The state flower of Arizona is the white blossom of the saguaro, which is regarded as the largest cactus in the United States. But the state has a much larger—and arguably, less known—tie to the rose industry.
In fact, Arizona serves as a producer for more than 75 percent of the country’s rose bushes. While most would associate vibrant rose bushes and thriving floral agriculture to someplace like California—where wildflowers are indeed abundant—the desert landscape and temperature consistency of Arizona can actually help to support a number of plants.
It’s astonishing to imagine that in a place with as harsh of a climate as Arizona, beautiful rose blossoms could bear the sweltering summer months—but the flowers don’t just survive through it, they thrive in it.
The southwest is prime planting ground for more than just cacti or succulents, and experienced growers from around the world flock to the state to test their gardening hand. Arizona’s climate allows rose bushes to bloom for nearly eight out of 12 months. Here are some of the best farms to catch a glimpse of the state’s flourishing rose industry.
Francis Roses
This Litchfield Park-based farm is one of four commercial rose growers found in the state. The farm sells hundreds of thousands of rose bushes to wholesale distributors—many of whom then sell the product to retailers like Walmart. For more information, visit www.francisroses.com.
Woolf Leyton Rose Farm
Woolf Leyton Roses harvests 5 million to 6 million rose bushes a year, which are then sold all across the United States. The farm isn’t far from Phoenix, so tourists and locals alike can easily visit and take in the sights of stunning stems with unmissable desert backdrops.