A list of the best climbing roses includes tips where to plant them. You can plant as many rose varieties as you like when you have the garden space. A climbing rose is easy to grow and the rewards to your garden design is an uplifting splash of color and beauty.
1. New Dawn
If you're looking for a fast grower, New Dawn won't disappoint. It can easily reach maturity within two seasons. This rose is considered a classic and has been grown in gardens for nearly a century.
Double Blooms
This rose produces double blooms in soft pastel pinks that mature into 3" wide cream-colored displays. With dark green leaves, these roses are prolific with abundant clusters ideal for instant bouquets.
- Zones: 5-9
- Height: Up to 20'
- Spread: 8'-10'
- Sun: Plant in sun or shade; good choice for Northern exposure
- Flower color: Light pink to cream
- Bloom time: Spring to first frost
- Fragrant: Yes
- Repeat bloomer: Yes
Best Place to Plant
New Dawn is a great choice for an arch, wall, pergola, fence, or pillar. The double clusters of roses create a very pleasing tumbling and cascading effect. You'll need to provide protection for this plant during the winter.
2. Don Juan
The Don Juan climber is known as the rose of lovers. Its deep red color is considered the standard red color for comparing other roses.
Semi-Double Blooms
Don Juan has semi-double red blooms with dark green yet glossy leaves. The 5" semi-double blooms boast around 30 velvety petals, offering a lush and full rose.
- Zones: 6-9
- Height: 8'-10'
- Spread: 4'-6'
- Sun: Full
- Flower color: Red
- Bloom time: May to first frost
- Fragrant: Yes; sweet and strong
- Repeat bloomer: Yes
Best Place to Plant
You don't have to wonder where to plant this amazing rambling rose. It loves to climb trellises and arbors alike. You may choose to plant this over a garden entrance arch to get the full effect of the beauty and fragrance when you first enter your garden.
3. Iceberg
If you're looking for the perfect white climbing rose that will bloom the first year, Rosa "Korbin" Iceberg is a long-standing gardeners' favorite! Commonly known as Iceberg, this climbing rose is often referred to as a dancing rose plant since a small breeze can ruffle the blooms in enchanting and mystical movements.
Double Blooms
Hundreds of 2" blooms cover the long arching canes. This prolific production of blooms makes this rose so abundant, it is truly a garden showstopper.
- Zones: 4-9
- Height: 12'-15'
- Spread: 6'-10'
- Sun: Full or partial shade
- Flower color: white
- Bloom time:
- Fragrant: Yes; honey scent
- Repeat bloomer: Yes; blooms in waves
Best Places to Plant
Iceberg canes are highly flexible, lending themselves to training for various uses. You can use them with a trellis or to climb a wall.
4. Joseph's Coat
Joseph's Coat climbing rose bursts with multi-color blooms. The magnificent colors range from yellow, orange to red. The first blooms are prolific and abundant.
Double Blooms
The 3"-4" wide double blooms grow in small clusters. The orange color transforms into yellow with the tips tinged in red. Cut the first blooms to encourage more blooms at a faster rate.
- Zones: 6-10
- Height: 8'-12'
- Spread: 4'
- Sun: Full
- Flower color: Red, orange and yellow variegated blooms
- Bloom time: Early spring to first frost
- Fragrant: Yes; slight
- Repeat bloomer: Yes
Best Places to Plant
You can grow Joseph's Coat roses on pillars, a trellis, arch or arbor. This rose plant also does well scaling a wall or fence.
5. Eden (Pierre De Ronsard)
The Eden (Pierre De Ronsard) climbing rose is considered a classic for English garden roses. This 1985 rose named for the poet of the French Renaissance period won the 2006 World's Favorite Rose title and was inducted into the Rose Hall of Fame.
Double Blooms
This rose boasts vigorous blooming of 4" double blooms with over 100 wavy petals. A repeat bloomer, the Eden (Pierre De Ronsard) will give your garden a nostalgic touch of an English garden.
- Zones: 5-9
- Height: 8'-10'
- Spread: 6'
- Sun: Full
- Flower color: Pastel cream, pink and yellow
- Bloom time: Early spring to late summer
- Fragrant: Yes; light
- Repeat bloomer: Yes
Best Places to Plant
You can plant this rose along a fence line and train it to grow up and along the line. You can also grow it on an arbor, gazebo or trellis. It makes a great addition to a patio area in need of color, texture, and faint fragrance.
6. Golden Showers
Golden Showers is a yellow climbing rose first introduced in 1956 by Dr. Walter Lammerts (United States) and in 1957 was the AARS (All American Rose Selections) winner. Gold Showers won many awards over the years.
Double Blooms
Golden Showers features large 6" yellow blooms with around 30 petals. The buds are a brilliant daffodil yellow that deepens into a gold-yellow open bloom and many eventually fade into a soft cream color.
- Zones: 5-0
- Height: 6'-8'
- Spread: 4'-6'
- Sun: Full or partial
- Flower color: Yellow
- Bloom time: Late spring to mid-fall
- Fragrant: Yes; distinct tea and licorice scent
- Repeat bloomer: Repeat
Best Places to Plant
You can plant Golden Showers roses to climb up a pillar, trellis, or garden arch. You can brighten up a dull wall or fence and add color and texture to a neglected arbor.
