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17 Best Climbing Roses for Your Garden

Grow Roses on Trellises, Walls, Arbors, and More

white roses

The Spruce / Christopher Lee Foto 

The best climbing roses can add colorful, fragrant blooms to your garden with a classic and beautiful appearance. And, for all their beauty, they can also be incredibly hardy, with many varieties known as fast-growing, disease-resistant, and long-blooming with repeated flowers throughout the growing season.

Climbing roses are also functional in the garden. They can be trained to scale up and over gazebos, trellises, arbors, fences, and walls, softening the appearance of otherwise plain wood, metal, or stone structure. A vining or climbing rose also serves as a focal point wherever you plant it, providing eye-catching flower color and sense-tingling fragrance.

Here are 17 climbing roses that promise both stunning looks and an unmistakable perfume.

The Best Climbing Roses

  • 01 of 17

    Altissimo (Rosa 'Altissimo')

    red altissimo rose

    F.D. Richards / Flickr / CC By 2.0

    'Altissimo' is a floribunda rose with clusters of small buds that open into stunning single flowers with velvety, bright red petals and central clusters of showy yellow stamens. Its leaves are glossy and contribute to the rose's brilliance. You can train Altissimo as a small climbing rose or a pillar climber. It can also be shaped into a tall shrub. Its mature size is 7 to 20 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide.

    Altissimo is known as one of the most disease-resistant and best long-blooming climbing roses. For the best blooms, feed this rose twice year, once in spring and once in summer. Prune it just once, in winter.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 10
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained
  • 02 of 17

    American Beauty (Rosa 'American Beauty')

    American beauty rose

    Perry Quan / Flickr / CC By 2.0

    'American Beauty' is a deep, cupped dark pink rose that is hardy and tolerates shade. It has long canes that are ideal for training up walls or trellises. A hybrid tea rose, it grows 12 to 15 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide.

    Prune 'American Beauty' in the spring to remove dead wood from the canes (also trim to prevent crossing canes). Shorten healthy canes by 1/3 of their overall length; shorten them a bit more if you live in a cold climate.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 5b to 9b
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun; tolerates some shade
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained, moderately moist, sandy to loamy
  • 03 of 17

    Cécile Brunner (Rosa 'Cécile Brunner')

    Cécile Brunner rose

    T. Kiya / Flickr / CC By 2.0

    'Cécile Brunner,' a hybrid tea, is a rampant climbing rose that can reach 20 feet in height and 6 feet in width. From its beautifully shaped buds come petite clusters of blush-pink flowers with a sweet, spicy, tea-like scent.

    This romantic Heirloom rose plant blooms only once, in late spring or early summer, and needs just a single feeding in spring. It tolerates some shade and can grow in north-facing sites.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 6 to 10
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Rich, well-drained, evenly moist
  • 04 of 17

    Dublin Bay (Rosa 'Dublin Bay')

    'Dublin Bay' Heart In Nature
    GagasGarden / Getty Images

    'Dublin Bay' is a sun lover that produces medium to large-sized rich, velvety red flowers that are fully double and have dark, glossy green leaves. Its flowers have a mild, fruity perfume, and it grows 8 to 12 feet tall and up to 5 feet wide. This is a floribunda type of rose.

    This climbing rose can bloom for a very long time, often throughout the growing season. Keep it blooming brightly by planting it where it gets 6 hours of sun each day.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 6b to 9b
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained, sandy to clay
    Continue to 5 of 17 below
  • 05 of 17

    Iceberg (Rosa 'Iceberg')

    Iceberg climbing roses
    T.Kiya/Getty Images

    Many groups and rosarians hail 'Iceberg' as the finest climbing rose, without question. Iceberg grows vigorously up to about 15 feet tall and 6 feet wide, and boasts profuse flowering and repeat extra-large blooms. It offers full, ruffled blossoms and is a rampant, far-reaching floribunda climber. The only notable downside to this popular rose it that its flowers have little to no scent.

    While it is the best climbing rose for repeat flowering, 'Iceberg' is known to be somewhat prone to black spot, which results from high humidity and poor air circulation. Ensuring good airflow through the plant is the best defense.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4b to 9b
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained
  • 06 of 17

    Fourth of July (Rosa 'Fourth of July')

    Fourth of July Climbing Rose

     

    Michael Davis / Getty Images 

    'Fourth of July' is a large-flowered climber that produces profuse clusters of large, semi-double blooms that are red-and-white-striped. It has a sweet rose scent reminiscent of freshly cut apple and is a repeat bloomer. It grows 12 to 14 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide.

