	03 482 1203	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Murray Radka	03 449 2395	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abbreviations used below

Available on current list: GRR=Grass Roots Roses; SP=South Pacific; SR=Southern Roses; TB=Tasman Bay; TF=Trinity Farm.

Earlier: FM=Frank Mason, TF=Trinity Farm 2001-7. TG=Trevor Griffiths

Other sources: EN= Thomas Abbott's Exeter Nurseries 1892/93 list of roses FTR=Find that Rose 1999; JY=James Young Rose Growing in NZ; C54=Christchurch Botanic Garden 1954.

Public Gardens: AC=Akaroa Courthouse; BP=Beverly Park; BSC=Bolton Street Cemetery; CBG=Christchurch Botanic Garden; DBG=Dunedin Botanic Garden; FE=Ferrymead; JC=Jessie Calder; KM=Kauri Museum; NC=Northern Cemetery, Dunedin;; PBG=Pauatahanui Burial Ground; TGG=Trevor Griffiths Garden;;. TH=Totara House; TSC=Timaru Species Collection

Private garden has listed: PR

Nursery Websites

Grass Roots Roses

South Pacific

Southern

Tasman Bay

Trinity Farm

2019 Roses List