IME, the big winner, hands down is R. setigera. It is the only rose I know that will bloom with NO direct sun.

I had to travel 2000 miles to see Iceberg with leaves and flowers at the same time. It is the definition of a blackspot magnet, which isn't a good characteristic for shade tolerance.

R. nitida did terribly in shade, which really surprised me.

Here in so cal , iceberg is planted every where and in every situation and it definatley blooms in the shade . it is usually hacked back to near death by landscapers and bounces back just fine. we dont have black spot tho

On that note , my blush noisette gets only a bit of sun . It’s mostly in shade and if I’m honest I don’t know when the sun hits its side of the arbor bc I hardly see it ! It blooms just as nice as anything , I really love this rose and wish it was grown more.

While Iceberg did bloom a bit in the partial shade here in Colorado, it really bloomed up a storm when I moved it to the sun. In the partial shade the spring flush was weak and I don't really remember much repeat. Since then a tree grew up behind it in it's sunny location and so it is probably partial shade again but it is still doing well so there may be some component of maturity that comes into play. However, in this location it is in a rock bed so probably gets some reflected sun more so than it did in the first location where it was in a mulch bed.

Here it is in June 2024 during the spring flush and at 7 yrs old. It stays a pretty small size here.

Thank you for all your comments. It is really helpful to hear. As you might guess, I am thinking of planting a rose in a space that will probably become more and more shaded over time. Agree about the blush noisettes too. Reflected sun is a good point to consider also. Many thanks!

Mme. Alfred Carriére and Darlow’s Enigma do tolerably well in shade for me, as does Lady Emma Hamilton, surprisingly, but so-called shade tolerant Roald Dahl blooms poorly and gets terrible BS in shade. I think in general one has to accept most shade-tolerant roses will not bloom or repeat as well as in, say, at least morning sun. The type of shade (dappled, light, full etc.) and climate play a big part. Most roses recommended for ‘full sun’, for example, benefit from some afternoon shade here.

Thanks Nollie, it isn't a simple calculation. By the way, I am watching the latest BBC GW broadcast, and I am sure that Nick, in his new garden, said he has planted several 'Lady Emma Hamiltons' - as if this rose is easily obtainable. I know he is a professional gardener, but really!

@ClematisDorset Mild humid9b

I think that segment about Nick's garden was filmed a couple of years ago, when he'd just moved in, so that rose was still being sold then.

He's done a lovely job with his small garden, where plants come first it seems.

...and I'm on the wrong thread, sorry I thought this was the Roses one..

Clematis, I totally forgot about a rose that might suit your position, assuming you are looking for something shrubby rather than a climber - Astronomia. Mine is on the North side and shaded by an olive tree for much of the day and is one of my best, healthiest near-continuous bloomers. Be strict with pruning to size and shape when young (when it throws out long awkward canes) and it forms a lovely rounded shrub:

With the proviso that my shade is may be brighter than yours!

@Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca

Lovely BlushvNoisette! Ivread about her. She soubds wonderful! Do you have any photos? Us she realky nearly thornless? I think O wouod live her on an arbor! I’m putting her on my wish list.

Thanks Marlorena, nice to see you on my shade question thread! Re Nick's garden, I thought the film was only from last year, but now realise the proper Spring series hasn't started. I remember BBC GW showing Nick's new garden when he moved in, and remember feeling intrigued regarding what he will do with it. I should think he needed quite a few vans just to move his potted plants, which always looked amazing.

I was beginning to think a climber would be better, Nollie, you know so it could 'reach for the sun', but at this stage I am open to exploring all types of roses. Thank you for the mention regarding formative pruning too. I will take a look at Astronomia. I was thinking that your shade us probably brighter than mine. Yes, we are both in zone 9, but your sun shines so much more intensely!


Thankyou for that interesting chart, Ross. I intend to study it soon. It looks very helpful.
I will have another look at Rosa glauca. I don't know of 'Erinnerung an Brod' and 'James Galway', so will take a look at those too.