    This woody vine is not bothered by polluted urban air and can live for decades with the right care. As with most roses, it blooms best and is most resistant to disease when grown in full sun.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 6a to 9b
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained, loamy, slightly acid
  • 07 of 17

    Peace (Rosa 'Peace')

    Macro shot of the Peace rose, formally Rosa 'Madame A. Meilland'. Bud of garden hybrid tea rose
    bjphotographs / Getty Images

    Believed to be the most widely grown rose in the world and an Heirloom variety, 'Peace' roses have canes that can reach 20 feet tall and 5 feet wide, making it a rampant, far-reaching climber. It works really well on a fence or large wall and has full, ruffled, yellow-and-pink, extra-large flowers that can be 6 inches across. This is a hybrid tea rose with a fruity scent.

    Part of what make the 'Peace' rose so popular is its versatility. It works well in containers, hedges, borders, beds, and mass plantings.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 6b to 9b
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained, slightly acid

    What is an heirloom rose?

    Heirloom roses, or old garden roses, refer to the classic roses that can trace their lineage back to 1867 or before. These roses typically have large blooms and a sweet, deep fragrance.

  • 08 of 17

    Royal Sunset (Rosa 'Royal Sunset')

    royal sunset rose

    Ryan Somma / Flickr / CC By 2.0

    'Royal Sunset' features dark, bronzy-green, glossy leaves on a stiff cane that climbs and spreads to 10 feet. It is a repeat bloomer and makes gorgeous bouquets with shapely, large, apricot-colored blooms. A hybrid tea rose, it is also known for its strong fruity fragrance.

    To make the most of this rose's repeat blooms, wait until the plant is at least two years old, and begin pruning in late winter, while it is still dormant. Deadhead throughout the growing season, but stop in late summer, so as not to encourage new growth that can be damaged by frost.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 6 to 10
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Loamy, well-drained
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  • 09 of 17

    Souvenir de la Malmaison (Rosa 'Souvenir de la Malmaison')

    Souvenir de la Malmaison

    akimari / Getty Images 

    'Souvenir de la Malmaison' is a climbing version of an old bourbon rose. It is extremely vigorous and can have canes that extend to 20 feet in height and 8 feet in width. The strong-scented flowers are a very pale pink, full-petaled, and quartered.

    It's best to enjoy this rose's flowers "on the vine;" the blooms aren't the best as cut flowers.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 5b to 10b
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
    • Soil Needs: Moist, fertile, well-drained
  • 10 of 17

    Westerland (Rosa 'Westerland')

    Westerland rose

    Marina Denisenko / Getty Images

    'Westerland' is an extremely fragrant, winter-hardy rose that makes an excellent shrub as well as a climber. Its blossoms are large, semi-double to double bloom in size, copper-orange to apricot in color, and strongly (spicy) scented. It reaches 5 to 12 feet tall and 4 feet wide.

    You can prune this climber lightly in late fall or early winter (depending on the climate) to help protect it from wind, but save any significant pruning (removing crossed canes, shaping, etc.) for spring.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 5b to 9b
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Moderately fertile, well-drained, moist
  • 11 of 17

    Zephirine Drouhin (Rosa 'Zephirine Drouhin')

    Rosa 'Zephirine Drouhin'

    Getty Images/STEVENSON21

    'Zephirine Drouhin' is an heirloom rose known for its beautifully scented blooms and lack of thorns. The large, deep rose pink blooms on these colorful roses are a favorite of rose gardeners, and the plant can grow up to 15 feet tall and 9 feet wide, particularly when allowed to thrive in warmer climates. It will bloom continuously from late spring through early fall.

    Prune significantly in late winter, cutting back any dead or unhealthy stems. If it is not blooming throughout the season, then you may not have enough nutrients in the soil. Also, watch out for black spot, though most established roses will be able to overcome this disease.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 11
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial sun
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained
  • 12 of 17

    Eden (Rosa 'Eden')

    Eden Rose

    Getty Images/Olena Lialina

    The lovely light pink and white cupped blooms of 'Eden' are perfectly classic and delicate, yet this rose is also an easygoing, hardy plant that's great for beginner and advanced gardeners alike. It will bloom throughout the season, providing a pretty cascade of flowers for trellises, arches, and pillars.

    Reaching up to 10 feet tall and 5 feet wide, Eden adapts easily to smaller climbing spaces. Like other climbing roses, consistent watering is key and you'll want to make sure that this rose is kept in full sunlight.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 11
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained

    Growing Tip

    Even with smaller varieties of climbing roses, avoid planting climbing roses in pots. Because of their growing pattern, they can quickly become heavy and sprawl far beyond the pot.

    Continue to 13 of 17 below
  • 13 of 17

    Don Juan (Rosa 'Don Juan')

    Don Juan Rose

    Getty Images/Willy Sebastian

    Appropriately named for its romantic namesake, the 'Don Juan' rose is a timeless red rose, reminiscent of the types of roses you might receive on Valentine's Day. With velvety petals, it's a sumptuous flower that makes a vibrant addition to your garden as it crawls its way along a fence or up an arbor — in fact, it's one of the best choices to grow along a trellis.

