The single, coppery-pink blooms that fade to a peachy colour are characteristic of the rose, an old Chinese variety.
The mutabilis roses were planted beside the walkway to the green as an appropriate tribute to the Chinese miners who lived in the nearby village in the 1800s, said heritage rose enthusiast Jean Britton.
"It's such a lovely rose; [it looks] like butterflies have landed all over it, and it's not structured or heavy.
"The idea of planting it there was to have them informal and tumbling down the bank, and because of the link with the Chinese," Mrs Britton said.
While many of the China roses, which include well-known names such as Cecile Brunner and Slater's Crimson China, were not especially hardy in the Wakatipu, the heat-and- cold-tolerant mutabilis was, she said.
Near the walkway was another China rose, the unusual frilly green Rosa viridiflora, also planted in tribute to the Chinese miners, and part of the collection of old roses planted around historic Arrowtown, Mrs Britton said.
"I just wanted to tell all these stories and make it educational as well," she said.
