21 Most Expensive David Austin Roses Worth a Fortune
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The Most Expensive David Austin Roses are admired by gardeners and collectors for their exceptional beauty, strong fragrance, and rich breeding history. While David Austin roses are known worldwide for their layered blooms and repeat flowering habit, certain varieties command higher prices due to their rarity, breeding complexity, limited availability, and enduring popularity among enthusiasts.
The most notable example among the Most Expensive David Austin Roses is Juliet, bred by David C. H. Austin, which took 15 years and an estimated £3 million (around $5 million) to develop — making it one of the most expensive roses ever created. Its success helped establish David Austin as a global name in rose breeding and raised the standard for modern English roses worldwide.
This guide covers 21 of the most expensive and sought-after David Austin roses worth knowing, what makes each variety unique, and why gardeners continue to seek them out year after year.
How much do the Most Expensive David Austin Roses actually cost?
As of David Austin’s own US shop, the typical English shrub or climbing rose runs $40–$50 bare root or own-root, standard tree roses run $85, and select larger potted forms reach $90. Juliet is the outlier — it isn’t sold as a garden plant at all; it exists almost exclusively as a wholesale cut flower for the wedding trade, where a dozen stems in a bridal bouquet can run well over $200.
| Rose | Typical retail price | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|
| Juliet | Not sold as garden plant · ~$5M to develop | Famous breeding cost, wedding-industry icon |
| Princess Alexandra of Kent | $40–$50 | Enormous tea-scented pink blooms |
| Olivia Rose Austin | $40–$50 | Healthiest, most awarded modern variety |
| The Generous Gardener | ~$40–$50 | Fragrant climber for arches and walls |
| Desdemona | $40–$50 | Elegant white rosettes |
| Lady of Shalott | $40 | Tough, adaptable, vivid apricot-orange |
| Eustacia Vye | $40–$50 | Fruity fragrance, old-world form |
| Boscobel | $40–$50 | Salmon-pink, dependable border rose |
| Gabriel Oak | $40–$50 | Deep rose-pink, color holds well |
| Roald Dahl | $40–$50 ($85 as tree rose) | Compact, ideal for small gardens |
| Munstead Wood | ~$40–$50 | Among the darkest reds Austin produced |
| Golden Celebration | $40–$50 | Largest yellow blooms in the collection |
| Crown Princess Margareta | $40–$50 | Vigorous apricot climber |
| Tranquillity | $40–$50 | Clean white, pairs with anything |
| Wollerton Old Hall | $40–$50 | Often cited as Austin’s most fragrant rose |
| Gertrude Jekyll | $40–$50 | Classic old-rose fragrance and rich pink blooms |
| The Ancient Mariner | $40–$50 | Large pink blooms with exceptional petal count |
| Queen of Sweden | $40–$50 | Upright growth and neat soft-pink flowers |
| Jubilee Celebration | $40–$50 | Large salmon-pink blooms with fruity fragrance |
| Scepter’d Isle | $40–$50 | Soft pink cupped blooms and strong myrrh fragrance |
| Emily Brontë | $40–$50 | Blush-pink blooms with lemon and tea fragrance |
Prices reflect David Austin Roses’ US online shop and are approximate — third-party nurseries often price the same varieties anywhere from $30 to $90 depending on plant size and pot.
Why “expensive” means something different here
A new David Austin variety can take a decade or more to breed and trial before it’s ever sold, and that cost gets baked into the brand rather than charged per plant. If you want the fuller picture of luxury rose pricing beyond this collection, our roundup of the most expensive roses in the world is a good companion read, as is our guide to keeping David Austin roses blooming reliably once you’ve brought one home. The roses below earn their reputations through award wins, fragrance, disease resistance, and — in a few cases — the kind of demand that turns a $45 shrub rose into the centerpiece of a $50,000 wedding order. Here’s what separates them.
