Best climbing roses – 12 charming varieties to add height, scent and color

The best climbing roses cover the vertical surfaces of a garden with alluring flower shapes, hues and fragrances. You need to choose your cultivars carefully, though. You may fall in love with the fragrant, creamy apricot blooms of ‘Desprez á Fleur Jaune’ but can you accommodate a rose capable of topping 20ft? Likewise, many gardeners have a soft spot for thornless bourbon ‘Zephirine Drouhin’, but while the blooms are lovely and the plants tolerant of poor soils, they can be prone to mildew.

Before you choose any varieties, and certainly before you plant climbing roses, analyze the space or structure you want them to fill. Consider the size and background color of any walls or fences. Creamy roses will be lost against a whitewashed wall, and similarly red blooms disappear against red brick. Roses appreciate deep soils and thrive on well-nourished clay. They also like a sunny position, and don’t want competition from overhanging growth or nearby trees and hedges. Yet some cope well on poorer soils, and a few flower well in light shade.

Whether you are adding a climbing rose feature to a striking modern pergola or an old-fashioned cottage garden archway, strong fragrance is often a number one requirement. So make sure the rose you choose can be enjoyed fully at a suitable height for catching those perfumes.

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BY ANNE SWITHINBANK

Height: 10ft

Spread: 10ft

Hardiness: USDA 7b/8a

Color: Peach flowers 

For anyone thinking of designing a rose garden based around shades of apricot, peach and coral, Bridge of Sighs (Harglowing) is one of the best climbing roses to grow. Pretty orange buds and semi-double peachy flowers show well against coppery foliage that turns green with age. 

This medium-sized climber with its flexible stems repeat-flowers well from summer to fall. Scallop-edged petals part to reveal golden stamens that attract plenty of insects. These roses will tolerate the partial shade of a north-facing wall or fence. 

Height: 8ft

Spread: 8ft

Hardiness: USDA 6b/7a

Color: Pink and red flowers 

If you're looking to refresh your cottage garden planting scheme, climbing rose varieties don’t come more aptly named than this one! Chawton Cottage (Harxel) is a delicate-looking rose named to mark the 70th anniversary of novelist Jane Austen’s House Museum opening to the public.

Clusters of moderately scented semi-double blooms open to 4in across from summer to fall against healthy foliage. Pearly pink petals are flushed with red at the center, highlighting a boss of golden stamens to please bees and hoverflies.

Height: 10ft

Spread: 6ft

Hardiness: USDA 6b/7a

Color: Apricot flowers 

Perhaps you prefer a shapely hybrid tea-style rose flower? For vigor, repeat-flowering from summer to fall, and superlative scent then ‘Compassion’ AGM is ideal. It is reliable for all manner of vertical gardens and is one of the best climbing roses around. 

The richly colored coppery-apricot roses have a decidedly retro look, and this cultivar was actually introduced in 1973. Its upright reddish stems are clad with glossy, healthy foliage. It is an excellent choice for roses-around-the door or a window spot. 

Height: 8ft

Spread: 5ft

Hardiness: USDA 6b/7a

Color: White flowers 

Many English roses created by renowned breeder David Austin make excellent repeat-flowering climbers of moderate height. They are ideal for freestanding obelisks or pillars, as well as garden walls and fences. 

Introduced in 2007, Claire Austin (Ausprior) makes a vigorous, upright and healthy plant. From summer to fall, it is clothed in large creamy white flowers of strong myrrh scent, opening from cupped, lemon-tinted buds. 

Height: 8ft

Spread: 6ft

Hardiness: USDA 6b/7a

Color: Yellow flowers 

‘Golden Showers’ has been popular since the 1950s, thanks to its lightly scented yellow blooms. However, spare a thought for Golden Gate (‘Korgolgat’) AGM, a more recent modern climber introduced in 2005. These are amongst the most cheery varieties, and some of the best climbing plants you can try.

