7 climbing roses with exceptional fragrances

Climbing rose ‘Zephirine Drouhin’: indulgent notes of red fruits

Let’s start with ‘Zephirine Drouhin’, a delicate old climbing rose with almost continuous summer flowering from June to October. With a very romantic appearance, it is adorned with semi-double flowers of a beautiful bright pink leaning towards light red and petals with an undulating appearance.

In terms of fragrance, the scent is powerful. It exudes fruity notes reminiscent of raspberries or blackcurrants.

Its rather bushy silhouette is almost thornless, making it an ideal rose for climbing on an arch, greening an entrance, or placing near pathways without the risk of injury. It reaches a height of about 3 metres and a spread of 2 metres.

‘Zephirine Drouhin’ also has the advantage of being able to be grown in shaded conditions and northern exposure.

The only downside is that its resistance to diseases is not very high. It should be avoided in humid regions to prevent the development of fungal diseases.

Rose ‘Zephirine Drouhin’ (photo T. Kiya)

The climbing rose ‘Nahéma’: a name referencing the Guerlain fragrance

‘Nahéma’ is named after the richest rose essence fragrance from Guerlain, which speaks to its place in our selection of fragrant climbing roses! It offers a floral and fruity essence, enhanced by zesty notes of lemongrass.

Its repeat flowering is almost uninterrupted from summer until the first frosts. It produces well-formed, double flowers with numerous petals in a very refined candy pink reminiscent of old roses. This variety, developed by Delbard, possesses all the qualities of modern roses: vigour, floribundity, ease of cultivation, and disease resistance.

Trained as a climber, it can reach up to 3 m in height with a spread of 1.5 m. Provide it with a sunny position and use its delicate roses in cut flower arrangements.

‘Nahéma’ is a reliable choice, a best-seller awarded several medals in national and international competitions.

Climbing Rose ‘Nahéma’

The climbing rose David Austin ‘Bathsheba’: exceptional flowering and fragrance

‘Bathsheba’ from the English rose breeder David Austin brings a warm, bright, and sparkling note, thanks both to the colours of its roses and its powerful fragrance.

This recent and repeat flowering variety is adorned for several months with large, very double, bicoloured flowers in gradient shades of orange, salmon, apricot, and cream. These large rosettes reach 10 cm in diameter.

Its uniquely coloured flowers exude a powerful floral fragrance reminiscent of myrrh and sweet notes of honey, followed by tea rose.

Its silhouette reaches nearly 3 metres in height and 1.5 metres in spread. Vigorous, disease-resistant, and very hardy, it will easily integrate into the garden to illuminate a column or pergola, or to conceal a wall or shed.

Rose ‘Bathsheba’

Climbing rose ‘Le Grand Huit’: powerful notes of fruit and red wine

‘Le Grand Huit’ offers us the classic yet timeless colour of beautiful dark red velvet roses, enhanced by glossy dark green foliage.

This repeat flowering and fragrant climbing rose produces large turbinate flowers measuring 11 cm, enchanting the garden from late spring until the first frosts.

Its powerful and heady fragrance combines fruity notes of raspberry as well as red wine. This recent rose has also been awarded multiple times internationally for its exceptional scent.

Vigour, disease resistance, hardiness, and tolerance to sunny as well as partially shaded situations: these are all qualities that make it an ideal candidate for the garden.

Use its modest silhouette (approximately 2.5 metres in height and 1.5 metres in spread) to adorn a pergola or a wall.

Rose ‘Le Grand Huit’

Climbing rose ‘Souvenir du Dr Jamain’: the scent of old roses

‘Souvenir du Dr Jamain’ is an old rose variety long regarded in its time as the best climbing rose for a northern exposure and one of the finest repeat flowering hybrids.

It has a beautiful reputation for displaying large, double flowers in an astonishing velvety wine-purple hue. Its roses look wonderful in a vase, creating a lovely scented bouquet.

The flowering period extends from late spring to autumn, releasing a powerful fragrance reminiscent of old roses—sweet, rich, and suave—similar to that of Gallica or Damask roses.

Reaching over 2.5 metres in height and 1.5 metres in spread, it can be trained against a wall even in shady conditions or near pathways, as its stems are almost devoid of prickles.

Rose ‘Souvenir du Dr Jamain’

The climbing rose ‘Times Past’: an astonishing citrus fragrance

‘Times Past’ is a lovely English climbing rose, embodying the charm of old-fashioned roses while possessing the repeat flowering qualities of modern varieties.

Flowering begins in June-July and continues until autumn, coinciding with the first frosts. The flowers, in a soft palette of pale pink, open into large double cups measuring nearly 10 cm. Their fragrance is exquisite, blending tangy citrus notes with a hint of sweetness.

Small fleshy fruits (hips) then take over to adorn our rose during the cold season and delight the garden birds.

With a relatively slow growth rate, this climbing rose will reach a height of 3 metres and a spread of 1.5 metres at maturity. Use it to climb an arch or to delicately dress an old tree.

Rose ‘Times Past’ (photo Leonara Enking – Flickr)

The rose ‘Papi Delbard’: a climbing variety with sunny flowering and fragrance

‘Papi Delbard’ is a polyantha climbing rose that once again combines floribundity and intoxicating fragrance. From May to October, it produces beautiful large cup-shaped flowers over 10 cm in size, with an old-fashioned style. Their warm and unusual tones blend orange, yellow, apricot, and cream, even pink, depending on the soil type and exposure.

Their enchanting fragrance of old roses reveals fresh notes of white fruits, such as apricot and peach, as well as citrus.

A bit more demanding than other climbers, it thrives especially in the south of the Loire in a warm, non-scorching position, where it proves to be quite resistant to diseases.

Vigorous, it can reach up to 2.5 metres, or more if happy, with a spread of 1.5 metres. It will be perfect trained against a wall or climbing an arch or pergola in an English-inspired garden.

Rose ‘Papi Delbard’

For further reading

• Discover all our tips for successfully growing climbing roses in pots.