Back when I grew Austin's Gertrude Jekyll, she was without a doubt the most vicious rose--I backed into once accidentally--geesh, did that hurt!

Since then, I don't think I had any terrible ones, but Elina and Home Run win in the most painful category. Pruning Home Run can sometimes be a real pain!

Kate

For me, it was (note past tense) New Dawn, hands down, and I've grown several. I bought my goatskin gauntlets to deal with ND, and haven't used them "since she went away". (Kate, note: I think this a song title). ND managed to rip several jackets and other clothing, and of course, draw blood. Another beast is my giant Jude the Obscure at pruning time. It has very stiff and upright canes, but I have to get back inside the thing to prune, and I think I've lost half a head of hair in the process. It has literally imprisoned me at times. Diane

I have very recently planted both New Dawn and Jude. Thanks for the encouragement Diane! lol
Nik

That would be a rose which I otherwise like very much, 'Casimir Moullé'. It has precisely what you state: Its thorns are hooked and strategically spaced, combined with long floppy canes that seem to seek you out. I have it on a long wooden fence which itself needs attending to now and then, and whenever something needs to be done to the fence or the rose or other adjacent roses, I always end up looking as if I've been in a fight with an alley-cat.

It's mostly the climbers. Because their canes can be so long and hard to control. Teasing Georgia is a bad one and QE Climber too.

I was out doing some early pruning and was happy it was cold and I could wear my canvas jacket. I didn't get poked as much.

Glamis Castle was one of the worst but happily I ditched it several years ago. Now without a doubt it's my two bushes of Le Vesuve. They're covered with small but hooked thorns, closely spaced together on dense bushes so that you're taking your life in your hands if you try to get inside the bush without body armor. Of course if you fall into it and then roll down the hill with the branches ripping at your skin the effect is even more dramatic.

Ingrid

In my garden it is Rosa Rugosa, hands down. If you want to take any blooms inside, you better be wearing a long sleeve shirt and wearing a pair of good gloves.

My most vicious "rose" is an heirloom blackberry at the old house. I was picking berries for pie and my shirt got caught in it. Getting my shirt unstuck, I got my pants caught and then my hair. The more I moved, the more I got tangled until finally I had to strip down nekkid to escape. Thankfully, the bush was in the back yard rather than the front. Still to this day, if I walk near that thing it will steal the hat of my head with a monster arching cane.

LOL Evenie. I've been trapped like that by the wild raspberry briars in my yard. It's hard not to panic.

Mermaid. Had to don multiple layers of protective clothing just to get her planted without loss of blood. Creates an impenetrable fence.;)

Melissa

For me it was AWAKENING the double sport of NEW DAWN. Absolutely vicious thorns. I shovel pruned four of these beasts after swearing an silent oath never to plant a hyper thorny rose again. Of course I broke that oath when I planted SOMBREUIL (a.k.a Colonial White), but at least Sombreuil has the wonderful fragrance to compensate for the wicked thorns.

Ditto -- Mermaid. I trained it to the top of a two-story playhouse, and then took off everything below the eight feet up elevation -- including all thorns on the main trunk -- just to avoid that problem forever. It worked. There's just an occasional sucker or lower branch now that gets immediately removed.

Both the rose, I and my thin-skinned elderly mother are happy with her now. It's at her home and that's my now 50 year-old childhood playhouse that needed covering up anyway.. So now it's just a rose that is UP THERE!

For me it's Maman Cochet, Cl. She gets me every time I get near her. I don't know how she does it. Even though I know she's gonna get me and I'm meticulously careful about where I grab her, she gets me anyway - and often very deeply. Her leaves have lots of prickles on them. I think they are what get me most, but I've been impaled by the hooked ones on her canes, too, even though I take such care to avoid her daggers. I look for a clear place to grab only to get stuck by one on the back side that I couldn't see. And she won't let go either.

I agree with Ingrid about LeVesuve.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

New Dawn. She bit my husband the other day when he used one of the doors she grows next to to access our guest room. (A door we never use--unless his 90 year mom get's herself locked out of her room...again.)

He gave me the evil eye over it, but I got to tell him her replacement (ALMcD) was already purchased and was just putting on a little size behind the house before I made the switch. One more late winter pruning with the gauntlet gloves bought especially for her, a spring flush and she goes.

Darlow's Enigma ties with Polareis, both get to stay for their many redeeming qualities. And of course P is a rugosa hybrid which might explain it....

My Fourth of July has tons of sharp thorns.

Baronne prevost for one... And memorial day because I backed into it and got scratched up pretty badly.

My New Dawn reminds me of nothing so much as an angry cat when I have to go near her. Her claws are legendary. In fact, a feral cat gave birth just behind her in my garden last year...poor thing must have realized that NO ONE was going to go in there to disturb. (Which we did have to do...long story I hope to never have to repeat.)

I also have Polareis, who apparently feels that she's gotten into some sort of war...she's inbetween a tiny baby moss (Cumberland Belle) and the Alba Felicite Parmentier (another one who is armed to the teeth).

All have had their first taste of blood (mine) and ofc liked it.

Cheers!
~Anika

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The helenae seedling that's called 'Hybrida' over here is the worst mainly because we have to walk pass it occasionally. We had to get rid of Anne of Geirstein because it was to near Hybrida and the two of them were a constant menace. One I can handle.

Polareis (aka Ritausma) is vicious, too, but I was aware of the fact so it's planted in a wide border near a wall and in nobody's way.

Angel Face is the worse along the canes. Almost every cm is covered with large vicious thorns.

Lavender Lassie comes in second. Slightly. I will try and see if I can get pics today for you.

Stacey

As I've said before, 'Jaune Desprez' is one of my worst offenders, and is exactly as Nik describes: flexible, with grabbing thorns. Any rose that needs to be dealt with is worse than one I can let alone, and JD needs a major annual pruning and retraining. And she looks deceptively soft and innocent and puts me off my guard.
Honestly, I think all the Teas are pretty bad, but I mostly leave them alone. I will have to do something about 'Mme. Antoine Mari' in spring; she hasn't had a regular pruning in two years, and it shows, though she was snow-pruned last winter, that is, considerably smashed up, though it didn't bother her. 'Centifolia Variegata' is very thorny, much worse than 'Centifolia', and 'Belle Amour' is well-armed. I agree with everybody about 'New Dawn' and 'Awakening'.

Meg.

I was warned........but did that adolescent thing of ignoring sense BECAUSE I WANT IT.