• Roses in Gardens, Alan Toogood , 1987
• Climbing Roses, Helen Van Pelt Wilson, 1955
• Heirloom Old Garden Roses catalog, 1999
• The Graham Stuart Thomas Rose Book,Graham Stuart Thomas, 1994.
• The Serious Gardener™ Reliable Roses,Christine Utterback, Michael Ruggiero, 1997
• Beautiful American Rose Gardens, Mary Tonetti Dorra, 1999
• Gardening in the Shade, Harriet K. Morse, 1982
• The Complete Shade Gardener, George Schenk, 1984
• Quarterly Rose Letter of the Heritage Roses Group, Don Gers, 2002.
• Roses of Great Britain and Ireland, G.G. Graham, A. L. Primavesi, 1993
• Roses for Woodland, the Wild Garden and Partial Shade, Peter Beales, 1992
• Light Requirements, from Reliable Roses, 1987
• Rev. Joseph H. Pemberton, 1908
• The Rockwells' Complete Book of Roses, 1958
• Are there any roses that grow in partial shade?, Suzanne Frutig Bales, 1994
• Roses for Shade, Gregg Lowery, 2000
• My Shady Rose-Garden, Whitman Cross, American Rose Annual, 1932
• Growing Roses In The Shade, Searing Baldwin, American Rose Annual1976
• The Shady Rose Garden, Roy Hennessey, Hennessey on Roses, 1942
• Made In The Shade, Lori Levine, The American Rose magazine, Jan 2000
  
  

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• [These roses] "flower well in dappled shade and, even more importantly, they look at home amoung trees, especially in an 'exotic' woodland - one with such shrubs as azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, pieris, magnolias, kalmias, etc: R. eglanteria, R. farreri persetosa, R. moyesii, R. omeiensis pteracantha, R. rubrifolia, R. spinosissima, R. xanthina 'Canary Bird'.   
  -- Alan Toogood , Roses in Gardens, 1987
  
  
• 'Mermaid' hybrid bracteata  "One outstanding quality: it will do well in shade or semishade (certainly not dense)."  -- Helen Van Pelt Wilson in Climbing Roses, 1955.
  
  
• "Darlow's Enigma"  "(Ancestry unknown) Purest white, semi-double blooms that open flat to show golden centers, produced in clusters that are so wonderfully fragrant with rich, sweet perfume that, when conditions are right, you cam smell from 10 feet away......Louise has it in her garden in full shade which doesn't faze it at all."  
  -- Heirloom Old Garden Roses 1999 catalog.
  
  
• r. elegantula 'Persetosa' (r. farreri) "The Threepenny Bit Rose, so called because of the size of its flowers......It is the flimsiest of roses, like Rosa willmottiae but with leaves and flowers of half the size, and with the grace of R. webbiana. In the garden it appears to flourish best in cooler places, even in partial shade, when its ferny grace is the more apparent. In hot positions the foliage is frequently burnished or purple-tinted."
  -- Graham Stuart Thomas in The Graham Stuart Thomas Rose Book, 1994.
  
  
• "What are shade-tolerant roses? 'Veilchenblau', an old rambler that blooms once a summer and whose name means "blue veil" in German, actually performs better in a shaded site. The clusters of small blossoms have a better color in such a location; direct sun bleaches them from vilolet to an unattractive purplish pink. This rose is descended from the Asion species R. multiflora, the living fence that has become such a weed in North America; R. multiflora thrives even in the middle of the woods, and Ruggiero suggest that those with shady gardens look to its descendants for their roses. Besides 'Veilchenblau', there is the thornless rambler 'Tausendschon', whose clusters include blossoms from deep pink to white, and 'Violette', which resembles 'Veilchenblau', except that the flowers are a deeper violet in hue."
  -- Christine Utterback with Michael Ruggiero in The Serious Gardener™ Reliable Roses, 1997.
  
