Climbing roses are extremely vigorous plants with long canes (branches) that require support. Canes can be trained to a trellis or fence or allowed to sprawl as a bank cover. Canes may range in size from 5 to 20+ feet depending on the type of rose and how they are supported and maintained. Some are grafted, while some are grown on their own roots. Climbing roses are also subdivided into groups based on flowering and growth habit.

Everblooming climbers bear flowers abundantly in spring, followed by scattered bloom through the season and may flower heavily again in fall, weather permitting. They originated in the 1950s, and improvements are being made on this type of rose to bloom more continually with greater winter hardiness.

Rambler roses are very rapid growers, developing canes as long as 20 feet in a season. Small flowers, less than 2 inches across, are borne once per season in dense clusters on 1-year-old wood. The plants are very hardy with glossy foliage, but some cultivars are very susceptible to powdery mildew.

Large-flowered climbers grow slowly in comparison to ramblers. They are most often trained on posts or other supports and require heavy annual pruning to keep them manageable. These roses work well in a small garden if trained against a wall or trellis. The large flowers of these climbers are useful for cutting. Most bloom twice per year, in early summer and early autumn.

Trailing roses make good wall or bank plantings. They have a sprawling growth habit which is effective for holding soil on steep banks. Trailing roses do not have showy flowers but do set attractive fruit (rose hips) in the fall, which attract birds and small game.

Some climbing roses originate as chance mutations of popular bush hybrid teas, florabundas, and polyanthas. Usually, the climber is given the same name as the bush rose with the name “climbing” added. These climbers are usually less hardy and do not bloom as continually as the bush form, but other flower and leaf characteristics are similar. These climbers are usually shorter and flower
less freely than the “true” climbers.