Queen of Sweden is a lovely rose--when it blooms. I find it a bit slow on the repeat, but that might be partly during mid-summer when it gets so hot here that most of my roses shut down for several weeks. It is disease-resistant and about 4 ft tall. She always elicits comments from visitors when she is blooming.

You might also look at Munstead Wood or Molineux--both somewhat vertical--smaller size, about 3 x 2.5 ft. Can't tell you much about MW yet--just planted it, but it has been highly recommended on this forum. Molineux is quite floriferous--excellent repeat most of the time--and a lovely bloom--a blend of yellow/gold/apricot--occasionally a touch of peach, sometimes more creamy yellow/gold--changes colors a lot. I really like my Molineux.

Can't tell you about their thornlessness--just don't remember one way or another. But if they were real bad, I'd probably remember. Gertrude Jekyll is one of the thorniest bushes around--I spaded her a number of years ago but have never forgotten how thorny she is.

Good luck in your search.

Kate

Hi galgal: I have Queen of Sweden, it has big sharp thorns, but wider-space apart. My own-root Nahema is 100% thornless, blooms more, and 100% clean. Nahema is famous for its scent and disease-resistant.

For more thornless roses ... see the link below:

Here is a link that might be useful: Previous thread on thornless roses

Thanks for the info dublinbay! I will be doing tons of research on your suggestions! It didn't take me long to figure out that catalog descriptions could be slightly "off" when it comes to size!! Amazing how longer growing seasons can turn a reasonable size shrub into a monster! Lady Banks rose is beautiful, but a house eater! Rampant down our way....if only I had a place for it....(sigh) I love reading the posts from others...I have learned so much!

Hi Gagal: for a smaller thornless rose, check out the below thread for "Thornless variety for container".

Thornless mini-roses bred by Ralph Moore should be less than 3' x 2' in size, can be in a pot. See the link below:

Here is a link that might be useful: Thornless variety for container

Strawberryhill, the place I want to put the Queen of Sweden would make the thorns bearable. It would be in a 4 x 12 bed by my walkway. (Help hide the chainlink fence) is it smelly?

Strawberryhill, you are awesome! I will be looking up lots of roses tonight! Love how you listed the scented ones! Will be all over that later! Thanks!!

Hi gagal: My kid hates thorns so I spent lots of time researching on thornless roses. Lots of people complain that Queen of Sweden is a sparse bloomer, only bloom when the weather is wet and cool in my zone 5a.

Q of Sweden growth is more like hybrid tea: leggy and sparse, it won't hide your chainlink fence. I don't know if your soil is alkaline clay or acidic and sandy. There are MANY roses bushier, and bloom more than Q of Sweden.

Below is another thornless thread which many folks contributed ... hopefully you will find one similar to your soil and climate.

I forget to include Excellenz von Schubert as almost thornless, dense growth, with cute purple poms-poms ... fantastic scent, disease-resistant, and tolerates partial shade. It's worth looking that one up.

Here is a link that might be useful: My top 1/2 dozen thornless roses

My Queen of Sweden is now about 7 feet tall by 4 feet wide.
It has a very upright growth habit. The blooms are O.K. and have a slight smell.

Isst, is your Queen very hardy? Do you have any suggestions for up right roses that would work in a 4 x 12 area? Looking for something with a repeat bloom and fragrance. I gotta say, I am so excited. I did order a Grandmothers Hat! (for the spot by the side gate and house.) I am trying to avoid thorns because cat-scratch arms wouldn't go over too big where I work! lol

Hi Galgal: I'll repeat my recommendation for Nahema. 100% thornless as own-root, WAY-BETTER scent than Q. of Sweden. People grow it as an UPRIGHT bush. Predfern in my Chicagoland grows Nahema to hide his chain-link fence.

The flower of Nahema is of exquisite beauty, famous scent, last long on the bush & you'll get loads for the vase. Q. of Sweden flower shatters within a day in the vase, and have zero scent when the temp. is warm. Nothing can match the disease resistant, nor the scent of Nahema.

I tried to give my Q. of Sweden away, but no one take it.

Lol Strawberryhill! Send it to me! (kidding!) I am going to check out Nahema! My soil in the back yard is just dry dirt. Yard wasn't touched for 3 years. Now, the side bed is awesome, beautiful black crumbling stuff! Of course, i always throw and mix cow manure. I covered the bed with a thick layer of leaves last year. Can tell its even better! Can you recommend a climber that would do well on a rebar type tepee? Something that stays sane? Don't want to fight with a house eater! I really appreciate all the help! Hmmm want some spider lily bulbs? Trade for the Q of Sweden? Got hundreds! lol

Hi GAgal. I'm in north FL, same zone as you. I have pretty much the same weather and soil as south GA.
One that does well in my garden, that fits your requirements for the smaller rose is Clotilde Soupert. Not totally thornless but few and far between. One of the first to bloom in the spring, she laughs at our hot humid summers, and will still be blooming at Christmas. The flower opens more in dry weather, can ball a little in wet, though I find it quite charming. Lovely old fashioned powder scent (to me). I've had her I guess close to 10 yrs now.
I see in your last post you are wondering about a rose for a teepee. Again, in my own yard Don Juan has been a real survivor and bloomer. But not thornless. Do you need thornless there too?
Have you checked into any of the tea roses, they do well in this area. Are there any rose gardens near you? It's so helpful to be able to actually see real roses growing in your area. Donna

Thanks garden2garden! Yep, you certainly know about our weather! I don't have to have thornless, but my yard is small (fenced area around patio) so I was trying to avoid that. There aren't any gardens around me. I would love to walk and look. It's amazing what I have learned from this forum! WOW! People are so helpful. I have copied and pasted until I have a novel! Everything! Books are good, but I really enjoy the first hand experience from people here. Several roses that I thought about getting, sounded great in the catalog, but reading post, I learned that they can grow massive in our areas! I will be ordering Clotilde Soupert. Do you have yours in full sun? My back yard is on the west side of the house. When the sun hits, its on! I do have a few pines that are huge. We had them limbed up so sun gets to the yard. There are times off and on where some spots may be filtered for an hour or so. Is the Don Juan full sun?

Clotilde is shaded by a dogwood til afternoon, so she gets sunlight in the winter when the dogwood's leaves are gone and then full west sun all afternoon in the summer. My garden is on the west side of my house too.
The DJ is in full brutal sun all day. It's 2nd or 3rd yr in the ground in that spot. I dug it up and moved it once before that and it was in a large pot for maybe 5 yrs before that. It was one af the few grafted roses I bought but I think it's gone own root now. It's comming back strong this spring. The new leaves are all dark maroon right now, so pretty.
The sun can be so intense here I find that most things appreciate some filtered light come summer. My limbed up pines and cedars and dogwoods are a real blessing come August.
The old roses have been and continue to be a very fun learning experience for me, I'm glad you are enjoying them too.

I like Valentine, it stays smaller, about 3' tall, and is virtually thornless, and blooms a lot. But its smell is very faint.

This pic is a row of them at the Hermann Park Botanical Garden in Houston.

Eahamel, that is beautiful! love the color!!!! I would like fragrance, but Valentine is about to be googled to death! lol Can you recommend a climber that stays on the shorter end? For a rebar pillar? I am going to watch our teams at a track meet tomorrow (out of town) and I am swinging by a nursery I heard about.....would like a list of suggestions...may not have much...but then again...may have lots to choose from. My hubby prays for the first option!

jardineratx - I agree Valentine and Lady Pamela Carol are great roses. I do get a fantastic scent from LPC. She rather surprised me because it is almost a damask scent, which you don't really expect from a yellow rose. It comes and goes, though.