International Rose Test Garden

Portland, Oregon, United States

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The International Rose Test Garden in Portland, Oregon, is the oldest continuously operating public rose test garden in the United States, established in 1917 during World War I as a safe haven for European hybrid roses threatened by bombings.

Conceived by Jesse A. Currey, a rose enthusiast and editor, it began receiving rose varieties from England, Ireland, and across the U.S. by 1918. The garden features around 10,000 rose bushes across 4.5 acres in Washington Park, with tiered beds offering views of downtown Portland, the Willamette River, and Mount Hood.

Designed by landscape architect Florence Holmes Gerke, it was dedicated in 1924 and includes an amphitheater and the Queens Walk honoring Rose Festival queens. The garden serves both as a testing ground for new rose varieties, replacing about 10 to 20 breeds annually, and as a celebrated public attraction drawing nearly 700,000 visitors yearly. Portland's identity as the "City of Roses" is closely tied to this garden, which played a central role in solidifying its reputation during the early 20th century.