Name: The Plant Company
Address: 284 Meeanee Road, Meeanee, Napier, 4112, New Zealand
Telephone: 0800 843 752
Price range: Contact Us
Rating: 4.8/5

top 10 climbing roses

Searching for the perfect rose to create that dramatic archway, lush fence, or vibrant garden wall? Our guide to the top 10 climbing roses highlights hardy varieties that thrive in NZ gardens, offering beauty, fragrance, and an ever-changing vista throughout the seasons. Whether you’re after classic old-fashioned charm or vivid, modern colour, these climbers will help you shape a living tapestry that’s easy to maintain and rewarding for years.

Rosa banksiae 'Alba' growing on a pergola and featuring masses of stunning white flowers.

Rosa banksiae 'Alba' (Banksia Rose)

Rosa banksiae 'Alba' (White Banksia Rose) is a spectacular climbing rose prized for its masses of small pure white flowers produced in spring. This vigorous thornless rose is ideal for covering large structures and creates a stunning seasonal display in New Zealand gardens.

Buy Rosa banksiae 'Alba' (Banksia Rose)

From $30.29

Suited to regions: All regions

Plant type: Rose Plants

Height: 3.00 m

Spread: 3.00 m

Flowering time: Spring, Summer, Autumn

Garden uses: Arches, Banks, Living areas, Parks, Specimen

Garden styles: Backyard, City & Courtyard, Frontyard, Japanese, Modern, White

Rose Ann Turner

Rose Ann Turner is a climbing rose that features masses of double, pink flowers. The blooms emerge in spring and continue until autumn provided the spent flowers are removed. The foliage comprises small-sized, dark green leaves which provide a lovely backdrop to the flowers as it grows to 2 m tall and the same wide.

Buy Rose Ann Turner

From $30.29

Suited to regions: All regions

Plant type: Rose Plants

Height: 2.00 m

Spread: 2.00 m

Flowering time: Spring, Summer, Autumn

Garden uses: Living areas

Garden styles: Backyard, City & Courtyard, Cottage, Frontyard, Japanese, Modern

Why Choose Climbing Roses?

Climbing roses are the ultimate solution for vertical interest in the garden. They offer repeat flowering, stunning scents, and versatile growth—ideal for pergolas, trellises, fences, and even espalier against a sunny wall. With their long canes and abundant blooms, climbers turn every corner into a showpiece.

Our Top 10 Climbing Roses

Introducing the top 10 climbing roses prized for garden performance, health, and beauty.

1. Rosa banksiae 'Alba' (Banksia Rose)

Renowned for its clusters of small, white, lightly-scented flowers, Rosa banksiae 'Alba' (Banksia Rose) is a vigorous climber that’s almost thornless, making it a family-friendly choice for archways and fences. It’s a spring flowering spectacle that’s easy to grow in most parts of New Zealand.

2. Rosa banksiae 'Lutea' (Banksia Rose)

Another standout, Rosa banksiae 'Lutea' (Banksia Rose), bursts into a carnival of fluffy, soft-yellow double blooms. Fast-growing and virtually trouble-free, it’s a favourite for covering walls with golden abundance in early spring.

3. Rose Blackberry Nip Climbing

For those who love fragrant gardens, Rose Blackberry Nip Climbing delivers with strongly scented, velvety, deep-purple blooms. This modern classic flowers in flushes and proves highly disease resistant, mixing character and resilience in one beautiful plant.

4. Rose Albertine

Cottage-garden enthusiasts adore Rose Albertine for its old-fashioned, copper-pink double blooms and delicious apple scent. Reliable and robust, Albertine is ideal for adding vintage romance to pergolas and boundary fences.

5. Rose Ann Turner

If you appreciate elegance and vigour, Rose Ann Turner dazzles with its striking bi-colour flowers—rich yellow suffused with deep carmine—that bloom repeatedly over long canes.

6. Pierre de Ronsard (Eden Rose)

Pierre de Ronsard, also known as Eden Rose, graces the garden with large, fragrant, old-world style blooms in soft pink and cream, making it a favourite for cottage and formal spaces alike.

7. Dublin Bay

This ever-popular variety features brilliant cherry-red, semi-double blooms and glossy foliage. Dublin Bay is perfect for beginners, offering robust flowering and minimal fuss.

8. Cecile Brunner Climbing

A classic for archways, the Cecile Brunner climber offers sprays of petite, pale-pink rosettes with a sweet fragrance and healthy, thornless canes.

9. New Dawn

New Dawn is beloved for its continuous display of blush-pink blooms and mild apple scent. It’s an exceptionally reliable, vigorous climber, well-suited to New Zealand conditions.

10. Souvenir de la Malmaison Climbing

This romantic heirloom climber bursts with large, highly scented, pale-pink blooms and repeat flair, adding luxury to pergolas and sunny fences.

Add Lasting Beauty to Your Garden

With these top 10 climbing roses, you can create a spectacular, long-lived garden feature that brings season-long interest and beloved fragrance to your outdoor haven. Browse our full range to find the perfect climbing rose for every space and style.

Contact us

Whether you need assistance finding the plant you’re looking for or you simply want to know more about who we are and what we do, we invite you to get in touch with us today. A member of The Plant Company team will get back in touch as soon as possible.

top 10 climbing roses

Rosa banksiae 'Alba' (Banksia Rose)

Rose Ann Turner

Did you find what you are looking for?

Why Choose Climbing Roses?