Rambler & climbing roses.
Rambler roses.
Definitions of ‘ramble’ include ‘to have no definite route’, ‘wander’ or ‘straggle’ which is
defined as ‘spread in a rambling or irregular way’.
They are hybrids of roses such as R. wichuraiana, R. multiflora and R. sempervirens.
These Wild or Species roses have long flexible canes and most only flower once a season.
Rambler roses, often around 8 m high are very fast growing.
With no support they will grow along the ground for up to 20 m.
They climb by scrambling over other vegetation with the help of their many prickles.
They produce new basal shoots each year forming clumps of long flexible canes.
They typically only flower once a season with many flowers on each stem.
They produce a lot of rose hips.
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Climbing roses.
Climbing roses developed from the old rambling roses.
Many came from spontaneous mutations on the old bushes (sports).
Canes are typically smaller than the ramblers with many being 2 to 6 m high.
They are slower growering than the ramblers and the canes are less flexible.
With no support they will trail along the ground or scramble over supports.
When tied to a trellis etc. the stiff arching canes can be trained.
Many have large single or clusters of Hybrid Tea or Floribunda type flowers.
Flowers can be single or double and in any of the usual rose colours.
Most will flower more than once over the season.
They do not produce as many hips as the ramblers.
There are some miniature climbers 2 to 3.5 m high.
J.F.
