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Beautiful Pink Rose Climbing the Wall of a White Country Cottage.Fragrant Climbing Roses On A Country Cottage.

Fragrant Climbing Roses. Beautiful Blooms With Dependable Habits.

These fragrant climbing roses are the most popular of all. They are not all award winners; they don't have to be. They are the ones which have been tried and trusted over many years by rose lovers worldwide. This page continues on from the Fragrant Roses page where you will find the most fragrant roses which have won the John Gamble Fragrance Award. 

There you will find the following roses which are also available as climbers (guaranteed to be highly fragrant): 

  • Crimson Glory to 6 feet   
  • Chrysler Imperial to 6 feet   
  • Granada to 6 feet   
  • Fragrant Cloud to 6 feet   
  • Double Delight to 6 feet   
  • Angel Face to 12 feet    
  • Mr. Lincoln to 7 feet   
  • Fragrant Plum to 7 feet

But the Fragrant Climbing Roses on this page are the real climbers, those which will cover your archway, your pergola, your arbor, a pillar, a trellis, in fact your whole house. They are not in any particular order, they are just beautiful, popular and fragrant.

Some of these Fragrant Climbing Roses will be by David Austin, of course, but only a few. Fragrant Climbing English Roses (David Austin) are in a class of their own and will come later. But there are definitely some which must be mentioned here.  Bear in mind that you will have to train your climbing roses to some degree, so its best to choose a rose with flexible canes, especially if you are going to braid it (see Zepherine Droughin below for how to do that).


The Fragrant Climbing Rose Abraham Darby. 

Abraham Darby

A David Austin Rose, Abraham Darby is named after the man who built the very first iron bridge which  is near Austin's Rose Nurseries in the UK. It is one of his most famous and most fragrant English Roses. A truly beautiful addition to any garden which requires a fragrant climbing rose.

The beautiful old fashioned cup-shaped rosettes on Abraham Darby  are 4 to 5  inches across, with up to 70 or more petals in apricot, yellow, cream and pink tones, with a superb fruity fragrance. The heavy blooms have a delightful drooping or nodding effect.

This wonderful fragrant climbing rose will grow from 8 to 10 feet in height with showy  mid green foliage. It is a repeat bloomer through spring and into summer.   It can be trained to climb just about anywhere - even against a wall.

David Austin used the fragrant climber Aloha and the Floribunda Rose Yellow Cushion to create this amazing English Climbing Rose. On top of its other amazing qualities, it is also highly disease resistant, making it just about perfect. It is also suited to the Australian climate, especially in the Temperate Zone.

If you want to try to grow some of these fragrant climbing roses very closely against a wall, you can do it by learning how to 'Espalier'. Better Homes and Gardens. Fascinating! My Father always had espaliered roses on a fence, and other espaliered shrubs as well. Many plants lend themselves to this technique. And then there are Rose Arbors, Pergolas, Archways, Trellises,  Pillar Roses ... so many ways of displaying your fragrant climbers and ramblers.


Zephirine Drouhin. Old Bourbon Rose.

Rapperswil - Duftrosengarten - Zéphirine Drouhin KL Bizot 1868 2010-05-29 17-21-04

A very fragrant old Bourbon Rose Climber. It was first bred in 1868 and has increased in popularity ever since. It will reach a height of 16 to 20 feet and just continues to bloom in flush after flush from spring through summer and into autumn. No other modern rose can equal it for fragrance and vigorous performance. 

The foliage is mid green to begin and as it matures it will darken. The blooms are 3 to 4 inches across with up to 25 petals with the old-fashioned rose fragrance, and the more you 'hack' it back, the more blooms you will get. You will need lots of space and strong support for this non-stop grower. It has few, if any, thorns and it is shade tolerant. 


New Dawn. Hybrid Wichurana Rambler.

