PHOTOS: Tyler Rose Garden in bloom
Published 5:45 am Tuesday, May 2, 2023
- 2023 Rose Garden in Bloom (25).JPG
Tyler is home to the nation’s largest municipal rose garden. It’s known as a national treasure and is appreciated by locals and tourists alike.
The Tyler Rose Garden is in bloom, as the peak spring season officially kicked off Sunday.
From late April until frost, the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden blooms with over 32,000 rose bushes exhibiting approximately 600 varieties of cultivars, according to the City of Tyler. Over 100,000 people from around the world visit the Rose Garden annually.
The rose industry, which began at the turn of the century in Smith County, continues today with over one-third of the nation’s rose bushes processed, packaged and shipped from this area.
Citizens of Tyler and East Texas are invited and encouraged to view the magnificent garden, which officially opened in 1952. The garden is officially recognized as a “national treasure” on the National Register of Historic Places.
During a dedication service this past Sunday, Tyler Mayor Don Warren read a proclamation declaring Rose Sunday and wrapped up his message by encouraging citizens to “stop and smell the roses, plant a rose bush in your yard, and visit the Tyler Rose Garden not only during this month, but throughout the year.”
After Winter Storm Uri hit in Feb 2020, the city’s maintenance staff has worked tirelessly removing, replanting, and caring for the roses. When you visit the garden, you may notice some smaller bushes that have been recently planted. The staff has been caring for hundreds of new bushes that will replace the bushes that didn’t survive the storm.
The Rose Garden also has a honeybee hive. The observation hive is located in the northeast corner of the garden.
Bees returned to the garden in late April for the spring and summer season. They were previously removed during winter weather to protect them, but the observation hive has been revamped to ensure the bees can stay in the garden year round.
The Tyler Rose Garden is located at 420 Rose Park Dr. in Tyler. The gardens are free to the public. Regular hours are daily from sunrise to sunset.
