10 climbing roses for pergola

Rose 'Alibaba'®

Climbing rose ‘Alibaba’® (‘Chewalibaba’) is an easy, floriferous and very disease‑resistant rose, within reach of all gardeners! It creates sumptuous displays throughout summer. It is a vigorous sarmentous hybrid rose. With a fairly moderate habit, it generally does not exceed 2.5 m in height with a 1 m spread. It flowers abundantly throughout summer in clusters of 3 to 5 flowers borne on thorny stems. The 7 cm flowers are double, forming pompoms composed of 20 to 39 undulate petals. They have a slightly fuzzy, tousled appearance and display a beautiful salmon‑orange to azalea‑pink, coppery colour set off by dark, matt foliage. They give off a moderate, fruity fragrance reminiscent of tea roses. It is a prizewinner: its qualities earned it numerous awards in 2012. In total 7 Gold Medals have been awarded to it over the years at international competitions, including an AGM (Award of Garden Merit) in England.

Rose 'Belle de Londres'®

climbing rose ‘Belle de Londres’® is one of England’s most popular roses! This rose is a Harkness introduction from 1972 and is sometimes listed under its English name ‘Compassion’. Particularly disease-resistant, it also offers perpetual flowering, flowering from June through to October: it has everything to please. It bears large, attractive flowers, 12 cm in diameter, all in shades of salmon-pink to apricot, creating a delicate gradation of hues. They are deliciously scented. This rose can reach up to 4 metres in height and is perfect for covering a pergola.

David Austin Rose 'Mortimer Sackler'

Here is a very interesting English rose in more than one way! ‘Mortimer Sackler’® is a climbing variety whose stems are almost free of thorns, allowing it to be planted beside a path without risk of being snagged! Its very perpetual flowering covers the plant from bottom to top for three months. Flower buds are raspberry pink, then flowers lighten to become almost pale pink when fully open. Its very beautiful flowers, 9 to 10 cm in diameter, exude a fragrance typical of old roses. They tend to arch downwards, creating a romantic, fragrant walkway. It is utterly charming!

Rose 'Coral Dawn'

climbing rose ‘Coral Dawn’ charms with opulent flowering of large, very full, fragrant flowers. Flowers form dense, luminous rosettes with pearly pink petals. It is ideal for creating a very romantic atmosphere! It is perpetual; you will enjoy first flowering in June and second in August. Still far too uncommon in our gardens, this Boerner introduction of 1952 will therefore add a lovely touch of originality when trained on a pergola.

Rose 'Golden Boy'®

The Climbing rose ‘Golden Boy’® is a safe bet, multi-award-winning! This rose is notable for its healthy, vigorous foliage and excellent floribundity. With good vigour, it has a moderate growth habit, generally reaching 2.5 m in height and 1 m in spread within just a few years. Its large semi-double roses, slightly ruffled, 8–9 cm wide, comprise about 20 petals. Their distinctive colouring, a gradation from pure yellow to nearly cream with age, is much admired. You will enjoy a shower of flowers with a light, subtle fragrance for four to five months.

Climbing Rose 'Laguna'®

This sarmentous rose is part of Super Conquérant® series, a line of disease-resistant roses that combines floribundus of modern roses with charm and fragrance of old roses. ‘Laguna® obtained the very demanding A.D.R. label in 2007, a guarantee of excellent health: its foliage is immune to black spot disease. Perpetual, it blooms for 4 to 5 months, in successive waves, producing generous clusters of 6 to 8 flowers. Its 10 cm flowers are very double, a deep carmine pink, turbinate; they are compound, with more than 40 petals. They are so opulent they recall those of certain peonies. They exhale an intoxicating, deliciously fruity fragrance. It is a robust modern variety that will delight enthusiasts of old lianas!

Rose 'New Dawn'

‘New Dawn’ is a modern rose with the charm of an old-fashioned rose, combining all the best qualities. Vigorous, it flowers generously in early summer and again until late autumn. Its very soft, fresh colour and graceful, elegant flowering are much appreciated. It produces charming double roses, crumpled, of medium pruning (around 8 cm in diameter) displaying a flesh-pink, pearly colour, very pale at the edge and slightly stronger towards the centre of the flower. Their shape is slightly turbinate as in modern roses. This variety, awarded in 1993 by the Royal Horticultural Society in England, is the progenitor of many superb modern climbing roses. Undemanding, it will flower in shade and is particularly useful for bringing lushness and colour to shaded areas of the garden.

Liana rose 'Veilchenblau'

The Liana rose ‘Veilchenblau’ combines striking colours and performance. This non-perpetual rose is truly exceptional! Thornless, highly resistant to rose diseases, adaptable to all climates and soils and tolerant of partial shade, this liana, introduced in 1909, ticks all the boxes and remains timeless! It is covered with a multitude of small semi-double flowers, 3 to 4 cm across, gathered in clusters. They open in varying, shifting shades of violet-blue on a white background, taking on slate reflections before fading. They have a discreet powdery fragrance. Winner of an Award of Garden Merit in England, this rose is recommended by leading rose professionals.

Rose 'Amadeus'

‘Amadeus’ is part of the Super Conquerant® series of climbing roses, a line of lianas prized for their strong vigour, disease resistance, outstanding floriferousness and old-rose appearance. It produces large double roses, 8–9 cm across, in a striking blood-red that does not fade in sunlight. Perpetual-flowering, it bears roses all summer without interruption, from May to September — rare for a red-flowered rose. Its flowers give off a wild-rose fragrance that fills the surrounding air. It appreciates light shade, or non-scorching sun to enhance its cherry-red hue.

Climbing rose 'Paul Transon'

A vigorous old-fashioned climber from the early 20th century that has shrugged off changing fashions. Rose ‘Paul Transon’ has healthy foliage, good vigour and non-perpetual yet very generous flowering. It produces an abundance of very double, peony-like coral-pink roses with coppery highlights and a fruity apple scent. It grows easily and will quickly reach 4 m in height with a 2 m spread. It will flower in partial shade, even in shade in a warm climate. This rose will acclimatise equally well in the north and the south of the country.

Find out more

• Discover all our tips to successfully grow climbing roses in pots.