Rosa 'New Dawn' J1

New Dawn is just about the most popular Fragrant Climbing Rose. It is officially a Rambler which means that it can reach amazing heights: anywhere from 10 to 20 feet; so it needs a very strong support. Its fragrance is strong, fruity and very sweet. Unlike most Ramblers, it flowers more than once, beginning in spring or early summer and continuing right through until late autumn.

You can train it to cover and surround a whole Gazebo for afternoon coffee! It has pale pink, silver-like blooms which are 4 inches across with up to 40 petals on each.  It is a very romantic and delicate-looking climber, but it is very vigorous and disease resistant. And on top of all that, it will tolerate both shade and heat. What more could you ask of a rose? It has been around since 1930 and was inducted into the Rose Hall of Fame in 1997. It has its own page: the New Dawn Rose.


Gertrude Jekyll. English Rose.

Rose 'Gertrude Jekyll' 01

A highly fragrant climbing rose by David Austin with the scent of the true old fashioned rose (Damask). It will grow to a height of 10 feet. Gertrude Jekyll was a famous garden designer whose influence is still around today. The foliage is mid to dark green. It has from about 80 to well over 100 petals on the beautiful bright pink blooms which are 4 inches or more across when fully open and blooms in clusters of the true English Rose rosette shape. The flowering period is throughout summer and autumn. Developed in 1986.


Constance Spry. English Rose.

Rose Constance Spry ?? ?????? ???? (6795055192)

Constance Spry is another David Austin Fragrant Climbing English Rose. It was his very first rose, introduced in 1961, and is named after the famous floral designer. Here's what his website has to say about it: "One of the most superb of all climbing roses. A beautiful rose with magnificent, clear pink blooms of true Old Rose form. The flowers are exceptionally large, with a luminous delicacy that is hard to compare with any other rose".

That would be enough for me, but there are other features of this beauty to consider. Height: 12 feet. The blooms are deep cups, 4 inches across with up to 40 petals of a gorgeous  rich rose pink (which is the only colour for a rose, after all ...) and the fragrance is a strong Myrrh (sweet and spicy) scent.

The foliage is mid green and the blooms appear singly, but when this rose really gets going, there are masses of them.  It blooms only once for a month or so during spring or early summer, but is well worth waiting for. It is excellent as a Pillar Rose as the canes have a lovely arching habit, but it looks good wherever it can be shown off to full effect, like all fragrant rose climbers. It is a hardy and very vigorous grower.


Don Juan. Hybrid Tea Rose.

Rosa Don Juan

A sumptuous Fragrant Climber with velvety rich red blooms, in clusters, up to 5 inches across with up to 40 or more petals which are delightfully ruffled and have the a strong, true old-fashioned rose fragrance (Damask) with even a hint of Raspberry. Being a Hybrid Tea Rose, Don Juan is excellent for cutting and filling your home with fragrance.

It is an excellent rose for training on a trellis or pergola or against a wall and it repeat flowers from spring through to autumn. Definitely a rose for Valentine's Day. This beauty will grow to a height of 12 feet and will not disappoint you. It's parents are New Dawn and New Yorker and it was first bred in 1958, so it comes from good stock and has had plenty of time to prove itself as popular. See what can be done with this glorious red fragrant rose climber on Google Images. 

Apart from Crimson Glory and Chrysler Imperial, which will both reach 6 feet or maybe more (see Fragrant Roses page), this is the only red fragrant rose climber which has enough scent to be called 'strong'. However, there are plenty of other red fragrant rose climbers with a milder scent.


Madame Alfred Carriere. Old Tea Noisette Rose.

Mme Alfred Carriere Schlingrose 1879 IMG 6477

The Madame Alfred Carriere rose was introduced in 1879. It is also known as a French Antique Rose. This is an amazing and easy to grow fragrant rose climber which will grow to a height of 25 feet. But it must be pruned regularly in early winter so that you don't end up with all the flowers on the top. It was the first climber to be grown at Sissinghurst Castle in the 1930's and it still grows there today.

