Fragrant climbing roses are garden favorites for their graceful beauty and intoxicating perfume that fills the air. If you want to transform your outdoor space into an aromatic haven, climbing roses should be at the top of your gardening list.
We’ll walk you through some of the best fragrant climbing roses you’ll want to sniff all day, from classic English roses to billowing ramblers and everything in between. Whether you want delicate blooms to frame an entryway, a cascading display to soften a fence line, or wall-to-wall color to wow your neighbors, we’ll introduce you to rose varieties perfect for your space and style!
Fragrant Climbing Roses That Fill Gardens With Sweet Scents
1. Zephirine Drouhin
- Growing Season: Spring, Summer.
- Leaf Shape: Simple, Linear.
- Specific Needs: Well drained soil, Neutral soil.
- Common Pests: Aphids, Mealybugs.
The Zephirine Drouhin rose has an upright and arching growth habit, reaching heights of 6 to 10 feet tall. Famous for its intoxicating fragrance, the blooms start out light pink and turn creamy white with age.
Zephirine Drouhin is an exceptional climbing rose introduced in 1902. The blooms have 25 to 40 petals and waft a strong fruity, citrusy perfume all summer long. The clusters of blossoms appear continually through the growing season, producing a nonstop floral display.
The deep green, glossy foliage provides an attractive backdrop for the delicately clustered blooms. Deadhead regularly encourages repeat flowering and magnifies the fragrance. This climbing rose has few disease issues when sited in well-drained soil with adequate space for air circulation. During extended periods of rain or humidity, monitor for signs of powdery mildew or black spot and treat accordingly.
The strong, flexible canes and long blooming period make Zephirine Drouhin well-suited as a rambling rose to cover arches, trellises, or fences. Pair with other highly fragrant climbers for an intensely aromatic display that will leave you dreaming of the English countryside. Start your garden oasis by providing this charming climbing rose with a place to ramble vertically while filling the air with divine perfume all season long.
2. Constance Spry
- Growing Season: Spring, Summer, Fall.
- Leaf Shape: Simple, Linear.
- Specific Needs: Moist soil, Well-drained soil.
- Common Pests: Spider mites, Aphids.
Constance Spry is an English climbing rose with abundant double blooms in shades of soft apricot to creamy yellow. The fragrant flowers have around 30 petals and appear in clusters from spring to fall.
Introduced in 1912, Constance Spry has proven its dependability as a disease-resistant, free-flowering climbing rose. The rich yellow blooms have a mild, sweet fragrance that fills the garden and perfumes the air with a honeyed scent all day.
The deep green foliage remains healthy throughout summer, providing the perfect backdrop for the clustered blooms. Deadhead frequently encourages more blossoms and maximizes the sweet fragrance. Provide consistently moist soil and plenty of sunshine for Constance Spry to flourish. Prune in late winter while plants are still dormant to maintain a manageable size and shape for your landscape.
Overall, Constance Spry offers hard-working beauty with its dependable flowering habit, pleasant fragrance, and adaptable characteristics that have made it a favorite among rose lovers for over a century.
3. Alfred Carriere
- Growing Season: Spring, Summer, Fall.
- Leaf Shape: Simple, Linear.
- Specific Needs: Moist soil, Well-drained soil.
- Common Pests: Rust, Spider mites.
Alfred Carriere is a fragrant cocktail climbing rose with dark velvety red blooms loved for their lush appearance and powerful perfume. The blooms have about 25 petals and continuously emerge buds and blossoms from spring through fall.
Introduced in 1887, Alfred Carriere has delighted rose lovers with its intense coloring and heady aroma for over 130 years. The deep red blooms have a strong, spicy fragrance reminiscent of cloves and carnations, filling the air with an alluring perfume that is impossible to resist.
The dark green foliage provides an attractive background and a healthy canopy for the clustered blossoms. Stake the canes when young to establish a sturdy framework for optimal flowering and ease of pruning. Prune back lightly in late winter while still dormant to stimulate growth and maximize fragrance for upcoming seasons.