21 rare and sought-after varieties worth knowing
Juliet
Juliet isn’t a garden rose at all; David Austin bred it specifically for the cut-flower trade, and it shows — strong stems, a six-to-eight-day vase life, and roughly 90 layered petals in a soft apricot that photographs beautifully. David Austin reportedly spent around £3 million (approximately $5 million at the time) developing Juliet over 15 years before it debuted at the 2006 Chelsea Flower Show, by which point it had already earned the nickname “the million-dollar rose.” If you’ve seen apricot garden roses in a wedding bouquet, there’s a good chance Juliet was the template.
Princess Alexandra of Kent
This one is built for impact: flowers that can stretch several inches across, a rich tea fragrance, and enough repeat bloom to anchor an entire bed on its own. It’s one of the larger-flowered roses in the current Austin lineup, which is exactly why florists and serious gardeners keep coming back to it.
Olivia Rose Austin
Named after David Austin’s granddaughter, this variety has picked up more health and fragrance awards than almost anything else in the catalog. Soft pink, reliably disease-resistant, and prolific — it’s the rose breeders point to when explaining why “healthy” and “beautiful” don’t have to be a trade-off.
The Generous Gardener
Give this one something to climb — a pergola, an arch, a wall — and it will reward you with soft pink blooms and one of the strongest fragrances in the climbing collection. It’s slower to establish than some shrub varieties, which is part of why mature, well-trained specimens command real attention (and a little envy) in established gardens — if you’re new to training climbers, our tips for the similarly apricot-toned Bathsheba climbing rose apply here too.
Desdemona
White English roses are harder to get right than they look — too stark and they lose the romance, too creamy and they read as off-white. Desdemona splits the difference: creamy buds opening into refined white rosettes with real fragrance behind them, which is why it shows up so often in pared-back, modern garden designs.
Lady of Shalott
Where some Austin roses sulk outside ideal conditions, Lady of Shalott doesn’t. Vivid orange-apricot blooms, strong disease resistance, and a habit of just performing — in hot climates, cooler ones, beginner gardens and expert ones alike. It’s often recommended as a first English rose for exactly that reason; see our Lady of Shalott rose bush growing guide for the common mistakes to avoid.
Eustacia Vye
A deep pink, fruit-scented variety with the kind of old-world ruffled form that makes a rose look like it’s been growing in the same English border for a century. It hasn’t — it’s a relatively recent introduction — but the resemblance is the point.
Boscobel
Salmon-pink, well-petaled, and dependable in mixed borders, Boscobel is less about a single showstopper bloom and more about consistent performance across a long season. It’s a workhorse with good looks, which is a rarer combination than it sounds — and one less prone to the common growing problems that trip up other English shrub roses.
Gabriel Oak
The color is the headline here: a deep, saturated rosy-pink that holds its tone even as the bloom ages, paired with dense petalling and a strong fruity scent. Newer to the lineup, it’s become a favorite among collectors chasing bolder color in an English-rose form.
Roald Dahl
Compact enough for a container or small bed, Roald Dahl trades size for output — abundant peach-apricot blooms over a long season, plus solid disease resistance. It’s also sold as a standard tree rose for roughly $85, for gardeners who want the same flower on a taller, more sculptural form — much like the space-saving options covered in our mini rose plant guide.
Munstead Wood
If you want the deepest red in David Austin’s catalog, this is generally the answer. Velvety, almost black-red blooms against dark foliage, paired with a fragrance many growers rank among the strongest of any English rose. It’s a dramatic, near-black statement piece rather than a background plant — gardeners drawn to this depth of red often also grow the classic Mr. Lincoln rose bush for the same velvety effect.
Golden Celebration
Big, golden-yellow, heavily fragrant, and unapologetically showy — Golden Celebration produces some of the largest blooms in the entire Austin collection. It’s a vigorous grower too, which means a single well-placed shrub can do the visual work of three smaller roses.
Crown Princess Margareta
A climbing rose with apricot-orange blooms that keep coming back throughout the season, Crown Princess Margareta is the variety most often recommended for covering an arch or trellis quickly without sacrificing flower quality. Vigor and beauty rarely come this evenly matched.
Tranquillity
Pale yellow buds opening to pure white, healthy growth, and a flower that genuinely lives up to its name — Tranquillity reads as the “safe” choice on this list, in the best sense. It’s the rose that makes every other color in a border look better by comparison.
