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climbing rose

Rosa setigera · Rosaceae

climbing rose (Rosa setigera)
Photo: (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · via iNaturalist

climbing rose (Rosa setigera) is a perennial vine in the Rosaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 5 and warmer, down to about -13°F.

At a glance

Typevine Derived
Lifecycleperennial USDA
Native statusnative USDA
Mature height16 ft USDA
Lightfull-sun USDA
Water needlow USDA
Growth raterapid USDA
Soil pH5–7.5 USDA
BloomMarch–May USDA
Flower colorWhite USDA
Hardiness zones5 and warmer USDA
Guild layerclimber Derived
Nursery availabilityNo Known Source USDA

USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.

Growing conditions

It needs full sun. USDA rates it as having low water needs once established. Its drought tolerance is rated high. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 5 to 7.5 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 5.

Size and growth

At maturity it reaches about 16 ft, making it a small tree or large shrub. It grows quickly.

Bloom period

USDA records a bloom period of March through May. Flowers are white.

A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.

Foliage, flower and season

Summer foliage is dark green, fine in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its fruit or seed heads are conspicuous, extending interest past flowering. Its active growth period is spring. USDA rates its lifespan as moderate.

What the site needs to provide

USDA records it across sites receiving 20 to 60 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 140 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 6 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.

Propagating it

Propagate it from seed, bare root and container stock. Seed needs cold stratification — a period of moist chilling — before it will germinate, so sow in autumn or chill it artificially before a spring sowing. Its seed spreads at a slow rate. It does not spread vegetatively, so it will stay where you put it.

Resilience and wildlife

Browsing animals find it moderately palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest. Its fire tolerance is rated medium, and it can resprout after damage. Its growth form is recorded as single stem.

Role in a guild

Climber. In a layered planting this is it uses other plants or structures for vertical support rather than standing on its own. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.

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Tags

deciduousdrought-tolerantsandy-soilnativefull-sunfast-growingclimber

Related plants

Others in Rosa

Similar role and hardiness

Where this data comes from

Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol ROSE2, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.

Read our full data sources and methodology.

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