Overall, Alfred Carriere is a climbing rose that elevates all other senses with its eye-catching color, captivating aroma, and luxurious blossom display perfect for those seeking an opulent accent for their landscape.
4. Lady Banksia
- Growing Season: Spring, Summer.
- Leaf Shape: Simple, Linear.
- Specific Needs: Moist, Well-drained soil.
- Common Pests: Black spot, Powdery mildew.
Lady Banksia is a fragrant tea rose with large, soft pink blooms. The name references British botanist Lady Banks who received the rose from renowned explorer Captain Cook.
Introduced in 1792, Lady Banksia is one of the oldest surviving climbing roses. The large double flowers have around 40 petals and emit a strong citrus-spicy fragrance. The blooms appear throughout summer and the deeply lobed green foliage provides an attractive background.
Deadhead persistently for more blossoms and demand minimal pruning due to Lady Banksia’s naturally sprawling growth habit. Provide sturdy support to establish optimal shape and form, as well as good air circulation to reduce disease risks.
Overall, Lady Banksia offers a wonderful blend of history, fragrance, and blooms that has captivated rose enthusiasts for more than 200 years, making it one of the most cherished climbing roses of all time.
5. New Dawn
- Growing Season: Spring, Fall.
- Leaf Shape: Simple, Robust.
- Specific Needs: Full sun, Well-drained soil.
- Common Pests: Spider mites, Aphids.
New Dawn is a vigorous and deeply fragrant modern climbing rose with large double pink blooms. New Dawn climbs to heights around eight feet and blooms continuously from spring through fall. The multi-layered four to five-inch flowers feature up to 50 petals in shades of soft pink turning paler towards the center. The strong lemony-floral fragrance permeates the air and the lush green foliage provides a backdrop for the bountiful blooms.
Deadhead regularly for ongoing blossoms. Provide sturdy support and consistent moisture for best growth. Spray neem oil to manage common pests and prune just after flowering to maintain an upward climbing habit.
Overall, New Dawn offers a refreshingly modern take on traditional climbing roses with its elegant blooms, year-round performance, and heavenly fragrance. The name New Dawn refers not only to its debut in the new millennium but also evokes its invigorating spirit — a rose for a new era of climbing roses.
Its generous double blooms in shades of soft pink, reminiscent of the skies at dawn, coupled with a lemony fragrance imparts a fresh feeling of rejuvenation and optimism. New Dawn’s non-stop flowering and vigorous growth habit signify an abundance of beauty waiting to be discovered at the dawn of each day in any garden it calls home.
6. Don Juan
- Growing Season: Spring, Fall.
- Leaf Shape: Simple, Flat.
- Specific Needs: Full sun, Well-drained soil.
- Common Pests: Spider mites, Rust.
Don Juan is an antique damask rose with an invigorating spicy fragrance and clusters of deep red blooms. Introduced in 1875, Don Juan climbs to heights up to 10 feet. The four to five-inch double flowers have around 35 petals in shades of deep red to crimson. The strong clove and spice fragrance permeates the air all summer long. The abundant clusters of blooms appear continuously from spring through fall.
The deep green foliage remains highly disease resistant all season. Provide sturdy supports and consistent moisture for optimal growth and performance. Prune lightly in the winter when dormant to maintain a more compact shape suited for your landscape.
Overall, Don Juan offers an intoxicating display for rose lovers with its deep red color, rich fragrance, and nonstop flowering habit. The name Don Juan pays homage to this rose’s infatuating attributes — abundant red blooms that seduce the senses with a spicy, clove-like fragrance. Don Juan’s vigorous, unrelenting growth habit, producing flowers from spring to frost, is a fitting tribute to its legendary namesake’s insatiable appetite for romance and beauty.
7. Golden Gate
- Growing Season: Spring, Summer, Fall.
- Leaf Shape: Simple, Linear.
- Specific Needs: Moist soil, Well-drained soil.
- Common Pests: Spider mites, Aphids.