    Don Juan does best in milder temperatures, and it may enter dormancy once the thermometer tops 86° Fahrenheit. Unlike hardier climbing roses, Don Juan can be susceptible to disease and pests.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 6 to 10
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Fertile, well-drained, moist
  • 14 of 17

    Lady of Shalott ('Rosa Lady of Shalott')

    Lady of Shalott Rose

    Getty Images/Olga Seifutdinova

    One of the smaller varieties of climbing rose, 'Lady of Shalott' only reaches 4 feet tall and 3.5 feet wide, yet she adapts to a wide range of climates, and thrives in zones 4 through 11. The abundant orange petals on this tea rose attracts bees and pollinators to its large blooms. These flowers have a subtle, spiced tea fragrance.

    Most climbing roses need consistent and regular watering, but 'Lady of Shalott' is more drought tolerant, and watering should be decreased in between blooms.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 11
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial sun
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained, rich, acidic
  • 15 of 17

    Tangerine Skies™ Arborose® (Rosa 'KORtangenu')

    Tangerine skies rose

    Getty Images/schnuddel

    With striking orange-pink blooms, Tangerine Skies™ is striking border plant, designed for climbing up trellises, fences, and arches. With dark green foliage and heavily scented blooms, Tangerine Skies grows up to 8 feet tall and 4 feet wide.

    It is resistant to most diseases and requires little maintenance. A simple pruning in late winter will keep Tangerines Skies looking its best and blooming year-after-year.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 9
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Rich, sandy, well-drained soil
  • 16 of 17

    Raspberry Cream Twirl™

    Raspberry Cream Swirl Rose

    Getty Images/lesichkadesign

    Raspberry Cream Twirl™ is a unique and bold bloom that is the first striped exhibition-type rose to be grown as a climber. With a slight green apple scent, this eye-catching flower with variegated dark pink, bubblegum pink, white, and purple stripes steals the show in a garden.

    Raspberry Cream Twirl boasts large, cupped blooms and few thorns, and reaches 12 feet tall and 5 feet wide. This stunning flower is perfect for planting in high traffic areas where it'll not only be appreciated, but its lack of thorns will make it a friendly choice.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 11
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Fertile, well-drained, acidic
    Continue to 17 of 17 below
  • 17 of 17

    New Dawn (Rosa 'New Dawn')

    New Dawn Rose

    Getty Images/Birashis Sarkar

    'New Dawn' is one of the fastest growing climbing roses so, if you have a spot you need to fill fast, this is the rose to plant. Reaching heights up to 20 feet and widths of 10 feet, New Dawn will quickly take over a garden, filling it with continuously blooming soft ballet pink flowers from June through September.

    This low maintenance climbing rose is resistant to most diseases and pests, and it requires an inch of water per week. Deadhead 'New Dawn' throughout the season to keep it producing plentiful blossoms.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 9
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Medium moist, well-drained

How to Care for Climbing Roses

Climbing roses are easy-to-grow and easy to care for, especially once established. They'll require regular pruning and feeding, but are otherwise happy to grow and thrive without much maintenance.

  • Plant your roses ahead of summer's heat to give them time to establish their roots before it gets too hot. Aim for late winter or early spring.
  • Train climbing rose's canes up a trellis, fence, or other structure
  • Tie the canes in place at a low angle, between horizontal and 45 degrees for the most abundant flowers and to encourage flowering leaders (smaller branches) to grow along the entire length of the canes, rather than just at the ends
  • Set up a consistent watering system for your climbing roses, watering every 3 to 4 days during summer's peak. Ideally, climbing roses will require 2 gallons of water each week, while larger climbing roses could increase water intake to 4 gallons. This should be distributed slowly.
  • Prune the side stems of your climbing rose in early spring, eliminating any growth that appears weak, dead, or unhealthy. Leave the main stems untouched.
  • Deadhead the rose throughout the season to encourage re-blooming.

Choosing a Trellis and Other Supports

Climbing roses need something sturdy to climb on as they grow, and you have several options to create both a functional and beautiful home for these fragrant blooms. When choosing a support, first consider the size of your climbing rose. The support will need to be big enough to support the weight of the rose as it grows and climbs.

A trellis is a favorite of gardeners, since it has a classic cottage look and provides a strong support system for the rose. You may want to choose a wood or wire trellis if you live in a hot climate, since iron can heat up in the summer sun and harm the roses. You can also look for an arbor or an archway, creating a dreamy, draping effect as the roses grow over it. A pergola or even something as simple as a fence are also practical options.

FAQ
  • Which climbing roses bloom the longest?

    When deadheaded consistently, many climbing roses will bloom throughout the spring and summer. However, long-blooming favorites include 'Don Juan,'

    'Altissimo,' and 'Cecile Brunner.'

  • Are climbing roses high maintenance?

    While they do require regular watering and annual pruning, climbing roses are beloved by gardeners because they are easy-to-grow and generally low maintenance once established.

  • When should I buy climbing roses?

    Buy climbing roses in late spring or early winter. Planting climbing roses after the last frost is recommended, when the risk of consistently soggy ground is behind you.

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