As an experienced gardener, I’ve found that one of the most common questions people ask about climbing roses is whether they have thorns. The short answer is while most climbing roses do have thorns there are several wonderful thornless and nearly thornless varieties available for gardeners who want to avoid those prickly situations!
Understanding Thorns on Climbing Roses
Before we dive into the thornless options, let’s clear up a common misconception what we call “thorns” on roses are actually prickles – modified plant cells that grow from the stem’s surface. True thorns develop from branches, which isn’t the case with roses.
Why Do Roses Have Prickles?
Roses developed prickles as a natural defense mechanism to:
- Protect against animal browsing
- Support climbing growth
- Defend against environmental threats
Best Thornless Climbing Roses for Your Garden
Here are my top recommendations for thornless and nearly thornless climbing roses that’ll give you beautiful blooms without the ouch factor
1. Zéphirine Drouhin
- Height: Up to 15 feet
- Color: Deep pink
- Fragrance: Strong classic rose with fruity notes
- Blooming: Spring through summer
- Growing zones: 5-11
2. Lady Banks Rose (Both White and Yellow)
- Height: 20-40 feet
- Colors: Pure white or soft yellow
- Completely thornless
- Spring blooming
- Growing zones: 6-10
3. Climbing Pinkie
- Height: Up to 10 feet
- Color: Light pink
- Nearly thornless
- Repeat bloomer
- Growing zones: 5-9
4. Claire Austin
- Height: 12 feet
- Color: Creamy white with pale yellow buds
- Very few thorns
- Repeat bloomer
- Growing zones: 5-11
5. Climbing Iceberg
- Height: 12 feet
- Color: Pure white
- Minimal thorns
- Fast growing
- Growing zones: 5-11
Tips for Growing Thornless Climbing Roses
From my experience, here’s what you need to know to successfully grow thornless climbing roses:
- Location Selection
- Choose a spot with 6+ hours of sunlight
- Ensure good air circulation
- Provide strong support structure
- Planting Requirements
- Well-draining soil
- Neutral to slightly acidic pH
- Regular water supply
- 2-3 inches of mulch
- Support Structures
- Arbors
- Pergolas
- Trellises
- Fences
- Wall supports
Maintenance Tips
To keep your thornless climbing roses looking their best:
- Pruning
- Prune in late winter/early spring
- Remove dead or diseased canes
- Train new growth horizontally for better blooming
- Shape to maintain desired form
- Feeding Schedule
- Spring: Apply balanced rose fertilizer
- Summer: Monthly feeding during growing season
- Fall: Stop feeding 6 weeks before first frost
Common Problems and Solutions
Even without thorns, climbing roses can face some challenges:
Disease Prevention
- Ensure good air circulation
- Water at soil level
- Remove fallen leaves
- Apply fungicide when needed
Pest Control
- Check regularly for insects
- Use insecticidal soap if needed
- Encourage beneficial insects
Making the Right Choice
When choosing a thornless climbing rose, consider:
- Your growing zone
- Available space
- Desired bloom color
- Maintenance time
- Support structure
My Personal Experience
I’ve grown several thornless climbing roses in my garden, and I gotta tell ya, Climbing Pinkie has been my absolute favorite! It’s super easy to handle during pruning, and my kids can play nearby without me worrying about them getting scratched. The continuous blooms from spring through fall make it a real winner in my book!
Final Thoughts
While completely thornless roses are rare, these nearly thornless varieties offer gorgeous blooms without the typical hazards of traditional roses. They’re perfect for:
- Family gardens
- High-traffic areas
- Children’s spaces
- Pet-friendly landscapes
- Easy maintenance gardens
Remember, even “thornless” varieties might have a few small prickles, but they’re typically so minimal that you’ll hardly notice them during regular garden maintenance.
Want more gardening tips? Drop a comment below – I’d love to hear about your experiences with thornless climbing roses!
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Most rose gardeners learn to accept thorns with a quiet resignation, arming themselves against the less-pleasant tasks of rose care with gauntlet gloves and loppers. But did you know that technically, roses don’t have thorns? All of those projections along the stem are really called prickles, which help protect the plant against predators.
Prickles are small outgrowths from the plant’s outer layer and can easily be broken off. Thorns are modified branches embedded deep within the stem’s structure.
Where To Plant Thornless Rose Bushes
Thornless varieties are useful when roses are planted along walkways or other high-traffic areas. They are also a great idea for children’s gardens, elderly gardeners, or anyone who has let thorns get in the way of enjoying the world’s most popular flower.
Fortunately, nature provides exceptions to the “every rose has a thorn” rule. While there are not many, some truly thornless roses do exist. A number of “nearly thornless” roses are available, which have scattered thorns along the stem. Certain roses, such as Polyanthas, tend to have fewer thorns as a class. Here’s a list of thornless and nearly thornless roses:
*as per Combined Rose List; some thornless varieties may have a rare thorn or two, or small thorns.
7 Rose Growing Mistakes to AVOID
FAQ
Are climbing roses thornless?
Thornless climbing roses have few or no thorns, which makes them an excellent addition to well-traveled pergolas and arbors. All of these plants have long canes that can trail up walls over arbors, or along fences. All of the following types of climbing roses have few or no thorns, making them a welcome addition to the garden. 1.
Are there thornless roses?
A number of “nearly thornless” roses are available, which have scattered thorns along the stem. Certain roses, such as Polyanthas, tend to have fewer thorns as a class. Here’s a list of thornless and nearly thornless roses: * as per Combined Rose List; some thornless varieties may have a rare thorn or two, or small thorns.
Do roses have thorns?
From impressive climbing roses that grace fences with wave after wave of blooms to compact shrub rose types perfect for border edges, roses without thorns offer the full rose experience, minus the scratches. Roses may be famous for their thorns, but there’s a softer side worth discovering too.
Are there roses without thorns?
Here’s a list of well-loved roses without thorns—or almost without them—that are available in shrub, climbing, and hybrid tea forms: Zephirine Drouhin: A historical Bourbon rose cherished for its raspberry-pink blooms and strong fragrance. This thornless climbing rose also performs well in partial shade.
Are climbing roses Hardy?
This nearly thornless climbing rose is vigorous, and perfect for arbors. The small yellow double blooms offer a slight fragrance, and the plant comes with rich green foliage. It can grow in colder climates as well but is especially hardy when planted in zone 7.
Are thornless roses safe?
How curses come out of our mouth with the sting and the sight of the rose-red blood. Well, don’t despair, there are thornless roses you can plant everywhere (instead of in the farthest area in your garden) because they’re safe to touch. Time to forget about the thorns and think of rose romantic quotes instead.