Portland, Oregon is known by many different nicknames, but “The City of Roses” is one of its most popular. This nickname has been used for over a century, but have you ever wondered why?
Portland’s location within the marine west coast climate region makes it an ideal location for growing roses. This industry started flourishing in Oregon’s largest city back in the late 19th century, and it was first described as “The City of Roses” by visitors at an Episcopal Church convention in 1888.
This nickname stuck for decades to come, especially after the establishment of the International Rose Test Garden. It’s one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions and currently houses over 10,000 rose bushes of approximately 650 different varieties.
There are several more rose gardens located in Portland, and the city even hosts Portland Rose Festival every year. Several of the city’s notable spots are named after roses or pay homage to this flower in a different way—most notably, Rose City Park neighborhood in northeast Portland.