Climbing rose

Sun

Full sun gives the best flowering; tolerates light partial shade. Aim for at least 6 hours of direct sun daily.

Water

Water deeply during establishment and prolonged dry weather. Keep the root zone evenly moist but not waterlogged, and water the soil rather than the leaves.

Soil

Fertile, moisture-retentive, well-drained soil; slightly acidic to neutral is ideal. Improve poor or compacted soil with compost before planting.

Height

10-20 ft (3-6 m)

Spread

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m), depending on training

Flowers

Fragrant, double, pale blush-pink flowers fading towards white; a heavy flush in early summer followed by lighter repeat flowering into autumn.

Foliage

Glossy, dark green leaves divided into toothed leaflets; normally deciduous, sometimes retaining leaves in mild winters.

Growth

Fast once established.

Care needed

Medium

• Provide a sturdy arch, pergola or wires, and secure canes with soft ties; keep ties loose enough for stems to thicken.
• Train main canes horizontally or in a broad fan to encourage flowering shoots along their length.
• Water deeply through the first growing season and during extended dry spells.
• Apply rose fertiliser in spring and, if needed, after the first flowering flush; avoid late-season nitrogen feeding in cold climates.
• Spread 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of compost or well-rotted manure over the root zone each spring, keeping it clear of the stems.

Pruning. In late winter or early spring, remove dead, damaged and crossing wood, retain the main framework, and shorten flowered side shoots to two or three healthy buds. Once established, remove an occasional old cane at the base to encourage replacement growth, and deadhead spent flowers during the growing season.

Late winter

Prune before strong new growth begins, avoiding periods of severe frost.

Spring

Feed, mulch and check that supports and ties are secure.

Late spring

Tie in young canes while they are flexible and inspect new growth for aphids.

Summer

Deadhead after flowering flushes and water deeply during dry weather.

Autumn

Collect fallen diseased leaves and secure long canes against wind damage.

Early winter

In exposed zone 5 gardens, protect the crown with a mound of soil or compost once the plant is dormant; some cane dieback may still occur.

• Train over a strong entrance arch to frame a path with pale flowers.
• Fan across a sunny wall or fence to soften a large vertical surface.
• Cover a substantial pergola for overhead flowers and light summer shade.
• Combine with a lightly growing clematis for contrasting flowers among the rose canes.

Garden styles it suits: English country, Cottage garden, Romantic rose garden, Traditional, Arts and Crafts and Pastel border.

Plant it with: Clematis, Catmint, Lavender, Hardy geranium, Lady's mantle and Ornamental sage.

Wildlife: The thorny framework can shelter nesting birds. Bees may visit flowers with accessible centres, but the double blooms offer less accessible pollen than single roses.

• Black spot: collect fallen infected leaves, improve air circulation and water at soil level; where severe, use a locally approved rose fungicide according to its label.
• Powdery mildew: prevent drought stress, avoid crowding and remove badly affected shoots; use a locally approved treatment if necessary.
• Aphids: rub off small colonies or dislodge them with water; encourage ladybirds and other predators.
• Poor flowering: increase sunlight where possible, avoid excess nitrogen and train main canes nearer horizontal; do not repeatedly shorten all new long canes.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. Petals and hips are not generally poisonous, but eating large amounts may cause stomach upset, and hairs inside the hips can irritate the mouth and digestive tract. Thorns can cause puncture wounds; plants treated with garden chemicals should not be eaten.

• Dr W. Van Fleet rose (Rosa 'Dr W. Van Fleet')

  'New Dawn' arose as a repeat-flowering sport of this rose. Both have pale pink flowers and vigorous growth, but 'Dr W. Van Fleet' normally flowers only once in early summer.

• Awakening rose (Rosa 'Awakening')

  A sport of 'New Dawn' with much more densely petalled, quartered pink flowers; 'New Dawn' has looser, less crowded blooms.

Rosa is the Latin word for rose.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in summer or hardwood cuttings during dormancy, or layer a flexible cane. Seed will not reliably produce plants identical to 'New Dawn'.

Accepted botanical name

Rosa

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.