Shrub · Rosaceae
Climbing Rose
Rosa
Tie it up, train the canes sideways, and a climbing rose will drape a wall in bloom.
Full sun
Every 5–7 days
USDA 5–9
6–15 ft · 1.8–4.6 m
Overview
Want to turn a plain fence or arbor into a wall of flowers? That's exactly what a climbing rose is for. Just know it isn't a true vine. Those long, stiff canes have no way to grip on their own, so you tie them to a support and steer where they go. Give it that structure and, over a few seasons, it'll climb 6 to 15 feet (1.8 to 4.5 m) up a wall.
The big thing to sort out early is how often your rose flowers. Some climbers bloom just once, in a big flush in late spring to early summer, while others keep repeating from June right through fall. And that one detail decides when you prune, because cutting at the wrong time can cost you a whole year of blooms.
Yeah, roses have a reputation for being fussy, but most of the trouble is easy to dodge. Plant in full sun, keep water off the leaves, and leave some room for air to move between the canes, and you'll steer clear of the black spot and mildew that hit crowded, shaded plants. The thorns are the one thing that's always there, so gloves and long sleeves are just part of the deal.
Care
The short version: give it full sun, water deeply at the base once or twice a week, plant it in rich well-drained soil, and tie the canes to a sturdy support trained sideways so you get the most bloom.
Light
Climbing roses really want full sun, ideally six or more hours a day. They'll put up with part shade, but a shaded plant blooms less and catches mildew way more easily. So sun and open air are honestly your best defense against disease.
Water
Water deeply at the base 1 to 2 times a week instead of giving lots of little sprinkles. Keep the spray off the leaves and water in the morning so any wet foliage dries fast, and that's what keeps black spot from taking hold.
Soil
Plant it in fertile, well-drained loam that's worked full of organic matter. Roses like the soil a touch acidic to neutral, around pH 6.0 to 7.0, with plenty of compost mixed in to feed all that heavy growth these climbers put on.
Temperature
Once they're established, climbers are pretty tough, riding out winter lows near -20°F (-29°C) and summer heat up to about 95°F (35°C). Just match the cultivar to your zone and the plant handles the swings on its own.
Humidity
Plain old outdoor humidity suits them fine, so there's no number to chase. What matters way more is airflow, because still, damp air around crowded canes is exactly what black spot and powdery mildew are after.
Feeding
Feed it monthly with a balanced rose fertilizer or compost from spring through summer while it's growing hard. Stop by late summer, though, so you're not pushing tender new growth that won't harden off before frost hits.
Pruning
Since the canes can't cling, tie them to a support and train the main ones sideways at 45 to 60 degrees to spread the bloom along their length. Keep about six strong canes and cut the flowering laterals back to 2 or 3 buds. Prune repeat bloomers in late winter while dormant, but wait until right after flowering with once-blooming types.
Repotting
rarely
Size & spacing
A climbing rose gets 6 to 15 feet (1.8 to 4.5 m) tall and spreads 6 to 8 feet (183 to 244 cm) across, so give it a wall, fence, or arbor with real room to grow. Space your plants far enough apart that air moves freely between them, which goes a long way toward keeping disease down.
When to plant
Climbing roses get planted while they're dormant, not grown from seed. Pop dormant bare-root or container plants in the ground in early spring once the soil's workable, or in fall if your winters stay mild. The biggest flush of flowers shows up in late spring to early summer, and repeat types just keep blooming on through the fall.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Plant dormant bare-root or container roses in early spring after the soil is workable, or in fall in mild climates.
- Harvest: Heaviest bloom in late spring to early summer (about June), with repeat flowering through fall on repeat-blooming types.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 5–9
Temperature: down to -29°C
Troubleshooting
Most rose problems turn up on the leaves first, and nearly all of them come down to wet foliage and crowded growth. Catch the early signs and you can step in before a plant drops its leaves. Find what matches below, then sort it out while it's still small.
Dark spots with yellow rings on the leaves
What you're looking at is black spot, a fungus called Diplocarpon rosae, and it gets going whenever leaves stay wet for more than about 7 hours. Pick off the spotted leaves, snip infected canes back below the damage, and don't forget to rake up every fallen leaf, because that's where the spores wait out winter. Then water at the base in the morning, give the canes some breathing room, and only reach for a sulfur or myclobutanil fungicide if the weather keeps the disease coming back.
Fix:
- Remove and dispose of infected leaves and prune out infected canes below affected areas
- Rake up and discard fallen leaves and replace mulch
- Apply a labeled fungicide such as sulfur, myclobutanil, propiconazole, or chlorothalonil when conditions favor disease
Powdery gray dust on the new leaves and buds
See that dusty gray-white film on the fresh growth? That's powdery mildew, and it loves it when nights turn mild, around 70°F to 80°F (21°C to 27°C), and the plant's stuck in the shade. Trim off the worst shoots and clear out the dead leaves where the spores like to hang around. A sulfur spray helps, but honestly, a sunny, open spot with some moving air does most of the heavy lifting.