The flowers are large, 4 inches across with 30 petals or more, and are white suffused with pink. It is shade tolerant and does best facing south (meaning north in Australia). It has the wonderful old-fashioned rose fragrance and blooms repeatedly from spring until mid autumn. The canes are flexible, making it possible to train it over just about anything you want. This rose is a must have for me. 

Compassion. Hybrid Tea Rose.

RosaCultivarCompassion-RosetoRoma

This highly fragrant climbing rose is a winner: Royal National Rose Society Edland Fragrance Medal of 1973; Award of Garden Merit 1993. It will grow to 15 feet and is ideal for  a wall, a trellis, a fence, but especially a pillar. 

The blooms are large with around 36 to 40 petals which are salmon pink, orange and rose pink, flushed with gold. They are delightfully ruffled and somewhat raggedy. It has a very strong sweet fragrance with large 4 inch blooms and dark green foliage. It flowers repeatedly from late spring to late summer. It should be pruned in early winter to keep the blooms coming. You don't want to miss any ...

It's parents are White Cockade and Prima Ballerina, both truly awesome! So it has very high disease resistance. It makes an excellent cut flower to fill your home with perfume. The blooms appear both singly and in small clusters.


Gloire de Dijon. Old Noisette Rose.

Gloire de Dijon

This beautiful old fragrant climbing rose was bred in 1853. It is frequently listed as  Hybrid Tea Rose, probably because of the pointy petals which are actually a characteristic of the Tea Roses. However, it is definitely a Noisette or a Tea Noisette. Hybrid Teas were not created until 1867 and were a combination of Hybrid Perpetuals and the Tea Roses.

Its parents were 'Desprez de Jaune' (a Noisette) and 'Souvenir de la Malmaison' ( an extremely famous and popular Noisette rose named after the home of the Empress Josephine).  Gloire de Dijon was an original inductee in the Old Rose Hall of Fame in 1988.

This amazingly fragrant rose climber will grow to 18 feet or more, surrounding you with an intense Tea Fragrance. It blooms in early summer with repeat flushes until the first frost. It has extremely high disease resistance and will even tolerate some shade.

The old fashioned fluffy blooms are 4 inches across with apricot, cream, gold and pink tones. The foliage is mid green. It has very vigorous growth for pillars, archways, a gazebo, pergola, a trellis or a wall. A truly perfect old fragrant climbing rose. Take a look at the Google Images which show just how many shades of colour become apparent as this stunning rose climber goes from bud to full bloom, and see what can be done with it.


Eglantyne. English Rose.

Elegantyne (4492488839)

This sublime David Austin fragrant climbing rose was named after Eglantyne Jebbs who founded the 'Save the Children Fund'. Developed in 1994, it is considered to be one of his very best. His website remarks: "We regard this as one of the most beautiful of the English Roses. The flowers are quite large and of exquisite formation - the petals turning up at the edges to form a shallow saucer filled with small petals". 

Its height is from 6 to 8 feet. It has a strong old rose fragrance with long stemmed single blooms, making it ideal as a cut flower. There are 130 petals or more on the 3 inch blooms which are coloured rose pink to pale pink with a large gold centre. The foliage is mid to dark green. The buds are well formed, ideal for a buttonhole.  It has very high disease resistance and flowers repeatedly from early summer to early autumn. It grows well in Australia.


Albertine. Hybrid Wichurana Rambling Rose.

Rosa Albertine - Giverny04

Beyond beautiful, this highly fragrant Wichurana Rambler is guaranteed to stun with its sheer beauty. Like most Ramblers, it only flowers once a year for a month or so, but it's so worth waiting for to enjoy the beauty and the fragrance while it lasts.

The flowers are excellent for cutting: up to 3 inches across, with beautiful clusters of pink blooms which are cup-shaped with gold at the centres. 

It will grow to 20 feet so it's another for the gazebo for coffee time, or train it over a pergola,  an arbor, a huge trellis on a wall, or just anywhere where you can see and smell it.

