Pink O’Hara Rose joins the Garden

The rose is a rose, 
And was always a rose. 

robert frost

Pink O’Hara Rose joins the Garden. June 2025.

Roses are created with their own unique personalities. Some take off right away, eager to shine in the garden. And then there are those that sit sulkily for a year or so before deciding to engage in the act of growing. The Pink O’Hara roses belong to the latter category. The bushes I had so enthusiastically ordered had arrived and were planted out front, where they sat and sat. They didn’t do much that first year. They refused to grow much until the next Spring, forgotten about until one day a single rosebud on one of the bushes caught my eye. The bud looked a bit sketchy, but I watched and waited. Slowly it flowered, expanding daily until it had transformed into a magnificent bloom of pink fullness that immediately toppled the previous titleholder for favorite rose, Amazing Grace.

As I had forgotten what I had planted there, I wondered what this magnificent rose in our garden was that measured a generous 5 inches across. The identifying tag was missing, so I checked my records and confirmed it was one of the four Pink O’Hara roses purchased last year. Incidentally, this is why garden maps and records are a good idea, as I still have yet to land on the perfect identifying sign system for the roses, and sometimes forget what I planted. (Get your free garden planner with maps right here.) Back outside, the other bush bloomed shortly after, producing an equally superior specimen that held me entranced by its full pinkness and generously sized blooms.

Pink O’Hara arrives

Pink O’Hara is a florist rose that was first launched in France in 2008, but has only recently become available through limited sources. This rose has modern hardiness and a petal count of 70-100, making it beautifully full and with a long vase life. The blooms can open to nearly 6 inches! They have 4 characteristic swirls in the middle that resemble hearts. Additionally, O’Hara has a highly feminine scent to match its personality. If pink had a smell, this would be it. Fresh rose with sweet top notes, all very fresh and so feminine!

These roses have some great qualities! I love how the rose itself changes as it blooms, as you can see in the photos. This is also a very sturdy, healthy bush, and thornless. Both blooming bushes are on a grafted root. The other two Pink O’Hara’s are on their own root. Both of those died over the winter, which surprised me given how mild it was and their location. The surviving grafted Pink O’Hara’s I spray and feed regularly. Currently, I have not had issues with bugs or spots on these. However, I have noticed browning or dark pink on the outermost petals, likely due to a fungus, so I started spraying them with an organic fungicide. This is something I am seeing in a few of my roses this year, so regular spraying is a must.

There is also a lovely white version of the O’Hara. This one came shortly on the heels of the pink version in 2012. There are two of these in the garden as well. These wedding-worthy full white roses may have a blush or ivory center. I purchased one on a grafted root and the other with its own root. Again, like the pink, the grafted variety performs better (as expected initially). Although it has not grown much, the own-root is doing fine. This is also to be expected with their own root as they take more time to establish.

You may wonder why I bought so many O’Hara roses right away. I invested because I had ordered a fresh bouquet of them for Easter one year and loved them. And of course, a good rose bush sale helps! These are not roses to tuck away in some solitary corner with their generous blooms. Rather, plant them in a place of honor to accommodate the lovely show they put on. They will provide you with excellent roses for cutting! Pink O’Hara roses are a highly feminine rose and are a wonderful choice for the romantic gardener at heart who loves a beautiful pink (or white) perfumed rose!

Have a beautiful day!