Fragrant Climbing Roses: 20 Best Varieties for Your Garden

Scent is what separates a pretty rose from an unforgettable one. The best fragrant climbing roses pair a rich fragrance with vigorous growth, and one plant beside a door or seating area can perfume an entire evening. Before you buy, consider your climate, your sunlight, and the structure the rose will climb. This guide compares 20 varieties and shows you how to grow them well.

What to Look for in Fragrant Climbing Roses

• Fragrance strength: Scent varies from faint to intense, and warm mornings bring it out best.
• Flower color and form: Choose cupped, rosette, or single blooms to suit your garden style.
• Bloom season: Repeat bloomers flower from spring to frost; once-bloomers put on one huge show.
• Size: Check mature height and spread against your support.
• Disease resistance: Black spot and mildew resistance saves spraying.
• Sun and climate: Most need full sun and the right USDA zone.

20 Best Fragrant Climbing Rose Varieties

1. Eden Climbing Rose

A romantic, old-fashioned look with modern toughness.

Flower: Cupped, pale pink and cream. Fragrance: Moderate, fruity. Size: 8–10 ft. Blooms: Repeats. Sun: Full. Best use: Arches, pergolas. Zones: 5–9.

2. Don Juan Climbing Rose

A classic red climber with velvety blooms and true rose perfume. Learn more in our Don Juan climbing rose guide.

Flower: Deep red, high-centered. Fragrance: Strong, sweet. Size: 8–12 ft. Blooms: Repeats. Sun: Full. Best use: Fences, entryways. Zones: 6–9.

3. Gertrude Jekyll

A David Austin favorite often called the benchmark for old rose scent. Our Gertrude Jekyll rose guide covers it in detail.

Flower: Deep pink rosettes. Fragrance: Very strong, old rose. Size: 8–10 ft. Blooms: Repeats. Sun: Full. Best use: Pergolas, walls. Zones: 5–9.

4. Zephirine Drouhin

A nearly thornless Bourbon rose, ideal beside paths where people brush past.

Flower: Semi-double, cerise pink. Fragrance: Strong, raspberry-sweet. Size: 8–12 ft. Blooms: Repeats. Sun: Full to part shade. Best use: Trellises, walkways. Zones: 5–9. Watch for mildew.

5. New Dawn

One of the most reliable, disease-resistant climbers ever bred.

Flower: Blush pink, ruffled. Fragrance: Light to moderate, apple. Size: 12–15 ft. Blooms: Repeats. Sun: Full to part shade. Best use: Fences, large arbors. Zones: 5–9.

6. Dublin Bay

Bright, healthy, and easygoing, though its scent is gentle.

Flower: Bright crimson. Fragrance: Light. Size: 8–10 ft. Blooms: Repeats. Sun: Full. Best use: Walls, small gardens. Zones: 5–9.

7. Abraham Darby

Big, peachy blooms with a rich fruit fragrance that carries across the yard.

Flower: Apricot-pink, deeply cupped. Fragrance: Strong, fruity. Size: 6–10 ft. Blooms: Repeats. Sun: Full. Best use: Pillars, fences. Zones: 5–9.

8. Golden Showers

A cheerful yellow rose that tolerates some shade.

Flower: Golden yellow, fading to cream. Fragrance: Light to moderate. Size: 8–10 ft. Blooms: Repeats. Sun: Full to part shade. Best use: Trellises, shadier walls. Zones: 5–9.

9. Compassion

A richly scented rose with glossy foliage and excellent form.

Flower: Apricot-pink, high-centered. Fragrance: Strong, sweet. Size: 8–10 ft. Blooms: Repeats. Sun: Full. Best use: Arches, doorways. Zones: 5–9.

10. Cecile Brunner Climbing Rose

Tiny, perfect buds in abundant spring clusters on a very strong grower.

Flower: Blush pink, miniature. Fragrance: Light, sweet. Size: 15–20 ft. Blooms: Big spring flush, light repeat. Sun: Full. Best use: Large pergolas, walls. Zones: 6–9.