First bred in France in 1921, it has very vigorous growth with flexible reddish canes, ideal for training as long as you wear gloves -  it is quite thorny -  but with its delightful arching habit, it is well worth making that special effort. It will flower in late spring to the  beginning of summer for about 6 weeks, with a strong tea rose scent. I could not wish for a prettier fragrant climbing rose.

If you've never seen it, take a look at the divine Google Images. Each photo says it all ...


Westerland. Climbing Floribunda Rose.

Orange, apriclot, pink Westerland Rose. A Fragrant Floribunda Climber.The Glorious Clustered Rosa Westerland.

Westerland was introduced in 1969 by Kordes in Germany. It is a tough, hardy, reliable, vigorous, fragrant climbing rose. The strong perfume is a spicy clove scent, and it has adorable ruffled apricot to orange flowers, tinged with pink, which are large and borne in clusters. The blooms are 5 inches across - huge - with up to 30 petals or more (I counted 35 on mine). It will reach 12 feet in height and its flexible canes make it so easy to train. 

I cannot speak highly enough of this special rose. It is so cheery and 'blooms forever'. Its dark green foliage sets it off perfectly. It flowers repeatedly from spring, right through summer and into autumn. Most of the year. One of the longest flowering periods for a rose. Perfect for Autralia. And on top of this it is highly disease resistant and it will even tolerate some shade. Read more on its own page: Westerland Rose.

Aloha. Hybrid Tea Rose.

Rapperswil - Duftrosengarten - Harmonie Aloha Str. Boerner 1949 2010-08-29 16-06-44

This beautiful fragrant climbing rose has been delighting rose lovers since 1949 and is still hugely popular today; not to be confused with the Kordes 'Aloha' rose which is orange yellow. It has very large flowers, 5 inches across, which are rose pink fading to light pink, each one with 60 or more petals which become delightfully ruffled as it opens out; the reverse side is a darker pink. They are produced in very attractive clusters.

The foliage is perfect: a dark glossy green. It will grow to 10 or 12 feet in height and can be easily trained, or just left to grow up a fence or a wall with very little pruning. This is a low maintenance fragrant rose climber which is vigorous and so hardy that you can't kill it with an axe. It flowers repeatedly from early summer to mid autumn.  It has excellent disease resistance and is even shade tolerant.

Buff Beauty. Hybrid Musk Rose.

Rosa 'Buff Beauty'

This beautiful fragrant climbing rose looks like an Old Noisette Rose because one of its parents came from that beautiful class of roses (1875). It also has the classic dependable characteristics of strong fragrance (tea rose), hardiness and disease resistance. It will even tolerate some heat and some shade.

One of the best ever Hybrid Musk Roses, the blooms are 3 to 4 inches across with 45 or more petals, and droop in heavy clusters, so you can surround yourself with fragrance and beauty. The foliage is mid green and it will grow to  a height of up to 12 feet. It was first bred in 1939, so it is a well tested old favourite among the fragrant rose climbers. 

It is a repeat bloomer all summer long, with beautifully arching  canes. David Austin describes this rose as "One of the finest of the Hybrid Musks, bearing flowers of a rich lovely apricot-yellow and having a strong Tea Rose fragrance." Also available as a shrub rose to 5 feet.


Blush Noisette. Very Old Noisette Rose.

Rosa 'Blush Noisette'

Blush Noisette is a very old reliable fragrant climbing rose, first bred around 1815 and still hugely popular today. It will bloom all through summer and into autumn until the first frost. In warmer climate zones it will bloom even earlier. It is a repeat bloomer with a strong spicy clove scent. It has beautiful blooms from 2 to 3 inches across in blushing pink fading to white. These appear in clusters; the dark green foliage sets off the pale flowers beautifully. See the Google Images. Amazing.

Like all the old Noisettes, it is vigorous and hardy, with good disease resistance. The canes are long, smooth and arching, making it ideal for training over a pergola, around a verandah, as a pillar rose or on a trellis, just about anywhere you can think of. It will grow to a height of 10 feet or more.  

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"A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives you roses". Chinese Proverb.