  
• "Pat Henry carefully monitors her ongoing testing of the shade tolerance of roses. Many of her experiments disprove the age-old rule that roses must have 6 hours of sun. In Pat's garden, many of the Musks, Teas, and Chinas are in partial shade and receive only 4 1/2 hours of sunshine each day. Through the years, Pat has found that 'Penelope' (Hybrid Musk), 'Charlotte Ann' (Floribunda), and 'Champneys' Pink Cluster' (Noisette) thrive in partial shade if they have good air circulation to avoid fungus problems. When grown in their 1-gallon containers, she can acclimatize by moving them deeper and deeper into the woods each year."
  -- Mary Tonetti Dorra in Beautiful American Rose Gardens, 1999.
  [Pat Henry is co-owner of Roses Unlimited, and lives in North Carolina]
  
  
  
• "THE REFLECTING POOL     This can be made a very decorative feature in the design of an open garden of many trees. This great mirror will be place with care so that nothing uninteresting may come within the ranges of its reflection. A dignified frame for such a mirror in the shade is a closely clipped wreath of dwarf yew to mask completely the pool's edge--and nothing else, no aquatic, nothing to interfere with the carefully planned picture. (The clouds will form their own pattern.) Instead of the dwarf yew, a ring of roses will do well in half shade; Rose wichuraiana would be perfect around this pool. It is easily pegged down, has handsome glossy leaves, and after blooming can be kept in trim by sever pruning. (To avoid black spot, be careful not to plant roses too near the water.)"
  -- Harriet K. Morse in Gardening in the Shade, 1982, Timber Press, Beaverton, Oregon.
  
  
• "Hybrid Musk Roses and the climbing roses will flower in full summer shade if they receive sun in spring, the season when they set their flower buds. Other roses, though they prefer sun, will accept half shade."
  -- George Schenk in The Complete Shade Gardener, 1984, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
  
  
• "This humble rose [Rosa gymnocarpa] with delicate fern-like leaves loosely scattered along thin bristly canes never forms dense hedge, but runs about the woods or along stream banks searching for a suitable niche. Gymnocarpa's willingness to bloom its diminutive rose-pink flowers in patchy shade is an uncommon and valuable attribute among roses. The ability to bloom and set seed with minimal sunlight coupled with a root-spreading adaptation confers on Rosa gymnocarpa an evolutionary advantage, allowing the rose to explore the bare understory of woods where few other shrubs can survive."
  "Except for naturally occuring crosses with other wild roses, there are no garden hybrids of Rosa gymnocarpa. A pity, because this dainty rose seems to have much to offer, especially in its tolerance of shade. But who is thinking of roses in the shade garden?"
  --Don Gers in the "Quarterly Rose Letter of the Heritage Roses Group", Volume XXVII, Number 4, November 2002.
  
  
• "The most obvious natural habitat for the climbing species of Rosa is woodland. However, few, if any, or our roses can tolerate dense shade, and it is mainly on the margins of woodland or in the more open spaces such as the edges of rides that we find most of the roses in this habitat. R. arvensis, a typical woodland species, seems to be tolerant of a fair amount of shade. Of all our species this has the weakest stems, and so one would expect that it would be in the greatest need of the support of other plants in order to reach the light. It certainly does climb, sometimes hanging vertically downwards. This is usually in places where there is fairly dense shade. Its more usual habit is to form low sprawling masses without support in more open parts of the wood, perhaps taking advantage of its tolerance for partial shade to colonize these particular areas. Species of Rubus colonize open spaces in woodland in the same way."
  "In regions where R. arvensis occurs in the nearby hedgerows or woodland this species is found encircling the bases of the larger shrubs such as hawthorn, but rarely on its own in the open. It may be that it prefers the partial shade afforded by the shrubs; the leaf litter below them may provide a closer approximation to woodland soil, or the young rose bushes may be protected from grazing animals."
  --G.G. Graham and A. L. Primavesi in Roses of Great Britain and Ireland, 1993, Botanical Society of the British Isles, London.
  
  
• Roses for Woodland, the Wild Garden and Partial Shade
  Most old roses are not too happy if planted in dense shade, but several species and varieties will tolerate partial or dappled shade. They usually look somewhat out of place in coniferous woodland, but some species combine well with deciduous plantings or even mixed plantations where conifers are in the minority. This is not to advocate turning such areas into rose gardens, but a few groups planted here and there in glades, clearings and along paths can provide added interest to a woodland walk.  Apart from the pleasure offered to the eye, they attract, in season, insects to their floweres, provide thickets for nesting birds, and, in due course yield edible fruit for a variety of wildlife. Many species also have attractive autumn foliage.   Peter Beales Roses, 1992.
  
