6 WHITE AND PINK ROSE VARIETIES

By Paul Smith, pemdasgarden.com

There's a particular kind of morning light — soft, golden, barely awake — when a white-and-pink rose looks like it's glowing from the inside.

You know the moment. You step outside with your coffee, and the whole bush is lit up like a lantern.

If you've been dreaming of that feeling in your own garden, you're in exactly the right place. Today we're walking through six white-and-pink rose varieties that do this better than almost anything else we've ever grown — each with its own personality, its own fragrance, its own way of stopping you mid-step.

In this guide, we'll meet them one by one: what they look like, how they smell, how they grow, and — honestly — which one might be the one for you.

Free planning tools: put this guide to work with the When to Prune and Planting Calendar on our Gardening Tools hub.

Why White and Pink Will Never Go Out of Style

Trends come and go in the rose world. One year it's all smoky purples, the next it's burnt orange.

But white and pink? White and pink are forever.

There's a reason wedding florists reach for them, why cottage gardens lean on them, why a single blush-pink bloom in a white cluster can make an entire border feel romantic. These two colors do something together that neither does alone — the white makes the pink glow, and the pink keeps the white from feeling cold.

The six varieties below aren't random picks. They're roses that have earned their place: strong rebloom, real fragrance, and colors that shift and deepen as each flower opens.

And here's the beautiful part — every one of them can be started from seed. Growing roses from seed takes patience (a cold stratification of 6–8 weeks breaks their dormancy), but it's one of the most rewarding projects a gardener can take on. Our rose seed collection walks you through the whole method, step by step.

Meet the Six: Our White &Amp; Pink Shortlist

M Nostalgic Romance Rose

Tall. Dreamy. Unapologetically romantic.

This Japanese-bred beauty (introduced 2012) grows into a statuesque bush of 150–180 cm, carrying enormous 8–12 cm blooms in swirls of pink, salmon, and white brushed with pink. Each flower lasts an impressive 5–8 days on the bush, and the fragrance — sweet, with hints of lemongrass and apple — drifts across the garden on warm evenings.

She reblooms throughout the year in flushes every 4–5 weeks, with excellent disease resistance. Give her room: this is a rose that wants space to be magnificent.

This is for you if… you want one dramatic, fragrant centerpiece rose and you have the space to let her shine.

Earth Angel (Herzogin Christiana) Rose

Soft. Angelic. Almost too pretty to be real.

Bred by Kordes in Germany and introduced in 2013, Earth Angel opens in clouds of pink and white-with-pink, each 8–12 cm bloom packed with old-rose charm. The scent is pure heaven — citrusy, with a touch of quince and an alluring sambac (jasmine-like) undertone that makes you lean in for one more breath.

She grows 120–160 cm tall and repeats all year. One honest note: she's not a fan of intense heat, and individual blooms last 3–4 days in hot weather. Plant her where she gets afternoon shade in warm climates, and she'll reward you endlessly.

This is for you if… fragrance is your love language and you garden somewhere with gentle summers.

Jumilia Rose

Crisp. Clean. Quietly elegant.

Bred in the Netherlands, Jumilia is the minimalist of the group — pristine white petals edged in pink, on a sturdy, bushy plant of 100–120 cm. The 7–10 cm flowers are exceptionally long-lasting (7–10 days!), with a mild, fruity fragrance that never overwhelms.

She blooms in flushes all year round. Fair warning: in rainy seasons she can be prone to leaf fungus, so give her good air circulation and a preventive fungicide routine, and she'll stay picture-perfect.

This is for you if… you love the classic white-with-pink-edge look and want blooms that linger.

Moonstone Rose

Luminous. Classic. A showbench star.

Introduced by Weeks Roses in the late 1990s, Moonstone is one of those roses that looks like it was designed by moonlight — creamy white petals finely edged in cerise pink, in a perfect high-centered hybrid-tea form. The large 8–14 cm blooms last 7–10 days with a light green-tea scent, on a vigorous 120–160 cm bush with excellent disease resistance.