Golden Gate is an Americanized tea climbing rose with buttery yellow blooms in abundance from spring to frost. The name refers to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and the rose’s introduction in San Francisco.
Introduced in 1962 by Kordes Roses, Golden Gate climbs gracefully to reach heights up to 10 feet. The four to five-inch double flowers feature up to 40 sunny petals in shades of glowing yellow and a delightful, honeyed fragrance permeates the garden in the blooming season. The compact foliage remains healthy throughout summer and provides an ideal backdrop for the bountiful blooms.
Deadhead frequently and feed lightly with rose fertilizer every couple of weeks throughout the season. Prune in winter while still dormant to maintain a more controlled shape and size. Overall, Golden Gate offers the perfect blend of color, fragrance, and charm to light up any space with an endless display of cheerful yellow climbing roses.
8. Rosa Compassion
- Growing Season: Spring, Summer, Fall.
- Leaf Shape: Simple, Linear.
- Specific Needs: Moist soil, Well-drained soil.
- Common Pests: Spider mites, Aphids.
Rosa ‘Compassion’ is an English shrub rose with an abundance of coral pink blooms and a sweet apple fragrance. The name ‘Compassion’ refers to the dedication of the rose proceeds to charity.
Introduced in 1986, ‘Compassion’ reaches heights up to five feet and blooms continuously from spring through fall. The one to two-inch semi-double flowers features up to 25 petals in shades of soft coral pink turning lighter toward the center. The sweet lemony fragrance perfumes the air and the lush green foliage provides an attractive backdrop for the bountiful blooms.
Deadhead and prune regularly to maintain the compact size and encourage more flowering. Feed with compost or rose fertilizer in spring and autumn to maximize growth. ‘Compassion’ offers beauty and bounty by producing clusters of delicate coral pink flowers all season long. The low-maintenance shrub rose habit ensures easy care and reliability. However, the continuous floral display is only part of Compassion’s charm.
The true purpose behind this rose lies in the donation of all plant royalties, proceeds from its sale and cultivation, to various charities that aid those struggling with chronic illness, disabilities, or deformities. Simple acts of kindness like growing ‘Compassion’ in your own garden can have a profound impact by supporting those in need through the cheerful pink blossoms that so gracefully grace this charitable climbing rose.
So bring a little ‘Compassion’ to your outdoor space this season — your efforts will be sweetly rewarded with both fragrant blooms and the softer satisfaction of knowing you’ve helped make the world just a little bit brighter for someone else.
9. Rosa Iceberg
- Growing Season: Spring, Summer, Fall.
- Leaf Shape: Simple, Linear.
- Specific Needs: Moist soil, Well-drained soil.
- Common Pests: Spider mites, Aphids.
Rosa ‘Iceberg’ is an English climbing rose with elegant blooms in pure white and a refreshingly crisp sweet fragrance.
Introduced in 1959, ‘Iceberg’ climbs trellises and fences to reach heights up to 10 feet. The two to three inch semi-double flowers are composed of up to 25 pure white petals. The sweet floral fragrance carries on the breeze and lush green foliage provides an attractive background for the elegant blossoms.
Deadhead regularly for ongoing flowering and prune after flowering to maintain an ideal shape and size. Feed with compost tea or balanced rose fertilizer at least once a month during peak bloom for optimal growth.
Overall, ‘Iceberg’ offers a serene vision of timeless beauty with its pristine white blossoms, elegant form, and invigorating fragrance, perfect for anchoring an English garden border or softening the facade of a traditional home.
Its gleaming white blooms and refined shape exemplify an aesthetic of graceful simplicity that never goes out of style. The ‘Iceberg’ name pays fitting tribute to this rose’s cold, crisp allure — an elegant invitation to pause and refresh the senses in any garden it calls home.
10. Parkdirektor Riggers
- Growing Season: Spring, Summer, Fall.
- Leaf Shape: Simple, Linear.
- Specific Needs: Moist soil, Well-drained soil.
- Common Pests: Spider mites, Aphids.
