Northwest Blooms · Roses
Rosa 'Nearly Wild'
Nearly Wild Rose
- Rose type
- Shrub
- Height
- 2 to 3 feet
- Bloom size
- Medium (2–3 in)
- Flower color
- Pink blooms with white centers and yellow stamens
- Fragrance
- Mild
About this plant
Rosa 'Nearly Wild' is a shrub rose with a generous display of single five-petaled pink blooms with a white eye and yellow stamens. The soft, apple-like fragrance accompanies prolific flowering from late spring through fall, making it an excellent choice for low hedges, mass plantings, or cottage-style garden borders. Glossy dark green foliage remains healthy and disease-resistant, while orange-red rose hips often develop later in the season.
Introduced in 1941 by the Brownell family, this hardy floribunda shrub originated as a cross between 'Dr. W. Van Fleet' and 'Leuchtstern'. Celebrated for its long bloom period and ease of care, 'Nearly Wild' thrives in full sun and continues to brighten landscapes with its cheerful color well into autumn.
Planting & care
Roses reward a sunny, open site with at least six hours of direct light, good air movement, and well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Water deeply and less often, soaking the root zone while keeping the leaves dry, and mulch with two to three inches of compost or shredded bark held back from the canes. Feed repeat-blooming roses in early spring as growth starts and again after the first flush, then prune in late winter to remove dead or crossing canes and open the center. Shrub roses need only light thinning, keeping their natural full shape and repeat bloom.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at the Portland International Rose Test Garden.
