Is Climbing rose hardy?

Hardy down to -29 °C (USDA zone 4, RHS H7). It gets through winter in every part of the country.

Is Climbing rose toxic to dogs?

No. Reliable sources list it as non-toxic to dogs.

Is Climbing rose toxic to cats?

No. Reliable sources list it as non-toxic to cats.

Is Climbing rose toxic to children?

No. Reliable sources list it as non-toxic to children.

When does Climbing rose flower?

Flowering: May–October, white, yellow, orange, red, pink, purple.

How much water does Climbing rose need?

Water need: medium. Drought tolerance: medium.

Climbing rose

Rosa Climbing Group

Climbing rose (Rosa Climbing Group) is a climber. Light: full sun, part shade. Hardy down to -29 °C. Drought tolerance: medium. Non-toxic to dogs, cats and children. Sold in local shops from about PLN 34.

Illustration of Climbing rose — An illustration of the typical shape of the mature plant, not a photo.

What it's good for, and what it isn't

Two types are sold as climbing roses. Climbers (large-flowered climbing roses) have thicker, stiffer canes, reach 2 to 4 metres and flower repeatedly from early summer to autumn; ramblers have thin, flexible canes that run to 5 or 6 metres or more but typically flower only once, around June, when they are smothered in clusters of smaller flowers. Neither clings by itself: the canes have to be tied to a trellis, wires, a pergola or an arch, ideally bent towards the horizontal, which gives the most flowers. Fragrance, disease resistance and hardiness depend on the cultivar, so an ADR-rated or explicitly resistant cultivar is the safer choice here as well.

Watch out for

Black spot, powdery mildew and rust are common on climbing roses too; mildew is worst against a warm, still wall, and a plant 3 to 4 metres tall is hard to spray, so a resistant cultivar and airy training matter most here. In spring aphids and rose sawfly larvae attack, and rose chafers feed on the flowers. In Central Europe the long canes can die back in a hard winter, which costs a whole year of bloom on cultivars that flower on the previous year's wood: mound 20 to 30 cm of soil over the base in late autumn, cover the canes with conifer branches or burlap in exposed sites, and plant with the graft union below soil level. Remove suckers from the rootstock at their origin. A resistant cultivar needs only a few sprays; most of the work is the yearly tying in and pruning: on climbers cut flowered side shoots back by two thirds in late winter and take out an old cane at the base now and then, on ramblers remove some of the flowered canes after bloom. Hardly any pruning is needed in the first two years. Left unpruned it becomes a tangled, thorny thicket that is bare at the bottom within a few years.

Key facts

Light: Full sun, Part shade
Water need: Medium
Care: Medium
Size after 10 years: 3.5 m × 2 m
Hardiness: down to -29 °C
Foliage: Deciduous
Flowering: J F M A M J J A S O N D May–October, white, yellow, orange, red, pink, purple

All details

Group	Climber
Light	Full sun, Part shade
Size after 10 years	3.5 m × 2 m
Ultimate size	1.8–6 m × 0.9–2.4 m
Hardiness	down to -29 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay
Foliage	Deciduous
Flowering	May–October, white, yellow, orange, red, pink, purple
Water need	Medium
Drought tolerance	Medium
Maintenance	Medium
Root aggressiveness	Low
Suckering	no
Spreading	Low
Distance from buildings	no data
Distance from paving	no data
Litter	not typical
Planting distance	250 cm
For dogs	Non-toxic
For cats	Non-toxic
For children	Non-toxic
Typical price	from about PLN 34

Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.

Sizes and prices available

The same plant is sold as a small pot and as a specimen several metres tall, and the price follows. Prices are rounded and for guidance only.

Size	Typical price
size not stated	approx. PLN 34

Frequently asked questions

Data updated: October 17, 2026 · How our data is made

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