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Announcing the 2026 Winners of the American Garden Rose Selections

By American Garden Rose Selections|October 2, 2025

The American Garden Rose Selections (AGRS) program has unveiled its 2026 award-winning roses; exceptional varieties chosen for their superior performance across diverse U.S. climates and regions. These selections represent the pinnacle of garden excellence, combining beauty, resilience, and fragrance to inspire gardeners nationwide.

This year’s winners were rigorously trialed and evaluated by AGRS test gardens across the country. Each rose is evaluated on disease resistance, bloom quality, foliage, habit, and overall garden performance. The Regional Choice Awards highlight roses that thrive in specific regions, while the Fragrance Award honors varieties with outstanding scent.

The 2026 AGRS winners are:

1. Buttercream Drift

Buttercream Drift AGRS

Buttercream Drift AGRS

Introduced by Star Roses and Plants.

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Regional Choice Award winner in four regions:

  1. South Central
  2. Southwest
  3. North Central
  4. Northwest

2. Butterfly Bliss

Butterfly Bliss AGRS

Butterfly Bliss AGRS

Introduced by Antique Rose Emporium.

Regional Choice Award winner in all six regions:

  1. Northeast
  2. North Central
  3. Northwest
  4. Southeast
  5. South Central
  6. Southwest

3. Glass Slipper

Glass Slipper AGRS

Glass Slipper AGRS

Introduced by Antique Rose Emporium.

Regional Choice Award winner in all six regions:

  1. Northeast
  2. North Central
  3. Northwest
  4. Southeast
  5. South Central
  6. Southwest

4. Make Me Blush

Make Me Blush AGRS

Make Me Blush AGRS

Introduced by Weeks Roses.

Regional Choice Award winner in three regions:

  1. Northwest
  2. South Central
  3. Southwest

5. Persian Eye

Persian Eye AGRS

Persian Eye AGRS

Introduced by Altman Plants.

Regional Choice Award winner in three regions:

  1. Northwest
  2. South Central
  3. Southwest

6. Reminiscent Pink

Reminiscent Pink AGRS

Reminiscent Pink AGRS

Introduced by Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc.

AGRS Fragrance Award winner.

Regional Choice Award winner in three regions:

  1. Northwest
  2. South Central
  3. Southwest

7. True Crush

True Crush AGRS

True Crush AGRS

Introduced by Altman Plants.

Regional Choice Award winner in four regions:

  1. Northeast
  2. North Central
  3. Northwest
  4. Southwest

8. True Happiness

True Happiness AGRS

True Happiness AGRS

Introduced by Altman Plants.

Regional Choice Award winner in five regions:

  1. North Central
  2. Northwest
  3. Southeast
  4. South Central
  5. Southwest

9. White Lies

White Lies AGRS

White Lies AGRS

Introduced by Certified Nurseries.

Regional Choice Award winner in three regions:

  1. Northwest
  2. South Central
  3. Southwest

 

“Each year, the AGRS program celebrates roses that not only dazzle with their beauty but also prove their worth in gardens across America. The 2026 winners are a testament to the innovation and dedication of our breeders and growers. These roses will bring joy, fragrance, and resilience to gardeners from coast to coast,” says Pat Shanley, American Garden Rose Selections Chair.

AGRS encourages gardeners, retailers, and landscape professionals to explore these award-winning varieties and experience firsthand the transformative power of a well-chosen rose.

To view the 2025 American Garden Rose Selections winners, click here.

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American Garden Rose Selections was established to recognize and recommend the best garden-worthy rose varieties for the various regions of the U.S. through testing. Its goal is to provide objective and reliable information to rose gardeners. AGRS is a true national rose trial in the United States that tests the same roses in gardens all around the country and is considered to be the national rose trial program successor to the All America Rose Selections trials, which ran from 1940 to 2013. See all author stories here.