15 Multicolored Roses For Vibrant Garden Color

Stripes, speckles, and blended petals deliver eye-catching drama and delightful scent.

By Medha deb
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15 Multicolored Roses to Brighten Up Your Garden

For gardeners and rose enthusiasts who can’t settle for just one shade, multicolored roses offer a dazzling way to introduce splashes of vibrant color into any landscape. These roses are renowned for their unique patterns: some boast painterly stripes, while others display speckles, confetti, or blended gradients reminiscent of watercolor paintings. Such showy blooms become the highlight of the garden, drawing the eye and sparking conversations at every turn. Whether your preference is for frilly stripes, gentle blends, or bold bi-color combinations, there is a multi-hued rose for everyone—from ground covers to towering climbers.

Why Choose Multicolored Roses?

  • Visual Drama: Their unusual coloration commands attention and sets a playful tone in the garden.
  • Diverse Varieties: Multicolored roses are available in shrub, climbing, ground cover, and standard forms to fit any space or style.
  • Garden Versatility: These roses complement traditional borders, mixed perennial beds, and even containers.
  • Fragrance: Many multi-toned roses combine looks with delicious scents, adding another layer of delight.

Our Favorite Multicolored Rose Varieties

Below you’ll find an expertly curated list of 15 stunning multicolored rose cultivars, each with its own charm and garden appeal.

1. Rosa ‘Camille Pissarro’

This phototropic hybrid tea rose grabs attention with dramatic color shifts in response to sunlight. Its large, fully double blooms combine yellow, pink, and red stripes on an elegant bush with healthy, deep green foliage. Expect a pleasant sweet, fruity fragrance. It pairs beautifully with red perennial companions like crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ or red yarrow.

2. Rosa ‘Double Delight’

Renowned for its creamy white petals edged in deep red, ‘Double Delight’ is a classic bi-color hybrid tea that has enchanted rose lovers for decades. The color intensifies in strong sunlight, while its spicy, intoxicating scent fills the air. Each robust, upright bush flaunts each fruity-scented flower boldly.

3. Rosa ‘Rainbow Sorbet’

‘Rainbow Sorbet’ lives up to its name, displaying a delectable swirl of yellow, orange, and pink within each bloom. This floribunda rose produces clusters of semi-double flowers atop glossy green leaves, creating an ever-changing display throughout the blooming season.

4. Rosa ‘Abracadabra’

If you’re seeking true novelty, look no further than ‘Abracadabra.’ With its cherry red blooms dramatically splashed and striped with butter yellow, no two blossoms are ever exactly the same. Vigorous, bushy growth and shimmery, healthy foliage make this floribunda a standout conversation piece in any rose border.

5. Rosa ‘George Burns’

This cheerful floribunda is a feast for the senses—vivid yellow flowers are streaked, splotched, and flecked with rich crimson, red, and cream. Known for its fruity fragrance and compact bushy form, ‘George Burns’ is both a garden favorite and excellent for cutting.

6. Rosa ‘Rock & Roll’

‘Rock & Roll’ rose rocks a bold pattern of red, white, and cream stripes that vary between blooms—a true natural performance every season. Carrying a powerful apple-rose fragrance, this grandiflora has strong, upright growth and a magnificent show in both garden and vase.

7. Rosa ‘Rainbow’s End’

This petite rose promises grand flair in a small package. Its yellow flowers transition through shades of red and orange as they mature, resulting in a spectacular, multicolored display on a compact, low-maintenance shrub. It frequently reblooms and adds accents to patio spaces and borders.

8. Rosa ‘Kaleidoscope’

As the name suggests, ‘Kaleidoscope’ delivers a swirl of changing hues—blush pinks, creamy yellows, and soft oranges. Each large, double blossom offers a watercolor effect, with colors fading into one another, making every flower unique. Its bushy, disease-resistant habit suits beds and large planters.

9. Rosa ‘Scentimental’

‘Scentimental’ is famed for its peppermint-candy pattern of burgundy red swirled and striped with creamy white. This floribunda’s high-centered blossoms emit a strong, spicy fragrance, and the bush is prized for both its bloom volume and disease resistance.

10. Rosa ‘Fourth of July’

Perfect for Independence Day (or anyone who loves bold color), this climber erupts in semi-double blooms of sparkling red and crisp white. Free-flowering and vigorous, it’s an excellent choice for trellises, fences, or arbors—adding vertical fireworks to any garden space.

11. Rosa ‘Party Hardy’

Resilient down to -40°F, ‘Party Hardy’ not only thrives in the cold but produces large flowers marked with hot pink and white. Its repeat-blooming nature and dense, upright growth habit ensure season-long color.

12. Rosa ‘Oranges ‘n’ Lemons’

This playful shrub rose delights with bold orange petals striped with lemon yellow—looking just like a citrus treat. The open blooms appear in clusters, delivering a continuous display and attracting pollinators with their sweet aroma.

