Trellis Climbing Roses

Fortuniana

• Shortly after Hong Kong fell under British control, a young gardener named Robert Fortune discovered the Fortuniana rose growing in a garden in Shanghai. He introduced this rose to the West in 1850. Fortuniana is a large climbing rose that produces white, violet-scented double flowers in summer. The rose maintains its foliage year-round, and its canes may grow as long as 12 feet. Fortuniana prefers warm, sheltered locations, and will thrive in loamy or dry and sandy soil. This makes it a good rose for Southwestern gardens.

Lady Banks

• Like Fortuniana, Lady Banks comes from China. The rose is a species rose, not a hybrid. The rose is disease resistant, drought tolerant and thornless. The rose was first introduced in 1796. This first variety had a double yellow blossom. In 1807, an improved version of Lady Banks was introduced that sported a double white form. Lady Banks has a large, spreading habit. The largest rose in the world is a Lady Banks in Tombstone, Arizona, which covers more than 8,000 square feet and is more than 150 years old.

John Cabot

• The John Cabot is a member of the Explorer rose family. Explorer roses are a family of roses that were developed in Canada for their disease resistance, cold heartiness and repeat blooming. Out of the entire Explorer family, John Cabot is one of the most popular of the roses because it reliably reblooms. The plant produces double blooms that are magenta in color. Expect a heavy flush of blooms in June, with sporadic blooming throughout the rest of the season.

Peggy Martin

• The Peggy Martin rose drew national attention in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina because it was one of only two plants to survive under 20 feet of salt water in the garden of Peggy Martin, a resident of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. The climbing rose has been introduced into commercial production since its discovery and has since become a symbol for renewal and hope. The climbing rose is thornless with abundant, small pink flowers in clusters. The rose blooms in spring initially, but once it is established, it re-blooms in fall once the summer heat has eased. The rose will grow well in sandy or rocky soil.