Thankyou to everyone who chimed in with their experiences. I am going to look at all the mentioned roses.

Thanks for the pics too, Mmmmm and Nollie!

Thankyou Peter too. I have always liked the look of Queen of Sweden. Your Princess of Alexandra's were a sight to behold. I did once have a Lark Ascending, but I tried to take it out of its pot and plant it in the ground and something went wrong. I can't quite be sure what went wrong and because several roses failed at the same time, it probably wasn't the fault of Lark Ascending! maybe its fine feeder roots became damaged, or maybe the soil was wrong. Luckily I know a bit more about roses now, having been in the company of keen rosarians on these threads (including GW before it ended) so I might try Lark Ascending again, without feeling jinxed!

I’m not sure I fully trust DA’s recommendations for their own roses suitable for shade. It seems to me, the closer to their species ancestors a rose is, the happier and healthier they are likely to be in shade. The pure species roses, simpler blooms, the ramblers, rugosas, maybe albas and hybrid musks.. Anyone with more knowledge on the topic than me care to comment/demolish that theory?

Out of interest I tried selecting climbers and shrubs for both shade and disease resistance on the Trevor White site and this is what came up:

https://www.trevorwhiteroses.co.uk/shop/?swoof=1&pa_situation=climbing-roses-for-shade-north-wall%2Cshade-tolerant&pa_special-feature=excellent-disease-resistance

Delete the disease resistant filter and they have a lot more.

I am feeling quite the same, Nollie, re some of DA's recommendations. For instance, I planted in pots, Boscobel "full sun" and Lady of Shalott "part sun, shady" and guess which one failed! (They were next to each other with same amount of sun). It took about 4 years for LoS to become weedy. I knew less then, but I treated them the same...

I think the first commenter mentioned a single species rose that did not do well - Nitida, but Setigera did do well, but I am sure you are onto something with your theory!

Thankyou for checking Trevor White's site. I will certainly have a look there.

Hate to say it but Multiflora

I've seen dozens of Multifloras thriving in the middle of our dense woods.

While on my walks I even encountered a Multiflora, a giant one that was probably around 30 of age. It was probably living in ZERO hours of direct sun light, or near zero.

I also cast a vote towards R. Setigera. It was living in conditions I thought weren't possible for a rose 😆. Not sure if it even had any direct sun light as well.

Shade=Black Spot in epic proportions in these corners.

Moses.

Celestial night I accidentally planted in nearly complete shade here and she does well. She is on a north corner under wisteria and only gets sun when it is going down in the evening. Only three flushes a year in the shade, but many buds, and she stays more purple in the shade. Very healthy, no blackspot in my humid climate

@Elestrial 7a - That looks amazing! Very healthy, nice blooms etc. Looks like it's living the life haha

Lovely Celestial Night! You grow it well, Elestrial. I look forward to mine becoming such a thing of beauty eventually. Mine is a new bare root this spring.

Elestrial your Celestial Night is stunning, especially since it grows in shade. Amazing. Do you live in a fairly southerly latitude? You are zone 7 and can grow wisteria? Here in the way north latitude for US, same as southern Maine, I don't find any roses that are shade tolerant. Our growing season is hot, dry, and sunny, but short. Except for last year when we had no real winter. The seasons are increasingly strange. Diane, zone 7, SW Idaho.

Thank you everyone - we brought her with us from our old house - but it was October when we moved in and we didn't realize we planted her right at the base of a huge wisteria tree. Oops. Once that monster leafed out in the spring and we saw poor Celestial completely shaded, the plan was to move her. But she's done well, so she can stay put

Diane - I'm up in Pennsylvania with Moses - but in the south east corner. Hot, swampy summers - short growing season. The last few years we had mild winters too, but this past one was awful. Mother nature always keeping us on our toes

Judi - you will love her, she's a bloom machine in the sun, and so carefree. Just wish she had a fragrance