Parkdirektor Riggers is a beautiful German climbing rose with pale apricot flowers flushed pink and a subtle fragrance. Introduced in 1920, Parkdirektor Riggers climbs trellises and fences to heights up to eight feet. The two to three-inch semi-double blooms feature up to 30 petals in shades of pale apricot flushed with soft pink. The subtle yet pleasant fragrance perfumes the air and the deep green foliage remains healthy throughout summer.
Deadhead regularly for ongoing flowering and prune after blooming to maintain an ideal size and shape. Feed with compost or rose fertilizer in spring and fall to encourage strong new growth.
Overall, Parkdirektor Riggers offers timeless charm with its graceful growth habit, elegant apricot blooms, and alluring yet restrained perfume — qualities that make this heirloom climbing rose a garden classic.
Its subtle blend of colors, fragrance, and form exemplify an aesthetic of balanced refinement that never goes out of fashion. The name honors a German park director, a fitting tribute for a rose that so gracefully climbs trellises and fences, a rose that brings delicate beauty to any space it calls home.
11. Shropshire Lad
- Growing Season: Spring, Summer, Fall.
- Leaf Shape: Simple, Linear.
- Specific Needs: Moist soil, Well-drained soil.
- Common Pests: Spider mites, Aphids.
Shropshire Lad is an English climbing rose with clusters of warm pink blooms and a pleasant old-rose fragrance. The name references the poet A.E. Housman’s collection of poems titled “A Shropshire Lad.”
Introduced in 1921, Shropshire Lad grows vigorously on trellises and fences to reach heights up to 10 feet. The two to three-inch simple flowers feature up to 25 petals in warm shades of light pink. The mild old-rose fragrance perfumes the air and the deep green glossy foliage remains attractive all season.
Deadhead regularly for an abundance of long-stemmed blooms and prune lightly after flowering to control overall size. Feed with compost tea or balanced rose fertilizer monthly throughout the growing season for optimal growth. Overall, Shropshire Lad truly offers a moment of poetic respite with its graceful climbing form, abundant clusters of warm pink blooms, and a whisper of a fragrance reminiscent of an English countryside.
The rose’s name itself conjures nostalgic memories of youth, summers past, and pleasures simple yet sublime, perfect for those seeking to cultivate a corner of the English dream in their own garden. Say hello to Shropshire Lad, and let its warm pink blooms and soothing fragrance transport you even if just for a moment to slower, simpler times spent wandering country lanes on a summer’s day, surrounded by timeless beauty that needs no explanation at all.
12. Tangerine Skies
- Growing Season: Spring, Summer, Fall.
- Leaf Shape: Simple, Linear.
- Specific Needs: Moist soil, Well-drained soil.
- Common Pests: Spider mites, Aphids.
Tangerine Skies truly lives up to its name by flooding gardens with the brilliant orange-gold sunshine of its dazzlingly colored blooms and sweetly spiced fragrance. So if you’re looking for a climbing rose that makes an unequivocal statement, Tangerine Skies is sure to become a showstopping superstar in your landscape, lighting up your garden with its fiery glow of color and sweetly spiced notes of fragrance for season after season of enjoyment.
From early summer through fall, Tangerine Skies paints your outdoor space with swathes of vivid color as its profusion of multi-floral blooms cascades in abundance. The shades range from tangerine orange to golden apricot, intoxicating the senses and drawing admirers from nearby gardens with their intense yet cheerful vibe.
The sweet spicy fragrance wafts on the breeze, becoming stronger as the day warms up — a perfect complement to the hot summer air. With deadheading and minimal pruning, Tangerine Skies continues delivering this dazzling display month after month, transforming the most ordinary of trellises into a riot of textural color and saturation of sunny citrus perfume.
Even on gray autumn days, Tangerine Skies seems to glow from within, a last hurrah of beauty before quiet winter sets in. So if you want a climbing rose that sets the senses on fire through both its flamboyant color and aromatic display, look no further than Tangerine Skies.
With its endless parade of brilliant orange-gold blooms and all-consuming fragrances, this rose truly lives up to its name by flooding your spirit, as well as your garden, with sunshine for the seasons to come.