11. Joseph’s Coat

Flowers shift from yellow to orange to red, so one plant shows several colors at once.

Flower: Multicolor, semi-double. Fragrance: Light, fruity. Size: 8–10 ft. Blooms: Repeats. Sun: Full. Best use: Fences, color accents. Zones: 6–9.

12. Madame Alfred Carrière

A pale, generous climber that thrives on shadier north walls.

Flower: Blush-white, full. Fragrance: Strong, sweet. Size: 15–20 ft. Blooms: Repeats. Sun: Full to part shade. Best use: Tall walls, pergolas. Zones: 6–9.

13. Fourth of July

Striking red-and-white stripes that stop visitors in their tracks.

Flower: Striped, semi-double. Fragrance: Light to moderate, apple. Size: 10–12 ft. Blooms: Repeats. Sun: Full. Best use: Fences, arbors. Zones: 5–9.

14. America Climbing Rose

Coral-salmon blooms with a spicy scent and steady repeat flowering.

Flower: Coral-salmon, large. Fragrance: Strong, spicy. Size: 8–10 ft. Blooms: Repeats. Sun: Full. Best use: Arches, trellises. Zones: 5–9.

15. Iceberg Climbing Rose

A clean white rose that blooms almost nonstop.

Flower: Pure white, semi-double. Fragrance: Light, honey. Size: 10–12 ft. Blooms: Repeats. Sun: Full to part shade. Best use: Fences, formal gardens. Zones: 5–9.

16. Souvenir de la Malmaison

A Victorian beauty with quartered blooms and outstanding fragrance.

Flower: Blush-pink, quartered. Fragrance: Strong, spicy. Size: 10–12 ft. Blooms: Repeats. Sun: Full. Best use: Sheltered walls. Zones: 6–9. Blooms can ball in heavy rain.

17. Altissimo

Bold single flowers with golden stamens; choose it for looks rather than scent.

Flower: Blood-red, single. Fragrance: Faint. Size: 8–10 ft. Blooms: Repeats. Sun: Full. Best use: Fences, pillars. Zones: 5–9.

18. Jasmina

A rare lavender-mauve climber with a soft, sweet perfume.

Flower: Lavender-mauve, full. Fragrance: Light to moderate. Size: 8–10 ft. Blooms: Repeats. Sun: Full. Best use: Arches, cottage gardens. Zones: 5–9.

19. Constance Spry

Large, peony-like blooms with a myrrh scent that few roses match.

Flower: Soft pink, very full. Fragrance: Very strong, myrrh. Size: 10–15 ft. Blooms: Once, in early summer. Sun: Full. Best use: Sturdy pergolas, walls. Zones: 5–9.

20. Lady of Shalott

Warm apricot-orange flowers on a compact, easy climber. Get the full story in our Lady of Shalott rose bush guide.

Flower: Apricot-orange, cupped. Fragrance: Moderate, spicy tea. Size: 5–6 ft. Blooms: Repeats. Sun: Full. Best use: Small gardens, obelisks. Zones: 5–9.

How to Choose the Right Fragrant Climbing Rose

• Strongest fragrance: Gertrude Jekyll, Constance Spry, Souvenir de la Malmaison.
• Best repeat blooms: Iceberg, New Dawn, Compassion.
• Small gardens: Lady of Shalott, Dublin Bay.
• Arches and pergolas: Eden, Abraham Darby, Madame Alfred Carrière.
• Walls and fences: Don Juan, America, Zephirine Drouhin.
• Beginners: New Dawn, Iceberg, Golden Showers.

Want to compare more scented options? David Austin Roses keeps a collection of its most fragrant climbing roses, which is a useful place to check availability.

