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Blaze
Rosa 'Blaze'
Easy · Beginner friendlyAbout Blaze
Blaze is one of the most widely planted red climbing roses in American history, introduced by Jackson & Perkins in 1932 and still beloved today. Producing clusters of medium-sized bright scarlet-red semi-double flowers on canes reaching 10 to 14 feet, it blooms profusely in spring with lighter repeat through summer and fall. Exceptionally cold-hardy through USDA Zone 4, Blaze has draped countless American porches, fences, and arbors for nearly a century.
- Cold-hardy
- Climbing
- Long-blooming
How to care for Blaze
Watering
- Springevery 7 days
- Summerevery 5 days
- Fallevery 10 days
- Winterevery 21 days
Soil · Rich & loamy
- Top dressingBark mulch15%
- Main mixRich loam + compost 3:170%
- DrainageGravel15%
Use fully finished compost — fresh compost burns roots.
FERTILIZER
Balanced Feed 14-14-14
An even feed covers all three needs at once, keeping leaves, roots and blooms moving together with nothing pushed out of balance.
- Nitrogen · Leaves
- Phosphorus · Roots + Blooms
- Potassium · Strength
- Springevery 45 days
- Summerevery 45 days
At a Glance
- NativeNorth America
- Height7–12 ft (2.1–3.7 m)
- Spread4–6 ft (1.2–1.8 m)
- Flower colorRed
- Foliage colorGreen
- SoilLoamy, Well-drained, Rich
- LocationsYard
Bloom time
BLOOM CYCLE
Peak bloom
May–Sep
Bright scarlet clusters, big spring flush then repeat, train canes horizontally
Fragrance
LIGHT FRAGRANCE
The flowers have a light scent.
Toxicity
Humans Slight
Unknown toxic principle
Slight
- Stem
- Contact
EXPOSURE Touching stems.
EFFECT Pricks from thorns.
NOTE Not toxic; thorns cause mechanical injury.
Safe
EXPOSURE No exposure route is reported.
EFFECT No toxic effect is reported.
NOTE Listed as non-toxic for dogs; avoid eating ornamental plants unless confirmed edible.
Safe
EXPOSURE No exposure route is reported.
EFFECT No toxic effect is reported.
NOTE Listed as non-toxic for cats; avoid eating ornamental plants unless confirmed edible.
Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.
DISTRIBUTION
- Native
- North America
History
Rosa 'Blaze' is a bright scarlet-red climbing rose bred by American hybridizer Jean-Henri Nicolas at the Jackson & Perkins nursery in New York, released in 1932 from a cross between the once-blooming climber 'Paul's Scarlet Climber' and the hybrid perpetual 'Gruss an Teplitz'. The cultivar made a sensation by combining the startling fire-engine red color of its climbing parent with genuine repeat bloom, producing abundant clusters of semi-double scarlet blooms on vigorous canes reaching three to four meters. Nicolas' 'Blaze' quickly became the most widely planted red climber in North American home gardens and remained so for fifty years.
A later-improved selection called 'Blaze Improved' or 'Improved Blaze' with better disease resistance has largely replaced the original in commerce. Light scent; remarkably cold-hardy into zone 4.
Its exceptional cold hardiness made it especially popular across the Midwest and Northeast, and it remains widely available at American garden centers nearly a century after introduction.
Symbolism & meaning
What It Symbolizes
Rosa Blaze carries enduring passion, its clusters of bright scarlet flowers having scaled American porches and arbors for nearly a century. Its old-fashioned vigor and unmistakable color make it a true scarlet flame, blooming in massed waves through midsummer. It is the climbing rose of inherited romance, a variety whose meaning lives in the white picket fences and grandmothers' arbors it has covered for generations, passion that has become part of the family's house.
- Enduring passion — nearly a century of American garden heritage
- Scarlet flame — bright red clusters blaze in full bloom
Where the Name Comes From
Cultivar name evokes the flaming scarlet-red blooms that blaze across arbors and fences in spring.
Uses & Fun Facts
- Iconic red climber trained on trellises, arbors, and pergolas
- Profuse scarlet semi-double clusters cover American fences
Related plants
More Rosa plants
About FaceRosa 'About Face'
Abraham DarbyRosa 'Abraham Darby'
AmericaRosa 'America'
Angel FaceRosa 'Angel Face'
Plants with similar care
Chinese AbeliaAbelia chinensis
Fragrant AbeliaAbelia mosanensis
Large-Flowered AbeliaAbelia uniflora
Glossy AbeliaAbelia x grandiflora
Frequently asked questions
How often should I water Blaze?
In summer, water about every 5 days; in winter, about every 21 days. Adjust for heat, pot size and drainage.
How much light does Blaze need?
Full sun: 6+ hrs direct. Watch the leaves — scorching or stretching means the light needs adjusting.
Is Blaze toxic to cats or dogs?
Pets Safe (Dogs Safe · Cats Safe) Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.
Is Blaze easy to grow?
Yes — it is considered an easy, beginner-friendly plant.
When does Blaze bloom?
It typically blooms May–Sep in the Northern Hemisphere.
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