13. Claire Austin
- Growing Season: Spring, Summer, Fall.
- Leaf Shape: Simple, Linear.
- Specific Needs: Moist soil, Well-drained soil.
- Common Pests: Spider mites, Aphids.
Claire Austin is a sumptuous and romantic hybrid tea climbing rose with large clusters of deep pink blooms and a fruity damask fragrance. The name honors an influential gardening writer.
Introduced in 2001, Claire Austin climbs trellises and fences to reach heights up to 10 feet. The strong fruity fragrance fills the air and medium green foliage provides an attractive backdrop. Deadhead regularly for continued flowering and prune lightly after blooming to maintain form. Feed with compost tea or rose fertilizer to promote strong new growth.
Overall, Claire Austin captivates those that grow her with an abundance of exquisitely-formed blooms in deep romantic pink tones, a lush fragrance that lingers long in the memory, and a graceful graceful climbing habit that dresses any surface. She delights with incessant bloom from spring until the first frosts, scenting the air with her characteristically fruity fragrance that hints of raspberries and rosehips.
Provide Claire Austin with twining room to grow her clusters of romantic blooms and she will reward you with a gorgeous cascade of blush and deep pink charm that evokes images of bygone English gardens at their most abundant, scented, and glorious.
14. Mary Rose
- Growing Season: Spring, Summer, Fall.
- Leaf Shape: Simple, Linear.
- Specific Needs: Moist soil, Well-drained soil.
- Common Pests: Spider mites, Aphids.
Mary Rose is an English shrub rose with stunning deep pink blooms flushed with burgundy and a fruity fragrance. The name references the Tudor ship, Mary Rose, infamously sunk in the 16th century.
Overall, Mary Rose truly offers a dazzling multi-sensory feast through her elegant blooms that graduate from deep pink to rich burgundy red, an alluring fruity perfume reminiscent of summer berries, and a compact yet vigorous growth habit perfect for smaller gardens. She ages gracefully through the seasons, delighting year after year with her endless parade of deep pink blossoms flushed with burgundy from early summer until the first winter frosts.
Mary Rose pounds her heavily armored prow into the choppy seas of your garden each spring, demanding space to rule with her colors and fragrance alone. As she climbs and spreads, her buds unfurl, revealing towers of delicate yet deeply hued flowers scores of perfect petals graduating from rich magenta to the deepest burgundy red at their hearts.
Their sweet perfume wafts on the briny air, carrying hints of summer fruits ripening in the hazy warmth of an English summer. This Tudor rose grows sturdily but not wildly, establishing dominion over her small corner without being tyrannical. She tends her crowded clusters with care, deadheading dutifully to maintain her ranks of beauty arrayed for admiration.
She knows when to prune away spent growth, reviving strength for yet another display next year. And through all seasons she stands proud in the deep pink shield emblazoned on the burgundy field, magnificent in strength yet subtle in grace.
Though named for a warship sunk on the Solent, Mary Rose blooms victorious in your garden. Pride and humility mingle in harmonious balance within her crowded clusters, whose perfume transforms the dowdy air of mere survival into the sweet richness of living.
So claim your piece of English history this year through Mary Rose, whose deep pink and burgundy blossoms cascade joyfully from trellises and arches, perfuming your spirit with much-needed hope of better days to come, both within and beyond the constraints of your garden.
15. Madame Isaac Pereire
- Growing Season: Spring, Summer, Fall.
- Leaf Shape: Simple, Linear.
- Specific Needs: Moist soil, Well-drained soil.
- Common Pests: Spider mites, Aphids.
Madame Isaac Pereire is a beautifully sculptural Bourbon rose with profuse clusters of pink citrus-scented flowers. The name honors the wife of a famous French banker.
The strong citrusy fragrance fills the air and dark green foliage provides an attractive backdrop for the abundance of flowers. Deadhead regularly for perpetual blooms and prune in late winter while still dormant. Feed monthly throughout the growing season using a balanced rose fertilizer.
