Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
yardmartyr

climbing rose suggestions

yardmartyr
10 years ago

I'm looking for ideas for a climbing rose. The spot is full sun, east facing, against a wall. I'd like something not too tall, maybe gets 8-10 feet, reblooms, and is disease resistant. And while I'm asking for so much, if it could rotate my tires that'd be great too. I'm used to rose bushes, which I cut back with impunity; but I don't know if there are climbers that can stand such abuse, so any maintenace information would also be greatly appreciated. Thanks very much for your thoughts.

Comments (10)

  • michaelg
    10 years ago

    First consideration would be winter-hardiness. Zone 5 is marginal for typical climbers. Unlike with bush roses, if you have to whack down the canes every spring, you lose maybe 90% of the year's potential bloom. That's because the best bloom comes on old canes in the spring flush.

    Two red roses that are considered hardy and disease resistant in the Chicago area are 'Quadra' and 'Ramblin' Red.'

    Maintenance: provide a trellis that is wider than tall, and fan the strong basal canes (once they start coming) semi-horizonally to maximize bloom production. Remove damaged cane segments in early spring. Beginning in the 4th year, remove one or two of the oldest canes at the base each year to force regenerative growth. Do this after the first flush of bloom.

  • nippstress - zone 5 Nebraska
    10 years ago

    Another thing to consider is that in my yard, my east side facing wall is a relatively cold zone 4 pocket that needs extra winter hardy plants. On that side of the house, I have John Cabot (hot pink Canadian Explorer"), Ginger Syllabub (relatively infrequent blooming apricot), Autumn Sunset and Westerland (fairly hardy apricot to orange climbers not too tall for me), Eden, and the two Michael mentioned - Ramblin' Red and Quadra. He's absolutely right about their hardiness and disease resistance - the only drawback for your plan is wanting them to stay at 8-10 feet. I've been lazy about getting something official for Quadra to climb on, so he's an ill-tempered standing shrub with aggressively thick canes in every direction. I suspect Quadra (or its counterpart climber Illusion) is strong enough to at least remove the tires from your car, but reinstalling them undamaged would be questionable.

    Other more mannerly climbers (so far) in my zone 5 Nebraska yard include:

    Nahema - wowza double carnation pink fragrant blooms and a vigorous climber in the first year, covering two panels of a fence in each direction by the second year - hardy and healthy
    Compassion - pinkish double climber that has been tip hardy so far, only in its second year for me but has climbed 8-10 feet easily in a friend's yard
    Mme. Carolyn Testout - another very hardy pink cilmber that likes thick canes that aren't very flexible but disease resistant
    Aloha - I have this Kordes climber as a free standing shrub with things to lean against when it wants to, and it stays within 6-8' under those conditions, though it would like to be taller
    Harlekin - another Kordes climber, white with dark pink edges, not as frequent a bloomer as I'd like but very hardy, as Kordes plants are known to be
    Awakening - tough as nails pink climber with relatively small blooms - mine takes care of itself in part shade with little or no attention from me all year

    I grow quite a few more climbers in zone 5, but some of them I haven't horizontally trained yet as Michael describes, so they have infrequent bloom habits, or they haven't been in more than a year or two to attest to hardiness. I'm sure I've forgotten some real winners, but with some care to hardiness of the rose you should be able to find a rose that meets your requirements.

    Cynthia

  • ratdogheads z5b NH
    10 years ago

    Purple Splash!

  • susan4952
    10 years ago

    I have many that fit your criteria. What color are u interested in?

  • yardmartyr
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Wow, bunch of great ideas! Thanks, everyone. As for color, I'm not particular. Although maybe I should go for something unusual.

  • nanadollZ7 SWIdaho
    10 years ago

    Take a look at Colette, a rose I'm really impressed with so far. It has lovely peach blooms, blooms a lot, and just lived through the worst January temps I remember in a at least fifteen years, followed by a series of nasty April freezes (like mid twenties temps). It had absolutely no damage due to the cold. I don't know how tall it will eventually get here since I haven't had it long enough, but I don't think it gets in the supertall range. Diane

  • Beth0311
    10 years ago

    Please excuse my ignorance, but do climbing roses need to be pruned?
    Thank you.

  • susan4952
    10 years ago

    Yes, most need to be pruned. So many choices, so little yard space!

  • predfern
    10 years ago

    I would also recommend Nahema. Mine is about 7' tall upright, most of the cane survived the winter. I just snip a little off the top. No problem with disease and I do not spray. Just fertilize with 13-13-13 and water once or twice a week.

  • yardmartyr
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    All great suggestions. Thanks, everyone!