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New Dawn (Rosa 'New Dawn'), whole plant
  • New Dawn — close-up of leaves and flowers
  • New Dawn — seasonal appearance
  • New Dawn in a garden setting

New Dawn

Rosa 'New Dawn'

Easy · Beginner friendly

About New Dawn

New Dawn is one of the most beloved climbing roses ever bred, a 1930 sport of Dr. W. Van Fleet that made history as the first patented plant in the United States. Producing masses of fragrant pale blush-pink double flowers on vigorous canes that reach 12 to 20 feet, it blooms repeatedly from late spring through fall and tolerates light shade better than most climbers. Widely grown on American arbors, pergolas, and fences.

  • Fragrant
  • Shade-tolerant
  • Disease-resistant
  • Climbing
WATER
Regular
Top inch dry
LIGHT
Full sun
6+ hrs direct
HARDY
Hardy to -20°F (-29°C)
USDA hardiness zones 5–9

How to care for New Dawn

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.

N33%P33%K33%
  • Nitrogen · Leaves
  • Phosphorus · Roots + Blooms
  • Potassium · Strength
  • Springevery 45 days
  • Summerevery 45 days
Get watering reminders for New Dawn — free on iPhoneDownload on the App Store

At a Glance

  • NativeNorth America
  • Height12–20 ft (3.7–6.1 m)
  • Spread8–12 ft (2.4–3.7 m)
  • Flower colorPink, White
  • Foliage colorGreen
  • Fruit colorRed, Orange
  • SoilRich, Loamy, Well-drained
  • LocationsYard

Bloom time

BLOOM CYCLE

Peak bloom

May–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Blush-pink fragrant double blooms, deadhead and train canes horizontally for repeat

Fragrance

LIGHT FRAGRANCE

The flowers have a light sweet apple 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

New Dawn · Native
  • Native
  • North America

History

Illustrated historical scene for New Dawn

Rosa 'New Dawn' is a pale pink climbing rose discovered as an everblooming sport of the once-blooming climber 'Dr. W. Van Fleet' at the Somerset Rose Nursery in New Jersey, introduced by Henry A. Dreer in 1930. The cultivar earned a remarkable historical distinction: United States Plant Patent No. 1, issued August 18, 1931, the very first plant patent ever granted in the United States under the Plant Patent Act of 1930. Semi-double creamy blush-pink blooms with golden stamens appear in clusters from late spring to heavy frost, carried on vigorous long canes reaching six meters, on glossy disease-resistant dark green foliage.

A light sweet apple fragrance complements the soft color. 'New Dawn' was voted into the World Federation of Rose Societies Hall of Fame as the World's Favorite Rose in 1997.

Van Fleet, New Dawn became Plant Patent No. It remains one of the most widely grown climbing roses in American gardens nearly a century later.

Symbolism & meaning

What It Symbolizes

'New Dawn' carries new beginnings in a uniquely literal way — granted Plant Patent No. 1 in United States history, it ushered in the modern age of named plant introductions. Its romantic grace lives on in classic blush-pink climbing blooms cascading over arbors and old fence lines. Its meaning is a doubled dawn: a new era of horticulture and the soft daily light of a climbing rose against an old wall.

  • New beginnings — Plant Patent No. 1 in US history
  • Romantic grace — classic blush-pink climbing rose

Where the Name Comes From

Cultivar name reflects its breakthrough as a new repeat-blooming dawn for climbing roses and historical patent landmark.

Uses & Fun Facts

  • Pale pink blooms carry sweet apple-like fragrance
  • Vigorous canes train on arbors trellises and pergolas
  • Classic shade-tolerant climber for cottage and English gardens

Related plants

More Rosa plants

Plants with similar care

Frequently asked questions

How often should I water New Dawn?

In summer, water about every 5 days; in winter, about every 21 days. Adjust for heat, pot size and drainage.

How much light does New Dawn need?

Full sun: 6+ hrs direct. Watch the leaves — scorching or stretching means the light needs adjusting.

Is New Dawn 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 New Dawn easy to grow?

Yes — it is considered an easy, beginner-friendly plant.

When does New Dawn bloom?

It typically blooms May–Sep in the Northern Hemisphere.

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