Overall, Madame Isaac Pereire truly offers sheer abundance and joy with her unrestrained tumble of pink blossoms and an intoxicating burst of citrus perfume. While the individual flowers may be humble in size, they appear in crowds that overwhelm the senses through sheer volume alone.
Their soothing shades of warm pink dusted with apricot create an aura of happiness found in simple pleasures and life’s everyday delights. So let Madame Isaac Pereire climb and spread in your space to her heart’s content, flooding your spirit with as much lightness and uplift as she brings to your garden through her ceaseless profusion of pink blossoms and spirited citrus perfume that infuses each ordinary moment with extraordinary grace.
16. Jubilee Celebration
- Growing Season: Spring, Summer, Fall.
- Leaf Shape: Simple, Linear.
- Specific Needs: Moist soil, Well-drained soil.
- Common Pests: Spider mites, Aphids.
Jubilee Celebration is a striking hybrid tea climbing rose with magenta-pink flowers fading to cream and yellow and a fruity fragrance. The name refers to its celebration of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee.
The fruity fragrance fills the air and foliage remains disease resistant all season. Deadhead regularly for a prolific bloom display and prune lightly after flowering to control size. Overall, Jubilee Celebration offers continual charm and color from season to season with its profusion of striking pink and cream blooms and fruity fragrance.
The climber’s vigorous nature ensures it quickly covers trellises and arches, transporting the spirit to more carefree times with its unwavering display of elegant color. So let Jubilee Celebration climb for you — adorning walls, porches, and more with its joyful magenta-toned parade of blooms and perfume befitting a queen’s celebration.
17. Gertrude Jekyll
- Growing Season: Spring, Summer, Fall.
- Leaf Shape: Simple, Linear.
- Specific Needs: Moist soil, Well-drained soil.
- Common Pests: Spider mites, Aphids.
Gertrude Jekyll is an English shrub rose with elegant clusters of pale pink flowers and a fragrant apple-spice scent. The name honors the famous British gardener. The heady apple spice fragrance fills the air and deep green foliage provides an attractive backdrop for the elegant simplicity of the flowers.
Deadhead regularly for continuous bloom and prune lightly after flowering to maintain an ideal size and shape. Feed monthly using a rose fertilizer to maximize growth. Overall, Gertrude Jekyll truly embodies the essence of English rose charm through her pale yet heady blooms, an intoxicating medley of apple and spice perfume, and restrained yet gracious form.
Her quietly elegant clusters of shell pink flowers appear profusion from spring right through to first frosts, consistently perfuming the surrounding air with her alluring scent. The easy-care, compact growth habit ensures reliability and longevity, aging gracefully over the seasons.
So welcome Gertrude Jekyllinto your garden this summer and fall under her delightful spell. As she perfumes the air around you with her heady apple-spice fragrance, let her soft pink blooms and quiet yet exuberant beauty transport your spirit to that inimitable English era when gardens existed for beauty alone.
Conclusion
The fragrant climbing roses highlighted here reveal the power of plants to lift our spirits and nourish our souls simply through their exquisite beauty and alluring perfume. Here are our top picks from the list of fragrant climbing roses worth introducing into your garden for their alluring perfume and exquisite beauty:
- Mary Rose is an English shrub rose with stunning deep pink blooms flushed with burgundy and a fruity fragrance.
- Tangerine Skies truly lives up to its name by flooding gardens with the brilliant orange-gold sunshine of its dazzlingly colored blooms and sweetly spiced fragrance.
- Shropshire Lad is an English climbing rose with clusters of warm pink blooms and a pleasant old-rose fragrance.
- Golden Gate is an Americanized tea climbing rose with buttery yellow blooms in abundance from spring to frost.
- Constance Spry is an English climbing rose with abundant double blooms in shades of soft apricot to creamy yellow.
Their ability to transform any space with perpetual charm and delight reminds us of the enduring capacity of the natural world to bring joy and comfort into our lives, so go ahead and bring some of these gorgeous climbers into your own garden this season!