Fix:
- Prune out and dispose of heavily infected shoots
- Clean up dead leaves that harbor spores
- Apply sulfur or a sulfur and pyrethrins product labeled for roses
Soft little bugs clustered on new shoots and buds
Those tight little green, pink, or black clusters on the new tips are just aphids, and that sticky shine they leave is honeydew. The good news? A firm blast of water early in the day knocks most of them right off. Try to leave the broad insecticides on the shelf, though, since the lady beetles and lacewings that hunt aphids will happily handle the rest if you let them stick around.
Fix:
- Knock aphids off with a strong spray of water early in the day
- Tolerate and encourage natural predators such as lady beetles and lacewings
- Avoid broad-spectrum insecticides that kill beneficial insects
Toxicity
Here's some good news: roses don't carry any toxins, so they're safe around cats, dogs, horses, livestock, birds, and people, and the hips are even edible. The catch is mechanical, not chemical. Stiff thorns line the canes and can prick skin, mouths, and paws, so wear gloves and long sleeves when you train or prune, and keep pets from gnawing the stems.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
No need to stress about poisoning, since the rose itself isn't toxic to cats. The thorns are what to watch, because they can scratch a nosy paw or prick the mouth, so it's worth nudging a chewing cat away from the canes.
Dogs None
A dog can chew on rose foliage without getting poisoned, but a mouthful of thorny stem can scratch up the gums or tongue. And if it gnaws a lot of woody cane, that might bring on a bit of a stomach ache too.
Horses None
Horses can graze roses just fine, since there's nothing toxic in them. The only thing to keep an eye on is the stiff thorns, which can prick the muzzle or lips.
Rabbits None
Rabbits can munch rose leaves with zero toxicity to worry about. The sharp thorns are really the one thing to mind around those tender noses and feet.
Livestock None
Goats, sheep, and cattle will often strip rose foliage and be totally fine, no chemical harm done. The thorns are the only snag, since they can prick lips and mouths while the animals feed.
Birds None
Roses won't poison birds at all, and plenty of wild birds actually feed on the hips through winter. The thorns? They just give the birds a safe, prickly spot to perch.
People Safe
Rose hips are edible and show up in teas and jams, and the petals are food-safe too. The thorns are the real thing to respect here, so pull on gloves and long sleeves whenever you train or prune the canes.
Climbing roses bear stiff thorns on their long canes that can cause mechanical injury to skin, mouths, and paws; wear gloves and long sleeves when training and pruning, and keep pets from chewing thorny stems.
Varieties
There are hundreds of named climbing-rose cultivars out there, but a handful of classics keep showing up on fences and arbors. These are the ones worth knowing by name.
New Dawn
A tough repeat bloomer that climbs 10 to 15 feet with soft shell-pink semi-double flowers, and it's famous for shaking off disease.
Don Juan
This one's all about its large, fragrant double flowers in a deep, velvety red.
Dublin Bay
A repeat-flowering climber that just keeps pushing out bright crimson-red blooms all season.
Climbing Cecile Brunner
A super vigorous climber that covers itself in masses of small, light pink buttonhole blooms.
How to propagate
Want to make more climbing roses? There are a few ways to go, from rooting cuttings to just pinning a cane to the ground. Each takes a bit of patience, and the method most nurseries use happens to be the trickiest of the bunch.
Stem cuttingsModerate
Late spring through summer from semi-hardwood growth · Several weeks to a few months to root
Grab 6 to 8 inch tip cuttings from semi-hardwood growth in late spring or summer, strip off the flowers, and dip the base in rooting hormone to boost your chances. Just be patient, because cuttings can take several weeks to a few months to root.
LayeringEasy
Growing season · One season to root before separating
Those long, bendy canes make climbing roses perfect for layering. Sometime in the growing season, bend a flexible cane down to the ground, bury a section of it, and let it root while the parent keeps it fed. Then give it a full season before you cut the new plant loose.
GraftingDemanding
Summer for budding onto rootstock · One season
Most of the roses you buy were actually made this way, with a chosen variety budded onto a tougher, more disease-resistant rootstock. The budding happens in summer and takes about a season to knit together, but it's finicky work that's best left to the nurseries.
Myths
Climbing roses cling and climb their supports on their own, the way a vine does.
Here's the thing: a climbing rose has no tendrils or holdfasts, so it can't twine or grip onto anything by itself. Those long, stiff canes need to be tied to a trellis or fence and trained by hand. Without your ties, the canes simply flop.
Every climbing rose should get the same hard prune at the same time each year.
It really depends on the type, so one-size-fits-all doesn't work here. Repeat bloomers get pruned in late winter or early spring while dormant, but once-blooming climbers get pruned right after they finish flowering, because cutting them in spring would snip off the buds that were about to become this year's flowers.