How to Grow Climbing Roses

 Climbing roses bring together the best of two horticultural worlds, combining the color and scent of a beloved flower with the space-saving nature of a vine. “People tend to have smaller gardens these days, so they’re thinking vertically,” says Christine Pellett, co-owner of Newflora, an Oregon farm that researches hundreds of flowers for German rose breeder Kordes Rosen. “Climbing roses give you this huge burst of color from spring to fall, while taking up a small footprint in the garden.” Adaptability is one of the climbing rose’s selling points: It can grow in a container on a patio, cover a fence or wall, or be trained into an arch over a trellis. 

They’re also hardy—blooming year after year once they’re established—and have been bred to resist the disease and mildew that once plagued traditional roses. No wonder they’re quickly becoming an “It” plant. Here’s how to pick and care for your own climbing rose.

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Find a Sunny SpotIt’s important to place them in a spot that gets six to eight hours of direct sun a day. “Roses like sun, and in a hot climate some shade,” says Pellett. A southern or western exposure is ideal, and eastern can work, but roses in general won’t do well with a northern exposure. In the right conditions, they will thrive as with this 'Bajazzo Arborose' climbing a six-foot-tall post.

Pruning Keeps Them Strong“Pruning climbing roses is very different from cutting back regular ones,” says Pellett. She recommends shortening them once a year, in early February. “Cut the plant down to about three to four feet below the highest point you want them to reach,” she says. Prune weaker stems, also known as canes, toward the base, leaving four canes going strong. “Otherwise, they get too big and too bushy.” Climbing roses are also fast growers; these two 'Quick Silver Arborose' canes are only a year old.

Water RegularlyThough more drought-tolerant climbing roses are being bred, most varieties need regular water. Check soil moisture by putting a finger in it and making sure it’s not dry beneath the surface. Here, 'Orange Flare Arborose' flourishes on a short five-foot-tall fence spreading sideways.

Add SupportWith a little training, you’ll be rewarded with big blooms. “Climbing roses are happiest when their canes are secured horizontally along a surface rather than shooting straight up,” says Pellett. She recommends fanning out canes along a fence or wall, securing them onto a trellis or using hooks. Climbing roses can also be grown in seven- to ten-gallon pots against a wall or trellis for support. Consider these climbers as a privacy screen; this 'Tangerine Skies Arborose' grows higher than the four-foot-tall fence it sits on.

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