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
A climbing rose takes a bare fence or arbor and turns it into a living wall of flowers, and watching it fill in is one of the real joys of the garden. It is not a true vine, though. The long, stiff canes carry no way to grip on their own, so you tie them to a support and steer where they head. Hand it that structure and it powers up 6 to 15 feet (1.8 to 4.5 m) up a wall over a few seasons.
The first thing to figure out is how often your climber flowers, because that drives the whole plan. Some bloom once, in a big flush in late spring to early summer, while others keep firing from June right through fall. That single trait sets your pruning moment, and getting it right protects a whole year of bloom.
Roses wear a fussy reputation, but most of the trouble is yours to head off. Plant in full sun, keep water off the leaves, and leave the canes room to breathe, and you lock out the black spot and mildew that hammer crowded, shaded plants. The thorns are the one constant to respect, so gloves and long sleeves come along for every job.
Care
The short version: give it full sun, soak the base once or twice a week, plant it in rich well-drained soil, and tie the canes to a sturdy support trained sideways to pull out the most bloom.
Light
Climbing roses crave full sun, ideally six or more hours a day, and that is where they flower hardest. They will get by in part shade, but a shaded plant blooms less and catches mildew far more easily. Lean into sun and open air and you arm the plant against disease.
Water
Soak the base deeply 1 to 2 times a week instead of dribbling on frequent light sprinklings. Keep the water off the leaves and run it in the morning so any wet foliage dries fast, which is exactly what holds black spot at bay.
Soil
Set the plant into fertile, well-drained loam packed with 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 fuel the heavy growth these climbers throw out.
Temperature
Once established, climbers are tough as nails, powering through winter lows near -20°F (-29°C) and summer heat up to about 95°F (35°C). Match the cultivar to your zone and the plant rolls with the swings on its own.
Humidity
Plain outdoor humidity suits them fine, so skip chasing a number. Airflow is what counts, since still, damp air around crowded canes is exactly what black spot and powdery mildew jump on.
Feeding
Feed monthly with a balanced rose fertilizer or compost from spring through summer while the plant is growing hard. Stop by late summer, so you are not pushing tender new growth that cannot harden before frost.
Pruning
Since the canes cannot cling, tie them to a support and train the mains sideways at 45 to 60 degrees to push bloom along their whole 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 on once-blooming types.
Repotting
rarely
Size & spacing
A climbing rose shoots 6 to 15 feet (1.8 to 4.5 m) tall and spreads 6 to 8 feet (183 to 244 cm) across, so hand it a wall, fence, or arbor with serious room. 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 go in the ground while dormant rather than starting from seed, which makes the season simple to nail. Set dormant bare-root or container plants out in early spring once the soil works, or in fall where winters stay mild. The big flush bursts open in late spring to early summer, and repeat types keep the show rolling right 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 hit the leaves first, and nearly all of them come straight back to wet foliage and crowded growth. Catch the early signs and you can jump in well before a plant defoliates. Match what you spot below, then knock it out while it is still small.
Dark spots and yellow halos showing up on leaves
Spot those dark marks and you have caught black spot, the fungus Diplocarpon rosae, which jumps in whenever leaves stay wet for more than about 7 hours. Strip off the marked leaves, cut infected canes back below the damage, and clear away every fallen leaf so the spores have nowhere to overwinter. Water at the base in the morning, open up the canes for airflow, and bring in a sulfur or myclobutanil fungicide only when wet weather keeps pushing the disease 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 film creeping over new leaves and buds
A dusty gray-white film on the fresh growth means powdery mildew, which moves in fast when nights run mild, around 70°F to 80°F (21°C to 27°C), and the plant sits in shade. Snip out the worst shoots and sweep up the dead leaves that shelter the spores. Sulfur sprays pull their weight, but a sunny, open spot with air on the move does the real work and keeps the plant pushing clean new growth.
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 insects piling onto the new shoots and buds
Those packed green, pink, or black clusters on the tender tips are aphids, and that sticky shine they leave is honeydew. Hit them with a strong jet of water early in the day and most of the colony goes flying. Skip the broad insecticides and let the lady beetles and lacewings move in, because those hungry predators will mop up the stragglers and keep working for you.
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
Great news on safety: roses carry no toxins, so they sit easy around cats, dogs, horses, livestock, birds, and people, and the hips are even edible. The only 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
Good news for cat households: the rose is non-toxic, so poisoning is off the table. The thorns are what to watch, since they can scratch a curious paw or prick the mouth, so steer a chewing cat clear of the canes.
Dogs None
A dog can nibble rose foliage with no poisoning at all, though a mouthful of thorny stem can scratch the gums or tongue. Gnaw through a lot of woody cane and a dog may also pick up a passing stomach upset.
Horses None
Horses can graze roses freely, with no toxic compounds in the mix. Just keep an eye on the stiff thorns, which can prick the muzzle or lips.
Rabbits None
Rabbits can chow down on rose leaves with zero toxicity to worry about. The sharp thorns are the one thing to mind around their tender noses and feet.
Livestock None
Goats, sheep, and cattle often strip rose foliage with gusto and take no chemical harm. The thorns are the only catch, ready to prick lips and mouths as they feed.
Birds None
Roses pose no poisoning danger to birds, and loads of wild birds feed on the hips through winter. The thorns just hand them a safe, prickly perch.
People Safe
Rose hips are edible and turn up in teas and jams, and the petals are food-safe too. The thorns are the genuine hazard here, so pull on gloves and long sleeves when 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
Climbing roses run to hundreds of named cultivars, but a handful of classics keep earning a spot on fences and arbors. Get to know these by name and you are off to a flying start.
New Dawn
A powerhouse repeat bloomer that races 10 to 15 feet up its support in soft shell-pink semi-double flowers and shrugs off disease.
Don Juan
The one to grow for large, fragrant double flowers in a deep, velvety red.
Dublin Bay
A repeat-flowering climber that keeps firing out bright crimson-red blooms all season long.
Climbing Cecile Brunner
A seriously vigorous climber that buries itself in masses of small, light pink buttonhole blooms.
How to propagate
Want more climbing roses? You have a few routes, from rooting cuttings to pinning a cane straight to the ground. Each one rewards patience, and the method the nurseries lean on is the toughest of the bunch.
Stem cuttingsModerate
Late spring through summer from semi-hardwood growth · Several weeks to a few months to root
Snip 6 to 8 inch tip cuttings from semi-hardwood growth in late spring or summer, pull off the flowers, and dip the base in rooting hormone to stack the odds in your favor. Stay patient, since the cuttings take several weeks to a few months to root.
LayeringEasy
Growing season · One season to root before separating
Put those long, bendy canes to work, because they make climbing roses a dream to layer. During the growing season, bend a flexible cane to the ground, bury a section, and let it root while the parent keeps feeding it. Give it a full season before you cut the new plant free and set it loose.
GraftingDemanding
Summer for budding onto rootstock · One season
Most roses on the shelf got their start 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, but it is exacting work that earns its keep in skilled nursery hands.
Myths
Climbing roses cling and climb their supports on their own, the way a vine does.
A climbing rose carries no tendrils or holdfasts, so it never twines or grabs hold by itself the way a real vine does. You tie those long, stiff canes to a trellis or fence and steer them by hand, which is half the fun of growing one. Without your ties, the canes simply flop.
Every climbing rose should get the same hard prune at the same time each year.
The type calls the timing, so match the cut to the plant. Repeat bloomers get pruned in late winter or early spring while dormant, but once-blooming climbers get pruned right after they finish flowering, because a spring cut would clip off the very buds set to burst into this year's flowers.