Four Most Beautiful Purple Roses by the Talented Breeder Junko Kawamoto – Japan

By Paul Smith, pemdasgarden.com

There's purple. And then there's Junko Kawamoto purple.

If you don't know her name yet, you will. Kawamoto is one of Japan's most talented rose breeders, and her purples aren't really purple at all — they're smoke and shadow, grey-violet, blue-lavender, colors that seem to shift every time the light changes.

These aren't roses for the traditional rose garden. They're for the gardener who wants something otherworldly.

Here are four of her most beautiful purple creations — each one a little piece of Japanese breeding artistry.

1. Blue Moon Stone

White with violet heart · Cluster-blooming · The moonlit one

Blue Moon Stone is the showstopper of the four — a tall shrub (150–200 cm) that produces large clusters of 5–8 cm blooms, each one white with a heart of purple: sometimes violet, sometimes pink-purple, sometimes soft pink, depending on the bloom and the season.

It's like each flower is blushing from the inside out.

The fragrance is intense: apple and cherry brightened with myrrh, lemongrass, and lemon. Blooms last 5–8 days, flushing every 4–5 weeks.

One practical note: those big, heavy clusters can weigh branches down. Provide support — a discreet stake or grow-through support keeps the display upright and glorious.

This is for you if… you want the most dramatic Kawamoto — tall, clustered, and impossible to ignore.

She also stars in our Fragrance Is the Heart of the Rose (Part 3) collection — that's how good the perfume is.

2. Saphiret

Smoky grey-violet · Large blooms · The ethereal one

Bred in 2016, Saphiret is the color of morning fog: smoky white melting into smoky grey and smoky purple. It's a color that shouldn't exist in a rose, and yet here it is.

The blooms are large — 8–12 cm — on a 120–150 cm shrub, lasting 5–8 days with a sweet, fruity fragrance. She flushes every 4–5 weeks.

Saphiret is the rose you plant when you want guests to stop and stare and ask what IS that. There is no casual way to grow her. She demands attention by refusing to look like anything else.

This is for you if… you collect the uncollectible — colors no other breeder quite achieves.

3. Gabriel

Smoky purple · Intense perfume · The slow beauty

From 2008 comes Gabriel — purple and smoky purple in 6–10 cm blooms on a 120–150 cm shrub, with an intense herbal-fruity fragrance that carries across the garden.

Gabriel asks for patience: she grows slowly, and her delicate branches can droop under the weight of the large flowers. Support her, don't rush her, and she'll reward you with some of the most soulful purple blooms in existence.

Blooms last 5–8 days, flushing every 4–5 weeks. Think of her as the introvert of the group — quiet, deep, worth knowing.

This is for you if… you have the patience for slow beauty — and a stake or two.

4. Lucifer

Blue-purple depths · The dark twin · The dramatic one

Also from 2008, Lucifer is Gabriel's dark twin: purple deepening to smoky purple and blue-purple, in 6–10 cm blooms with the same intense herbal-fruity fragrance.

Same habit too — 120–150 cm, slow-growing, delicate branches that appreciate support under heavy bloom. 5–8-day flowers, 4–5-week cycles.

Plant Gabriel and Lucifer together and you get a study in purple light and shadow — the same breeding hand, two different moods. It's one of the most striking pairings in the rose world.

This is for you if… Gabriel intrigued you but you wanted to go darker. Much darker.

Why Kawamoto's Purples Are Different

Most "purple" roses are pink in disguise. Kawamoto's aren't.

Her breeding chases the smoky, greyed, blue-toned end of the spectrum — colors achieved by layering pigments in ways most breeders never attempt. The result is roses that look different at dawn, noon, and dusk. They're alive in a way flat-colored roses aren't.

The trade-off is vigor: these are art roses, not workhorse roses. They grow slowly, they want support, they ask for attention. What they give back is unlike anything else in your garden.

They pair beautifully with the true-violet Kinda Blue — imagine smoky grey-purple beside shimmering violet-blue — or ground the moody end of a bed that opens with the coffee-toned roses.

Growing Kawamoto Roses From Seed

The seed honesty, tailored to these varieties: seedlings are genetically unique. Growing these rose seeds will give you smoky-purple, fragrant roses in each variety's family — but these are complex bred varieties, so expect delightful variation rather than exact copies. For collectors, that's a feature: you might raise something no one has ever seen.

Stratify 6–8 weeks, sow ¼ inch deep in spring, germinate in 3–6 weeks. Full sun, rich soil, deep watering.

For these four especially: stake early. Don't wait for the droop — put supports in place at planting time. And give them your best soil; slow growers need every advantage.

Bloom expression shifts with your USDA zone and climate — smoky tones deepen in cool weather and soften in heat. Adjust sowing dates by a few weeks for your region.

Kawamoto Purple Rose FAQ

Who is Junko Kawamoto?
One of Japan's most celebrated rose breeders, known for extraordinary smoky purple, grey, and blue-toned roses with intense fragrance. Her varieties are prized by collectors worldwide.

Are these roses hard to grow?
They're not difficult, just slower and more delicate than workhorse varieties. Good soil, support for heavy blooms, and patience are the main requirements.

Which is the easiest of the four?
Blue Moon Stone — the most vigorous grower of the group, with spectacular clustered blooms. Saphiret is also relatively straightforward.

Why do the colors look different in photos?
Smoky and greyed tones are notoriously hard to photograph — lighting shifts them dramatically. See them in person (or in morning light) for the truest color.

Wrapping Things Up!

Smoke. Shadow. Moonlight. Dusk.

Junko Kawamoto's purples aren't just roses — they're a different way of seeing color in the garden. Slow, soulful, and utterly unlike anything else you'll grow.

Ready for the extraordinary? Browse our rose seed collection here — and start with Blue Moon Stone if you want the full drama.

And as always, if you ever need help choosing, planning, or growing… we're here!

Garden tools that help: match pruning timing to your rose type with the When to Prune tool, or work through troubling symptoms with the Plant Problem ID tool on our gardening tools hub.