Wollerton Old Hall
Ask rose growers which Austin variety smells the best, and Wollerton Old Hall comes up constantly — a strong, sweet, myrrh-based fragrance layered under creamy apricot blooms. As a climber, it also does double duty: vertical coverage and arguably the best scent in the collection, in one plant.
Gertrude Jekyll
Gertrude Jekyll is one of David Austin’s most celebrated old-rose-style varieties, prized for its rich pink blooms and exceptionally strong fragrance. The flowers open from tightly formed buds into deeply petalled rosettes, giving this variety the romantic character of an old garden rose while retaining the repeat-flowering habit Austin roses are known for.
The Ancient Mariner
The Ancient Mariner makes an immediate impression with large, intensely petalled pink flowers that seem almost too full to be real. Its strong growth, repeat flowering, and rich old-rose fragrance make it a particularly appealing choice for gardeners who want a dramatic English rose that performs throughout the season.
Queen of Sweden
Queen of Sweden takes a more restrained approach to the English-rose look. Its soft pink blooms open from rounded buds into neat, cupped flowers, while the upright habit makes it especially useful where space is limited. It is a refined choice for formal borders, mixed beds, and smaller gardens.
Jubilee Celebration
Jubilee Celebration combines huge salmon-pink flowers with a distinctive fruity fragrance. The blooms have a deeply cupped form and change subtly as they open, creating plenty of movement in the garden. Its name and spectacular flowers have also made it one of the better-known modern David Austin introductions.
Scepter’d Isle
Scepter’d Isle is a soft pink English rose distinguished by its cupped flowers and pronounced myrrh fragrance. The blooms arrive repeatedly through the season, making it useful both as a garden centerpiece and as a fragrant addition to mixed borders. Its traditional form gives it an unmistakably romantic Austin character.
Emily Brontë
Emily Brontë offers a softer, more delicate look, with blush-pink blooms that open into elegant rosettes and carry a complex fragrance with lemon, tea, and old-rose notes. It combines the nostalgic appearance of a classic English rose with the repeat flowering expected from a modern David Austin variety.
What you’re really paying for
The Most Expensive David Austin Roses on this list aren’t expensive because of what’s printed on the price tag — most cost about the same as any other quality garden rose. What you’re really paying for is decades of breeding work, reputation, and in Juliet’s case, a development budget that made history. Whether you’re planning a garden or a wedding order, the Most Expensive David Austin Roses reward you for knowing the difference: spend on what actually matters — the bloom, the fragrance, and how the rose performs once it’s in the ground. For more varieties and care advice, browse our full rose care library.
Common questions
What are the most expensive David Austin roses?+
The Most Expensive David Austin Roses are premium English rose varieties bred by David Austin Roses Ltd., known for their exceptional beauty, layered petals, and rich fragrance. They’re priced higher than standard garden roses due to complex breeding, rarity, strong disease resistance, and worldwide demand among collectors and gardeners.
Why are they so costly to develop?+
Breeding the Most Expensive David Austin Roses can take 10 to 15 years of careful crossing, selecting, and trialing before a variety is released. Each new rose must meet strict standards for bloom quality, fragrance, repeat flowering, and disease resistance — a lengthy, resource-intensive process that’s baked into the brand’s premium.
Which single rose is the most expensive ever created?+
Among the Most Expensive David Austin Roses, Juliet is widely cited as the most expensive rose ever created, with a reported development cost of roughly £3 million (about $5 million) over 15 years. It was unveiled at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2006 and became a global sensation, prized for its soft apricot blooms, quartered rosette shape, and delicate fragrance.
How much does it cost to actually buy one?+
While breeding the Most Expensive David Austin Roses can cost millions, individual plants are generally available at reasonable retail prices — typically $15 to $60 per bare root or potted plant. Limited or newly released varieties may run higher, and wholesale or commercial quantities cost significantly more overall.
