Chicago Botanic Garden

Explore the Garden

Krasberg Rose Garden

The Krasberg Rose Garden displays the best rose varieties for use in the Upper Midwest.

PHOTO: rose garden PHOTO: rose garden PHOTO: rose garden

Celebrated in verse and song, the rose has inspired centuries of poets and writers. Our Rose Garden will show you why: this garden in bloom virtually resonates with color and perfume.

The Rose Garden is a great place to learn about the different classes of roses, from hardy shrub roses to floribundas and hybrid teas. The expertise of Rosarian William Radler and the horticultural staff has elevated the Garden’s rose gardening to a new level. Mr. Radler, author, rose hybridizer and former director of Boerner Botanical Gardens, is one of the top rose experts in the nation.

"Our goal is to have the best of the old roses as well as the best of the new," he said. The garden displays the hardiest and most beautiful roses of all types for Midwest gardens. Notable among them are Rosa 'Love & Peace', a pink and yellow blend of hybrid tea; Rosa 'Cupcake', a pink and white miniature; and Rosa 'Champlain', a very hardy, deep red shrub.

The Rose Garden consists of mostly roses, contrasted with silver and green foliage to create multiple seasons of interest. The design of the garden features dark but bright roses in front. As you move into the garden, the colors also move — to deep pink, orange-red, bright yellow, medium pink, salmon, lavender and lighter pink. The display continues through to the light yellows, with the palest roses in the back of the garden, giving the illusion of depth. A yellow rose that Mr. Radler singles out is the floribunda 'Carefree Sunshine', his own introduction — a repeat-blooming hardy shrub rose.

Garden beds east of the Cedar Arbor include many reliable roses that have withstood the test of time. Since old garden roses are intermittent bloomers or bloom just once in the season, the bed includes David Austin roses that have the look and fragrance of old garden roses, but the repeat blooming of the modern shrubs. 'Heritage', 'Abraham Darby', 'English Garden' and 'Ambridge Rose' will perfume the air this summer.

The History of Roses Bed tracks rose development from the earliest wild rose to the modern hybrids. All the roses are in pink tones. "By removing the characteristic of color, we allow visitors to focus on the changes in flower shape, petal formation, fragrance, habit and foliage," said Mr. Radler.

With more than 5,000 rosebushes to delight your senses, the Rose Garden awaits your visit.

Find out what's in bloom now.

Download a guide for the Rose Garden. (PDF 328K)