This is a rose that wins exhibitions and hearts in equal measure. Tough, reliable, and breathtaking.

This is for you if… you want a proven, disease-resistant classic that looks straight out of a florist's dream.

Mona Lisa Rose

Mysterious. Sweet. Full of secrets.

Like her namesake, this Japanese-bred rose keeps you guessing — pink, salmon, and white-with-pink tones that shift as each 8–12 cm bloom opens. The fragrance is the real treasure here: sweet peach and apricot, the kind of scent that makes you close your eyes.

She grows 100–120 cm, reblooms every 4–5 weeks through the year, and holds her flowers for 7–10 days. Good disease resistance, easy manners, unforgettable perfume.

This is for you if… you choose roses with your nose first and your eyes second.

M Perzik Rose

Peachy. Fresh. Morning in a flower.

Another Japanese treasure, M Perzik blends pink and white-with-pink in 7–10 cm blooms with a sweet lemongrass-kissed fragrance. Compact at 100–120 cm, she fits beautifully into mixed borders, reblooming in waves all year with each flower lasting 7–10 days.

Good disease resistance and a tidy habit make her one of the easiest roses on this list — proof that you don't have to work hard for beauty.

This is for you if… you're newer to roses and want something forgiving that still looks extraordinary.

How to Grow These Beauties from Seed

Here's what most people don't realize: you can grow roses from seed.

It's not instant — nothing about roses is — but it's deeply satisfying. Rose seeds need a cold, moist stratification period of about 6–8 weeks in the refrigerator to break dormancy (nature's way of making sure they sprout in spring, not fall). After that, sow them 1/4 inch deep in seed-starting mix, keep them warm and bright, and watch the magic happen.

Our rose seed collection includes detailed growing instructions with every variety. Most roses thrive in USDA zones 5–9 with full sun (6+ hours) and well-drained, fertile soil.

A few honest tips from our own growing benches:

Sun is non-negotiable. Six hours minimum, eight is better. Roses in shade get leggy, bloom poorly, and invite disease.

Air flow matters as much as water. Space your bushes so breezes move through — it's the single best defense against fungal issues.

Feed them like you mean it. Roses are hungry plants. Compost at planting, then a balanced rose fertilizer through the growing season.

Deadhead for rebloom. Snip spent flowers just above a five-leaflet leaf, and most of these varieties will push new buds within weeks.

Sow dates shift with your USDA zone — adjust by a few weeks for your climate. In warm zones 8–9, fall sowing works beautifully; in colder zones, start indoors in late winter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which white-and-pink rose is the most fragrant on this list?
Earth Angel and Mona Lisa lead the pack — Earth Angel with its citrusy-sambac perfume, Mona Lisa with sweet peach and apricot. If scent is your priority, start there.

Can I really grow these roses from seed?
Yes! Roses grow readily from seed with cold stratification (6–8 weeks in the fridge in damp paper towels), then sowing 1/4 inch deep in seed-starting mix. Seedlings take a season or two to bloom, but the wait is worth it.

Which variety is best for beginners?
M Perzik and Moonstone — both have good to excellent disease resistance, tidy habits, and forgiving natures. Moonstone in particular is famously tough.

How much sun do these roses need?
At least 6 hours of direct sun daily, ideally 8. Less sun means fewer blooms and more disease pressure.

Do white-and-pink roses attract more pests?
Not particularly — though very fragrant light-colored blooms can attract thrips. Good air circulation and regular inspection keep issues minor.

When will seed-grown roses bloom?
Most seed-grown roses bloom in their second season, sometimes lightly in the first. Patience is part of the romance.

Wrapping Things up!

So — six roses, six personalities, one shared promise: mornings that stop you in your tracks.

Whether you fall for Earth Angel's perfume, Moonstone's luminous edges, or Mona Lisa's peachy mystery, you're choosing roses that have proven themselves in real gardens, season after season.

Start with the one that made your heart skip a little while reading. That's always the right answer.

And as always, if you ever need help choosing, planning, or growing… we're here! Browse the rose seed collection, wander through more ideas in our Growing Guides, and happy planting. 🌸