Are they worth buying for a home garden?+
Yes, the Most Expensive David Austin Roses are worth buying for gardeners who value beauty, fragrance, and long-term performance. These varieties are bred for repeat blooming, strong disease resistance, and exceptional visual appeal, and with proper care can thrive for many years.
What makes them different from ordinary roses?+
The Most Expensive David Austin Roses combine the full, cupped blooms of old garden roses with the repeat-flowering ability of modern roses. Each variety is selected for superior fragrance, petal density, color depth, and disease tolerance — a deliberate blend of heritage and innovation.
How long does breeding actually take?+
Typically 10 to 15 years from initial cross-pollination to public release. Breeders evaluate thousands of seedlings, selecting only those that meet high standards for fragrance, form, repeat flowering, and disease resistance before a variety is named.
Where can I buy them?+
Directly through the official David Austin Roses website, which ships to many countries, as well as through specialist rose nurseries, garden centers, and select online plant retailers. Buying direct ensures certified, correctly labeled plants true to the named variety.
Do they need special care?+
They generally thrive with regular watering, well-drained fertile soil, and at least six hours of direct sun. Annual pruning, balanced rose fertilizer, and pest monitoring are recommended for best performance throughout the season.
Are they disease-resistant?+
Yes — disease resistance is a key breeding focus, particularly against blackspot, rust, and powdery mildew. This makes modern varieties easier to maintain than older rose types that often need frequent chemical treatment.
What colors are available?+
A wide range: soft blush pink, warm apricot, creamy white, deep crimson, rich yellow, and peachy coral, with some varieties showing subtle two-tone or ombre effects as blooms open — making them versatile for garden design, bridal flowers, and cut arrangements.
Can they be grown in containers?+
Yes, particularly more compact or patio varieties. Use a large, well-draining container and a quality rose or loam-based compost, with regular feeding and watering — container-grown roses need slightly more attention but can still bloom beautifully.
What fragrance do they have?+
Scents range from classic old rose and myrrh to fruity notes of peach, raspberry, lemon, and tea. Strength varies with temperature, humidity, and time of day — mornings are often the most fragrant.
How often do they bloom?+
They’re bred to be repeat-flowering, producing multiple flushes from late spring through autumn. Regular deadheading and a high-potassium fertilizer after each flush help support strong, consistent repeat blooming.
Are they good for cut flowers?+
Many of the Most Expensive David Austin Roses are excellent cut flowers thanks to full blooms and outstanding fragrance — Juliet in particular is popular in the wedding trade. Cut stems early in the morning, place in clean water immediately, and recut at an angle for the best vase life.
What’s the history behind the breeding program?+
David Austin Sr. started his rose breeding program in England in the 1960s, aiming to combine the beauty of old roses with modern reliability — a legacy that eventually produced the Most Expensive David Austin Roses on this list. David Austin Roses Ltd. continues releasing new varieties each year, maintaining its reputation as one of the world’s leading rose breeders.
Are they suitable for beginners?+
Many are, particularly varieties bred for strong disease resistance and easy maintenance. Some attention to pruning, feeding, and watering is still required, but they’re generally more forgiving than older heritage rose types.
Do they attract pollinators?+
Yes — bees, butterflies, and hoverflies are all drawn to them, especially varieties with more open blooms. Planting them supports local pollinator populations, particularly through the summer months.
How do I choose the right one for my garden?+
Consider available space, climate, preferred color palette, and whether you want a climbing, shrub, or compact variety, along with mature size, fragrance intensity, and disease resistance. Comparing a few of the Most Expensive David Austin Roses side by side, like the table above, makes it easier to narrow things down, and David Austin’s official rose finder tool can filter by these conditions too.
Will they increase in value over time?+
Individual plants from the Most Expensive David Austin Roses collection don’t typically appreciate in monetary value, but they offer strong long-term value in garden performance — mature plants often become more floriferous with each passing year, and rare or newly released varieties can become more sought-after among collectors.
Hi, I’m Steve, an orchid grower with 30+ years of hands-on experience caring for indoor and outdoor plants. I share practical, tested tips and beginner-friendly guides to help plant enthusiasts nurture healthy, thriving plants.