13. Rosa ‘Chihuly’

Inspired by the glass artist of the same name, ‘Chihuly’ sports vibrant blooms in fiery tones—yellow, apricot, orange, and red, often within the same flower. This floribunda combines artistic flair with disease resistance and sturdy growth.

14. Rosa ‘Candy Stripe’

This hybrid tea’s large, cup-shaped blooms are swirled with pink and white, echoing classic peppermint candies. Highly fragrant and striking as cut flowers, ‘Candy Stripe’ is a reliable repeat bloomer throughout the season.

15. Rosa ‘Claude Monet’

Capturing the spirit of an impressionist painting, ‘Claude Monet’ has blooms dusted, striped, and speckled with pink, yellow, and cream. Each cluster is a masterpiece worthy of its namesake, perfect for adding artistry to modern or cottage gardens alike.

Multicolored Roses: Variety Table

Rose NameColor PatternTypeFragrance LevelRecommended Use
Camille PissarroYellow, pink & red stripesHybrid TeaSweet, fruityBorders, cut flowers
Double DelightCream with red edgesHybrid TeaStrong, spicySpecimen, exhibitions
Rainbow SorbetYellow, pink, orange blendFloribundaMild, fruityMass planting, borders
AbracadabraRed with yellow stripesFloribundaMildAccent, focal point
George BurnsYellow with red, cream flecksFloribundaFruityCut flowers, compact beds
Rock & RollRed, white, cream stripesGrandifloraStrong, apple-roseMain beds, cut flowers
Rainbow’s EndYellow fading to red & orangeMiniatureMildContainers, low borders
KaleidoscopeBlended pink, yellow, orangeShrubLightBeds, large containers
ScentimentalBurgundy & white stripesFloribundaStrong, spicyMassed planting
Fourth of JulyRed & white stripesClimbingMildTrellis, vertical interest
Party HardyHot pink & whiteShrubMildCold climates, borders
Oranges ‘n’ LemonsOrange with yellow stripesShrubLight, sweetBeds, pollinator gardens
ChihulyFiery red, orange, yellow mixFloribundaMildShowpiece, mixed borders
Candy StripePink & white swirlsHybrid TeaStrong, sweetCut flowers, displays
Claude MonetSpeckled pink, yellow, creamFloribundaLightArtistic gardens

Tips for Growing Multicolored Roses

  • Site Selection: Most multicolored roses prefer 6–8 hours of sun daily. Morning light helps prevent fungal issues.
  • Soil Preparation: Ensure well-draining, fertile soil rich in organic material. Roses dislike soggy roots.
  • Watering: Deep water at soil level to prevent leaf disease. Let the soil nearly dry between sessions.
  • Feeding: Apply a balanced rose fertilizer in early spring and again after first bloom flushes.
  • Pruning: Remove dead, diseased, or damaged canes annually. Thin out congested growth to boost airflow and stimulate new flowering shoots.
  • Winter Care: Mulch well and in colder areas, mound soil or compost around the base for extra protection.

Design Ideas for Multicolored Roses

  • Mixed Borders: Plant with perennials in complementary shades (reds, purples, oranges) for a harmonious look.
  • Containers and Raised Beds: Compact varieties excel in small spaces or as dramatic statement pieces on patios.
  • Climbing Features: Use climbing multicolored roses on trellises and arbors to add vertical appeal and living color walls.
  • Cut Flower Gardens: Grow for bouquets—fragrant, multi-hued blooms are perfect for indoor arrangements.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What causes multicolored roses to display their unique patterns?

A: Multicolored patterns result from genetics—selective rose breeding introduces genes for stripes, spots, or blended pigments. Some varieties can also change color with sun exposure, temperature fluctuations, or age of bloom.

Q: Are multicolored roses more difficult to grow than single-color types?

A: Most multicolored roses require the same basic care as classic types. Some may be more prone to mildew or black spot, so choose disease-resistant varieties if possible and maintain good garden hygiene.

Q: Can I mix multicolored roses with other flower styles in my garden?

A: Absolutely! They work well with monochromatic roses and perennials, adding interest and variety to both formal and cottage-style gardens.

Q: Do certain multicolored roses have a stronger fragrance?

A: Yes—roses like ‘Double Delight’, ‘George Burns’, and ‘Scentimental’ are particularly well-regarded for their bold, pleasant scents.

Q: How do I use multicolored roses in bouquets and arrangements?

A: Their vibrant color mixes add drama to fresh bouquets. Pair with greenery, ornamental grasses, or solid-colored blooms for designer results.

Final Thoughts

Multicolored roses offer more than just a blaze of color—each variety brings its own personality, fragrance, and visual allure. Whether you’re constructing a bold focal point, introducing playful stripes and speckles, or just looking for a rose that’s different from the rest, these 15 varieties are sure to charm. Select your favorites, give them good care, and enjoy a garden that dazzles with every bloom.

Medha Deb is an editor with a master's degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Hyderabad. She believes that her qualification has helped her develop a deep understanding of language and its application in various contexts.

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