December 15, 2020
Aurora Borealis is the third addition to Vineland's 49th Parallel Collection.
Aurora Borealis is the third addition to Vineland's 49th Parallel Collection.
The latest release in Vineland’s 49th Parallel Collection of bred-in-Canada garden and landscape roses promises to steal the spotlight in Canadian gardens when it is released next spring. Aurora Borealis, the third addition in the collection, has been named 2021 Plant of the Year by Canada Blooms.

Named for the Northern Lights, this rose captures the bright dancing lights of the aurora in its dramatic, sunset pink blooming clusters set against dark green and glossy foliage. Aurora Borealis is low-maintenance and grows to one metre tall with a one-metre spread. It’s also black spot resistant and winter hardy across Canada.

“Aurora Borealis will be a stunning addition to any garden from St. John’s to Victoria, as more and more Canadians rediscover a passion for gardening during this unprecedented time,” says Ian Potter, President and CEO of Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Vineland), located in Vineland Station, Ont. “This rose is a beauty, just like the natural phenomenon after which it was named.”

Aurora Borealis will be available in gardening centres and greenhouses throughout Canada in time for the 2021 growing season. It succeeds Chinook Sunrise, released in 2019, and Canadian Shield, the inaugural release in Vineland’s 49th Parallel Collection that was unveiled for Canada’s 150th anniversary.

The collection is the result of a national rose breeding program in collaboration with the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA). Roses are selected following field trials throughout Canada thanks to this partnership. For more information on Aurora Borealis, including retail partners across the country, visit 49throses.com.