Disease resistant, free-flowering and relatively compact, these plants are covered in fragrant, semi-double blooms of bright medium yellow from summer to fall. Hips will set if the last blooms are not deadheaded. 

Height: 10ft

Spread: 8ft

Hardiness: USDA 6a-1

Color: Pink flowers 

‘New Dawn’ is a classic climbing rose with shapely, perfumed pale pink blooms. It will work well in both traditional and country gardens, which is not surprising as it has been around since 1930. 

Flowering continues from summer into late fall. Large plants will perform well in the light shade of a north-facing wall, and are tolerant of poorer soils. Try this climbing rose with the equally legendary, darker pink Clematis ‘Comtesse de Bouchard’. 

Height: 10ft

Spread: 6ft

Hardiness: USDA 7b/8a 

Color: Red and yellow flowers

 ‘Reveil Dijonnais’ is one of the most dynamic climbing roses, introduced in 1931. This cheery bloomer will wreath your wall, fence or trellis in style, developing plenty of semi-double cupped flowers. Petals have a lively cherry red edging and a bold yellow centre. 

These dramatic roses are capable of repeat-flowering, they will brighten a north-facing wall, and they can tolerate poorer soils. Delightful for a splash of color – but they are a treat for the eyes, rather than the nose. 

Height: 8ft

Spread: 6ft

Hardiness: USDA  6b/7a

Color: Yellow flowers

The buds of this English rose open to cup-shaped yellow blooms which are packed with petals. Flowers open fully to flat rosettes of primrose, with a paler lemon ring around the outside of each one. As flowering climbers go, The Pilgrim (Auswalker) AGM is full and highly textural.

Its overall effect is eye-catching. On a warm day, its fragrance is pleasingly sweet. Healthy, fast-growing and repeat-flowering, this compact climber is one of the best options if you are looking for a burst of sunshine yellow with intriguing contrasts. 

Height: 7ft

Spread: 6ft

Hardiness: USDA 7b/8a

Color: Red flowers 

For anyone who fancies dramatic garden color schemes filled with jewel-like bursts of crimson, Summer Loving (Raw1152) is one of the most memorable climbing rose varieties. Its semi-double blooms present as deep cherry red, but are striped cream, purple and cherry.

This is an eye-catching climber of moderate size, upright growth and extreme flower power, though its fragrance is only moderate. Still, it has good disease resistance and gives long repeat displays, and the almost thornless stems make it suitable for enclosed spaces. 

Height: 10ft

Spread: 6ft

Hardiness: USDA 7b/8a

Color: Apricot/yellow flowers

If you are looking for the best fragrant roses to transform a vertical corner of your garden, our next choice is a definite winner. Bathsheba (Auschimbley) is a new English rose, introduced in 2022. This particular rose variety is short, vigorous and a healthy climber. 

It stands out for the unusual colouring of its fragrant, quartered blooms. Amongst the best climbing roses for floral texture, they are packed full of apricot, yellow and peachy pink petals, and around the outside are petals of pale yellowy apricot.  

Height: 8ft

Spread: 5ft

Hardiness: USDA 6b/7a

Color: Pink flowers 

Gertrude Jekyll (Ausbord) is another one of the best fragrant flowers in our selection. The large fully double rose-pink blooms of this popular English climbing rose, introduced in 1986, have a deliciously strong classic rose scent. 

This variety flowers reliably through summer and fall. Short stature and easily trainable stems make this rose ideal for pillars, walls and obelisks. Be sure to position your rose in an open spot, away from overhanging trees and competitive roots.

Height: 20ft

Spread: 10ft

Hardiness: USDA 7b/8a 

Color: Deep red flowers 

This deep red rose from 1938 may not have the coveted dark maroon hues of ‘Souvenir du Docteur Jamain’, but it is widely accepted as being easier to grow. If you are keen to plant a fragrant garden, make some room for this plummy beauty.

A stiff but vigorous habit often sends it shooting to the top of its support. It works best mingled with other roses and honeysuckles. When the very fragrant velvety red blooms do open, you’ll know it was worthwhile.