Rose Garden
Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden
May–October
The Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden is among the most popular destinations at the Garden from May to October, when more than 650 varieties of roses are in peak bloom. The roses planted here include heirloom varieties selected for their intoxicating perfumes and modern selections chosen for their resistance to disease and pests as well as their beauty. The sights—and scents—are truly dazzling.
The Collection
As of 2024, the Garden has a whopping 4,018 individual rose plants which represent 37 different species and 652 cultivated varieties.
You’ll find a wide range of species and cultivars, each with their own unique bloom time. Below are the most common categories of roses and what you can expect to see in a typical New York City season cycle at NYBG. Keep in mind that plant health, pruning schedules, and weather can all affect the bloom periods.
- Modern Roses: May–October, continuously
- Species: One-time bloom in May
- Old Garden Rose: Depends on variety; usually repeat blooms from May–October
The Locations
You can visit nearly all of our rose varieties with a trip to the famed Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, where the spectacle in late spring and early fall is a can’t-miss occasion.
While exploring the Garden, look for other rose plants complementing the scenery in the Native Plant Garden and Perennial Garden.
The Facts
Initially designed by renowned landscape architect Beatrix Farrand (1872–1959) in 1916, the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden was not completed until decades later. Iron shortages during World War I made the completion of the fence and gazebo, central design features of the garden, impossible.
- In the mid-1980s Garden Board member Beth Strauss saw the original designs and showed them to David Rockefeller, who then generously supported the completion of Farrand’s fully realized designs in 1988.
- The garden is named after Rockefeller’s wife, Peggy, a horticulturist and conservationist who loved roses.
- Farrand was a founding member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and a leading force in her profession, at a time when few women worked outside the home. Her design for this garden nestles gracefully into a valley and provides ample space for a diverse display of roses.
- The original design for the rose garden included 90 rectangular beds.
The Archives
Our Steere Herbarium is home to millions of plant specimens that tell the story of our planet’s botanical biodiversity across centuries of time, which informs our efforts to save the plants of our world for future generations.
Peruse the herbarium specimens and stories that live here at NYBG.
