Climbing Rose (Rosa spp.)
Fundamental Facts
HARDINESS: Zones 4 to 9
PREFERRED SOIL pH: Neutral to slightly acid
PREFERRED SOIL TYPE: Average, well-drained
PREFERRED LIGHT: Sun
ATTRIBUTES: Stately plants with red, pink, yellow, or white flowers; for trellises
SEASON OF INTEREST: Late spring to early summer, often with repeat bloom in late summer
TYPE OF VINE: Deciduous, long-limbed shrub grown as climber
FAVORITES: 'Golden Showers', 'Blaze', 'America', 'Lady Banks', 'Dortmund'
QUIRKS: Canes don't actually climb, and must be tied to a support
GOOD NEIGHBORS: Catmint, clematis, daffodils and other bulbs, perennials
WHERE IT GROWS BEST: Fertile, well-drained sites in sun
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: Blackspot, powdery mildew; Japanese beetles
RENEWING PLANTS: Lives many years; prune annually to maintain plant health and size
CRITTER RESISTANCE: Good except for deer
SOURCE: Nursery plants
DIMENSIONS: 7-20 ft (2.1-6.1 m) fall, 4-10 ft (1.2-3 m) wide
Climbing Rose in the Landscape
Climbing roses lend a romantic touch to any garden. Many different roses of mixed ancestry are called climbers, and all tend to bloom heavily in early summer on long canes that grew the season before. Modern hybrids often re-bloom in fall when given good care.
Climbing roses need a sturdy trellis, wall, or arbor to shoulder their weighty canes. At the bases of these beauties you can plant small daffodils or other spring-flowering bulbs. But plant larger companions far enough away to let air circulate around the canes, discouraging fungal infections.
'Blaze' is a prolific bloomer, producing red flowers for most of the growing season. The cool blue flowers of catmint are a classic companion for roses, as is clematis, which discreetly intertwines with rose canes and blooms in midsummer, when rose flowers fade.
Fine Climbers
Visit display gardens in your area to see locally adapted cultivars. Pink-flowered 'America' and 'New Dawn', red 'Blaze', and yellow 'Golden Showers' are all modern classics, but some older cultivars, such as the fragrant, pink, thornless 'Zephirine Drouhin' and the red 'Dortmund', both hardy to Zone 4, are worth seeking out. More climbers are available for gardeners in Zones 7 to 9, including the thornless, yellow-flowered 'Lady Banks' and the pink, shade-tolerant 'Dr. W Van Fleet'.
Growing Climbing Rose
Plant climbing roses in spring, just as they are emerging from dormancy. Dig a planting hole 18 in (45.7 cm)
wide and deep and mix in a 3 in (7.6 cm) deep layer of compost or other organic matter. Plant container-grown roses that are growing on their own roots at the same depth at which they grew in their container. Plant grafted roses, which have a knobby lump called a graft union at the bottom of the primary cane, by setting the graft union 2-4 in (5.1-10.2 cm) below soil level if you live in cold areas; the colder the zone, the deeper the graft union should go. From Zone 7 southward, set it just above soil level.
When planting a bare-root rose, such as those from mail-order nurseries, build a cone of soil in the hole, making the cone tall enough to allow the graft union to be placed as described above. Carefully spread the roots over the cone and cover with soil. After planting either type, water well and keep the soil barely moist the first season. Spread a 3 in (7.6 cm) thick mulch of compost to retain soil moisture and act as a barrier to prevent soil-borne fungal-disease spores from splashing onto foliage.
Prune climbing roses to enhance sun exposure on new growth while eliminating old branches, which are at risk for developing disease. After the first year, prune back old canes after they bloom, but don't be too aggressive with re-blooming cultivars. Cut canes just above a leaf with 5, never 3, leaflets and cut at a 45° angle so that rainwater will run off, and not rot the cut ends. Flower buds will develop on the canes at these points.
Climbing roses do not actually climb but lean on their support, so tie the canes to the support with a soft, stretchy material, such as old pantyhose. Fertilize climbing roses in the spring and again in midsummer, using a rose fertilizer at the rate given on the package label. In Zones 4 to 6, mound 12-18 in (30.5-45.7 cm) of soil or rotted manure over the base of the rose in early winter to insulate it, and remove the material in spring.
The same diseases that plague other roses can weaken climbers. To deter leaf-disfiguring fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew and black-spot, choose a sunny location with good air circulation. Japanese beetles are serious pests. Use a botanical neem-based insecticide on plants or the biologic control milky spore disease on lawns in spring as directed on the package to kill the grubs. Roses attract deer. Tuck bars of deodorant-formula bath soap among canes to deter them or apply a commercial repellent according to label directions.