7. Sally Holmes
Sally Holmes is a classic choice for anyone who wants a white rose climber that makes a bold and large display. This climbing rose is prolific and can be trained either as a climber or maintained as a shrub.
Double Blooms
The 3½" double blooms only boast about 5 to 8 petals. The blooms start out with a tinge of apricot color that softens into white as the petals open to slowly gain a slight tint of pink by the end of the season.
- Zones: 3-10
- Height: 6'-10'
- Spread: 3'-5'
- Sun: Full
- Flower color: Rich deep pink
- Bloom time: Summer to first frost
- Fragrant: Yes; subtle to moderate
- Repeat bloomer: Yes
Best Place to Plant
The Sally Holmes rose has very few thorns, making it a cherished favorite for high-traffic areas. This climbing rose is ideal for arbors, fences, pergolas, and patio trellises.
8. Willian Baffin
William Baffin climbing roses are a fast-growing hybrid and is considered one of the best cold hardy climbing roses. This rose is resistant to black spot leaf disease, making it an easy-care addition to your garden.
Double, Single or Semi-Double Blooms
This rose is available in single, semi-double, and double blooms. The flowers grow in large clusters of more than 30 blooms, making this a showcase display of color and texture.
- Zones: 3-10
- Height: 8'-10'
- Spread: 3'-6'
- Sun: Full
- Flower color: Deep rich pink
- Bloom time: Summer to first frost
- Fragrant: Yes
- Repeat bloomer: Yes; cutting blooms encourages blooming
Best Places to Plant
You can plant William Baffin climbing roses in your garden to trail over an arbor, fence, wall, or trellis. This rose looks beautiful when planted to cascade over a gazebo or arch.
9. Fourth of July
The Fourth of July climbing rose was first introduced in 1990 by Tom Carruth. It was the 1999 AARS winner and quickly became a gardening favorite!
Semi-Double Blooms
This first-year bloomer produces 4 ½" wide blooms that feature 10-16 petals. It also re-blooms the first year.
- Zones: 6-9
- Height: 12'-14'
- Spread: 3'-6'
- Sun: Full
- Flower color: Red and white stripes
- Bloom time: Early to late summer
- Fragrant: Yes; apple scent
- Repeat bloomer: Yes
Places to Plant
You can plant this gorgeous flower to climb up a trellis beside your patio. You may prefer to grace a wall or fence with this stunning patriotic tribute. It also grows well over an arbor, arch or pergola.
10. Bourbon Rose
The heirloom (1868) climbing Bourbon Rose (Zephirine rouhin) is known for its versatility. It can tolerate shade and poor soil conditions and still have magnificent blooms, making it popular and very reliable for any level of gardening skills.
Double Blooms
Bourbon Rose produces masses of flowers that are 3" wide with over 30 petals. Thorn free flowers make this a favorite cutting rose.
- Zones: 5-9
- Height: 4'-12'
- Spread: 3'-6'
- Sun: Full or partial
- Flower color: Rich vibrant pink
- Bloom time: Late spring to first frost
- Fragrant: Yes; highly
- Repeat bloomer: Yes
Place to Plant
You can plant this rose on a north exposure wall, fence, or arbor. Bourbon Rose plants do well over any structure, including a trellis, arch, gazebo, or pillar.
11. Altissimo
The Altssimo climbing rose was introduced in 1879 but didn't gain popularity until the mid-1906s. It's been a gardening favorite ever since. Known to be a vigorous grower, this hardy rose offers a vibrant color for your garden.
Single Blooms
Altissimo has a showy 5" blossom in bright blood red color. This rose offers a dramatic flair for your garden that can't be beat!
- Zones: 5-10
- Height: 7'-0'
- Spread: 4'-5'
- Sun: Full
- Flower color: Blood red, brilliant
- Bloom time: Summer to late fall
- Fragrant: Yes; slight
- Repeat bloomer: Yes
Places to Plant
The best places to use the Altissimo rose in your garden is trained to climb a trellis, arbor or arch. It's a great choice for any type of pillar, such as a pergola.
12. Honeymoon Arborose Climbing Rose
The Honeymoon™ Arborose® has a great show that will please seasoned or beginner gardeners. This rose has an amazing resistance to blackspot and powdery mildew making it easy to grow.
Double Blooms
The light pink to white 3" blooms are lush and elegant. You can cut bouquets to fill your home with sophisticated and fragrant floral arrangements all summer long.
- Zones: 5-9
- Height: 6'-9'
- Spread: 3'
- Sun: Full
- Flower color: Light pink to white
- Bloom time:
- Fragrant: Yes; moderate
- Repeat bloomer: Yes
Places to Plant
You can plant Honeymoon Arborose to climb walls and fences. If you have an arch leading into your garden, plant this rose for a dramatic and enchanting entrance. Grace a pergola or arbor with these beautiful roses.
Discovering the Best Climbing Roses and Where to Plant Them
The process of discovering the best climbing roses can be a fun adventure. Once you decide on the best rose plants for your garden, you can consider the various places where you can plant them.
