Founding florist
Tulipanna
Bondi NSW · est. 1992
A Bondi Road florist since 1992, with seasonal bouquets, arrangements, roses and potted orchids, and a weekly note on what's at market.
Seasonal cut flowerRosa hybrids
Roses: when they're in season in Australia
In season now (November 2026): Yes in every state
Roses are within the listed Australian season in November. The national season is all year. Local growing conditions and supply can change the timing. Check the state guide below and ask your florist about locally grown stems before ordering, especially near the beginning or end of the season.
- Right now
- In season in November
- Season
- all year
- Vase life
- 5 to 7 days
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Written by Dan d'Auvergne
Season by state
Flowers and pets: check before bringing a bunch home
Season months drafted from koch.com.au, katehillflowers.com.au, bloomcollege.com.au, abc.net.au, figandbloom.com. Availability varies by grower and region. See sources
Roses are at Australian markets every month of the year. Glasshouse growers keep a steady supply of long-stemmed roses, and field-grown garden roses, including David Austin types, run from about October to May with the best flushes in late spring and autumn. A large share of roses sold here are imported, mainly from Kenya, Colombia and Ecuador, and demand spikes around Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. Locally grown stems usually last longer and have more scent.
Where to buy roses
For Mother's Day
Roses are sold in every month, so you can always get them for Mother's Day. May is also the tail end of the field-grown garden rose season, which runs from about October, so you may still find scented, softer-petalled garden roses alongside the glasshouse long stems. Expect prices to rise in the week before Mother's Day, as they do before Valentine's Day, because demand for one flower lands in a single week. Pink, white and soft peach roses usually sit better with a Mother's Day bunch than red, which reads as romantic. Ask where your roses were grown, as local stems tend to have more scent. At home, recut 2cm off each stem, use a very clean vase with flower food and change the water every two days.
Mother's Day flower guideSold by the stem or bunch. Prices jump in the week before Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. Local garden roses are dearer than imported standards.
How to choose good roses
Press gently where the petals meet the stem. The head should feel firm, not spongy. Florists often leave the rough outer guard petals on to protect the bloom, so a scruffy outer layer is fine, but the leaves should be fresh green, not yellow or black-spotted. Ask where they were grown. A dozen long stems fills a tall vase, and six garden roses look generous in a jug. Prices rise sharply in the week or two before Valentine's Day, when demand for red roses far outstrips supply. Buying the week after, or choosing pink, white or garden roses, is usually much better value.
Grown here or imported?
Roses are not native to Australia, but they're grown here commercially.
Where they're grown
Most Australian cut roses come from climate-controlled glasshouses, many of them hydroponic, where growers can pick every day of the year. There is a cluster around Melbourne, including family farms at Silvan in the Dandenong Ranges that have grown roses for generations, and others on the fringes of the other capitals. Field-grown garden roses come from smaller flower farms in cooler districts, cut from about October to May. Local growers told ABC News that cheap imports make it hard to compete, and roses are one of the crops hit hardest. Asking for Australian-grown stems is the simplest way to support them, and they usually have more scent.
Florists top up local supply with imported stems, mostly from Kenya, Colombia and Ecuador. Ask your florist which you're buying: local stems are usually fresher and have travelled less.
Colours, varieties and care
Colours
- red
- pink
- white
- yellow
- orange
- peach
- lavender
- bi-colour
Varieties to ask for
- David Austin garden roses
- Hybrid tea
- Spray roses
- Red Naomi
- Avalanche
Vase life
5 to 7 days
Making them last
- Buy firm buds just starting to open, and avoid soft petals or brown spots at the base
- Remove leaves below the waterline and any damaged outer guard petals
- Recut 2cm off the stems on an angle under water if you can
- Use clean water with flower food and a very clean vase
- Change the water and recut every two days
Using them at home
Because roses are around all year, pair them with whatever else is at its peak. In spring, garden roses sit well with sweet peas, ranunculus and, from October, peonies. In summer try hydrangeas or lisianthus, and in autumn dahlias. Eucalyptus works in any month. Long-stemmed roses suit a tall, narrow vase that holds them upright, while short garden roses look best cut low in a bowl or jug. Garden roses open quickly into a full, cupped bloom and drop their petals sooner than tight glasshouse roses. Tight red roses dry well hung upside down in a dark, dry spot.
Meaning and birth month
Traditionally the flower of love, with meaning varying by colour.
Roses are a traditional birth flower for June.
Where to see them growing
Quite Contrary Flower Farm
Labertouche
Usual season: not yet confirmed
Otway Flower Farm
Kawarren
Usual season: October to March
Big Sky Flower Farm
Brukunga
Usual season: not yet confirmed
Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
Sydney
Best months: August to October
Adelaide Botanic Garden
Adelaide
Best months: April and October to November
Sydney Flower Market
Flemington
Best months: all year
Melbourne Market flower market (National Flower Centre)
Epping
Best months: all year
Questions people ask
When are roses in season in Australia?
Roses are available all year because glasshouse growers and imports keep supply steady. Field-grown garden roses run from about October to May, with the best flowering in late spring and again in autumn.
Why are roses dearer the week before Mother's Day?
Demand jumps in a single week while supply can't. Growers can only cut so many stems, imports cost more to fly in when everyone wants them, and florists take on extra staff and vans for the week. Prices usually settle again soon after the Sunday.
Why are roses so expensive on Valentine's Day?
Demand for one flower, mostly in one colour, lands in a single week. Growers can't make roses bloom on command, imported stems have to be flown in, and florists take on extra staff and deliveries. In years when air freight is tight, as it was during the pandemic, imported roses cost florists noticeably more. Prices ease within days of the 14th.
When should I order Valentine's Day flowers?
A week or more ahead, and earlier if you want a particular colour or a large bunch. Florists usually cap orders for the 14th once their delivery runs are full. In 2027 Valentine's Day falls on a Sunday, so check whether your florist delivers that day or send them on Friday the 12th.
Are most roses in Australia imported?
A large share are. An importer quoted by ABC News said as many as nine in ten roses sold here may come from Kenya, Colombia and Ecuador. Asking your florist for Australian-grown roses usually means better scent and vase life.
Related flowers
All flowers
Where this season information comes from
- koch.com.au/blog/the-essential-guide-to-the-rose
- katehillflowers.com.au/blogs/bloom-journal/flowers-in-season-melbourne
- bloomcollege.com.au/blog/what-flowers-are-in-season-for-melbourne-spring
- abc.net.au/news/2020-08-09/imported-flowers-fuelling-biosecurity-fears/12529126
- figandbloom.com/blogs/journal/australian-flower-calendar