The April Moon Rose is an heirloom rose that produces large, fragrant blooms all summer long.
The buds of this heirloom rose start out red, and then the blooms slowly unfurl to reveal a lemon-yellow rose that can be as large as 5 inches in diameter.
As the April Moon Rose produces its last blooms in the cool weather in fall, the yellow roses will have a blush of red on the tips of each petal.
April Moon Rose Characteristics
The blooms are impressive on this golden oldie, and the rose bush is also a show-stopper.
The upright-growing rose bush will reach a mature size of three feet tall and wide.
The new leaf growth starts as a coppery color, then turns a rich dark green with a leathery texture as leaves mature.
The bush is deciduous, with dense foliage from the ground up. Its leaves turn yellow in the fall.
Multiple blooms are borne on each stem, with blooms beginning in late spring and lasting until fall frost.
The bush produces rose hips that can be harvested and used for decorating, making tea, or making jelly.
How to Plant April Moon Rose
The ideal time to plant an April Moon Rose bush is early spring. After all, the danger of frost is past.
Choose a location with at least 6 hours of daily sunshine and well-draining soil.
Dig a hole twice the size and depth of the rose bush’s roots.
Back-fill the planting hole and add compost or cow manure, then plant the rose bush at the same depth as in the pot.
Firm the soil around the bush, water in well, and add two inches of organic mulch around the base of the rose to help retain soil moisture.
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April Moon Rose After Care
The April Moon Rose is a very hardy, easy-to-care-for plant, one reason it’s been around for so long.
The bush is disease-resistant, drought-tolerant, and not particular about its planted soil.
The bush will need to be dead-headed after roses fade throughout the summer.
The dead-heading will stimulate the bush to grow. When the bush needs a more serious pruning, wait until late winter/early spring.
Roses are voracious drinkers and eaters. Give your April Moon rose a deep watering (1-2 inches) each week during the growing season.
Do not feed for the first month to give the roots time to become established; after that, feed bushes monthly.
Established rose bushes must be fed once in early spring when buds swell.
Landscape Uses
The April Moon Rose grows into a large shrub and is used in the landscape for its easy care and fragrant color.
This shrub rose has an upright growing habit and requires no support. It will mature 5-6 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide.
This large size makes it ideal for use as a landscape specimen plant, backdrop plant in a flower bed, or along a fence row.
The continuous summer bloom color and fragrance also make this heirloom rose variety ideal for use as a foundation plant.
Place near an entryway or under a house window so the rose fragrance can always be enjoyed.
Cut Flowers
The rose blooms are quite large, reaching 4-5 inches across.
The white petals are tinged with yellow and centered with a vibrant yellow stamen.
A romantic bloom with a color that represents love and purity, it is an ideal cut flower for weddings, sweet sixteen parties, and baby showers.
April Moon Rose blooms from spring until late autumn, providing an abundant supply of blooms for three seasons a year.
These large, fragrant blooms are born on long, strong stems, which makes them ideal for cutting flowers.
The blooms will last for several days after being cut.
Cut the stem at a right angle about 1-2 feet down from the bloom.
Harvest blooms are used as cut flowers in the early morning, just as the bud opens for the best fragrance and longest-lasting flowers.
Attracts Pollinators
This heirloom rose is a favorite of bees and other pollinators. With the bee population dwindling, it is beneficial to incorporate flowers in your landscape that will attract bees and provide them with nutrient-rich pollen.
The bees and your plants will thrive by keeping them pollinated.
Plus, you can enjoy the free wildlife show that birds, butterflies, and bees put on as they land on the rose bush for a meal.
Since 1984
April Moon Rose has been a landscape favorite since first being introduced in 1984 by Dr. Griffin Buck.
Dr. Buck began breeding roses in the 1950s when he started his quest to create a hardy winter rose that would survive harsh Iowa winters where temperatures often plummeted to 30 degrees (Fahrenheit) below zero.
Dr. Buck also wanted a rose to survive the hot, humid Iowa summers.
He combined several cold-hardy rose varieties, hybrid teas, and disease-resistant varieties, ultimately producing the April Moon Rose in 1984.
Are April Moon Roses Fragrant?
The April Moon rose is a continual bloomer with a soft and sweet fragrance.