Where to Plant Climbing Roses

Match the rose’s size to its support. Use compact climbers on arches, arbors, and entryways where you will pass close enough to smell them. Give vigorous types like Cecile Brunner a sturdy pergola. On garden walls and fences, wire supports let air circulate. Trellises suit medium climbers. Plant them near windows and seating so the scent drifts to you.

How to Grow and Care for Fragrant Climbing Roses

Sunlight and Location

Aim for six or more hours of sun, ideally in the morning. Leave a hand’s width between the plant and the wall for airflow.

Soil and Planting

Choose well-drained, compost-rich soil with a pH near 6.5. Dig a hole about 18 inches wide and deep. In cold zones, set the graft union just below soil level; in mild zones, keep it at soil level.

Watering

Water deeply once or twice weekly, soaking the roots rather than the leaves. Mulch to keep moisture steady.

Fertilizing

Feed with a balanced rose fertilizer in early spring and again after the first flush. Stop feeding about six weeks before your first frost.

Training and Supporting Climbers

Tie canes loosely to the support. Bending them close to horizontal triggers more flowering shoots along the cane.

Pruning

Prune repeat bloomers in late winter, trimming side shoots to two or three buds. Prune once-bloomers right after flowering. Remove dead or crossing canes every year.

Pest and Disease Prevention

Good airflow, morning sun, and regular removal of fallen leaves prevent most black spot and mildew. Rinse aphids off with water, or use insecticidal soap. For a fuller checklist, see our guide to 15 common rose care mistakes.

How to Make Climbing Roses More Fragrant

• Provide adequate sunlight: Sun helps the plant produce scent compounds.
• Avoid excessive nitrogen: Too much pushes leaves instead of aromatic blooms.
• Water consistently: Drought stress weakens perfume.
• Encourage healthy growth: Strong plants produce richer flowers.
• Choose naturally fragrant varieties: No care can add scent a variety lacks.

For more scented choices beyond climbers, browse our guide to the 20 best fragrant roses.

Fragrant Climbing Roses vs. Rambling Roses

Climbers have stiffer canes, grow 8–15 feet, and often repeat bloom. Ramblers have supple canes, grow quickly to 20 feet or more, and usually flower once in one big, often intensely scented burst. Climbers suit tidy structures like fences and arches; ramblers need room and a strong support, such as a tree or large pergola.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most fragrant climbing rose?

Gertrude Jekyll and Constance Spry rank among the most fragrant climbing roses available, offering deep old rose and myrrh scents that carry far.

Which climbing roses bloom repeatedly?

Most fragrant climbing roses on this list repeat bloom, including Iceberg, New Dawn, Compassion, and Don Juan. Constance Spry is the notable once-bloomer.

What is the best fragrant climbing rose for a pergola?

Madame Alfred Carrière and Eden are excellent. Both are among the best fragrant climbing roses for pergolas thanks to their strong growth and sweet fragrance.

Can climbing roses grow in pots?

Yes. Choose compact fragrant climbing roses like Lady of Shalott, use a container at least 18 inches deep, and provide an obelisk or trellis.

How much sun do climbing roses need?

Most fragrant climbing roses need six hours of direct sun daily. Zephirine Drouhin, New Dawn, and Madame Alfred Carrière are fragrant climbing roses that tolerate light shade.

How tall do fragrant climbing roses grow?

Fragrant climbing roses typically reach 8–15 feet, though vigorous types like Madame Alfred Carrière can reach 20 feet.

Do climbing roses need a trellis?

Yes. Fragrant climbing roses cannot support themselves, so give them a trellis, wires, or a pergola and tie the canes in as they grow.

When should climbing roses be pruned?

Prune repeat-blooming fragrant climbing roses in late winter, and once-blooming fragrant climbing roses just after flowering.

Final Thoughts

The best fragrant climbing roses combine scent, color, size, and flowering habit in a way that suits your space. Start with your sunlight and support, then pick the variety whose perfume you love most.

Match the rose to your growing conditions, give it sun, airflow, and steady care, and fragrant climbing roses will reward you with years of scented blooms.