  
• Light Requirements.  After soil and drainage, the amount of sunlight a garden gets is probably the most critical factor when determining what types of roses will do well. Although some roses may succeed in a semishaded spot, and area that receives an average of 4 to 5 hours of direct sunlight will support a far greater range. A bit of shade at the right time, however, is helpful: if your roses are shaded from 1:00 to 4:00 in the afternoon, the hottest part of the day, the blossoms will stay fresh longer and won't lose their colors as quickly. Protection of this kind is especially valuable in hot-weather areas such as the Deep South.  
  Reliable Roses, 1997.
  
  
• And as to shade. Well, roses like shade from the afternoon but not from the early morning sun. It is very convenient, when growing for exhibition, to have the long shadows from distant trees come creeping over the bed about half-past four in the afternoon, because as soon as the roses are shaded we can commence cutting for the next day's show.
  Roses: Their History, Development, and Cultivation, Rev. Joseph H. Pemberton, 1908.
  
  
• Sun and shade are other factors affecting the micro-climate with which we plan to provide our roses in order to have them do their best. High shade and shelter from trees on the north or west will help to ward off late frosts in spring when growth is just starting, and from early frosts in autumn when roses are still in full bloom. Such tree, of course, should not be so near that their roots will rob the rose beds of moisture. Under such conditions it is possible to resort to a "root barrier".
       Some "high" shade in summer also is often helpful. While roses, under most conditions, will take full sun and like it, the scorching blaze of a midday summer's sun, especially if the plants are growing in a rather light soil, may prove to be too much of a good thing. Under such circumstances, light shade from three to five hours during midday, or during the afternoon, will prove helpful in prolonging the life of flowers on the plants and preventing or lessening the so-called "bluing" of many of the red varieties.
  The Rockwells' Complete Book of Roses,  F.F. Rockwell and Ester C. Grason, 1958.
  
  
• Q. Are there any roses that grow in partial shade?
  
  A. It is a mistaken notion that all rose need a full day of sun. While it is true of many modern roses, it is not true of some old-fashioned, species and shrub roses. They can be placed in a partially shady border, grouped along a woodland clearing where they receive only a half day of sun. For a natural look, group several of the same roses together. They make welcome homes for nesting birds and small animals such as rabbits.
  Burpee American Gardening Series-Roses, Suzanne Frutig Bales, 1994.
  
  
• Roses for Shade, by Gregg Lowery in Vintage Gardens 2001 Catalog, pg. 218

       Sunlight is a basic need that all roses share if they are to thrive. A very few roses, however, have proven to be tolerant of more or less shady conditions. Most roses perform best with 5 to 6 hours of direct sun each day, preferably, during the middle of the day, and more hours of sun are usually beneficial. We have experimented with a very wide range of rose classes and varieties in a range of shadier conditions and have learned a great deal.

       Two groups stand out as particularly successful at blooming well and remaining free of disease in shady conditions. For the best performance we have found that a minimum of 3 hours of direct is necessary, or 6 or more hours of dappled sunlight. The.Old Noisette, or Champneys type roses are quite amenable to these conditions, as are the majority of Pemberton's and Lambert's Hybrid Musks. Of particular note are two roses which have done splendidly in very little direct sunlight, BALLERINA (HM) and BUBBLE BATH (HM). The Hybrid Musks are closely related to Rosa multiflora, which is also tolerant of shade. But they also have a distant relative in the Musk rose, one parent of the Old Noisettes. This double link to shade-tolerance in both Rosa multiflora and Rosa moschata may explain why the Hybrid Musks do so well in less than the sunniest of conditions.

       Also derived from Rosa multiflora are the old Polyantha roses, and their descendants, the Floribundas. We have found these two classes to be moderately tolerant, of shady sites, and very resistant to disease.

       We have read of roses which are claimed to be happy in the shade, Zephirine Drouhin, for example. But our attempts at growing this and several other supposedly shade-loving roses have not met with success. Climate must play a role in this, and we encourage others to do as we have done and experiment, always looking for the signs of failure and giving up when a rose is clearly not happy. Remember too that shady conditions evolve over time, usually increasing in intensity, without our being fully aware. Tree shade can be tolerable one year and crippling to the health of a rose just a few years later.

       The following is a list of roses which we have actually grown in 3 hours or less of sun for at least three years, and which have performed very well.

  Some shade-Tolerant Rose Varieties

  Hybrid Musk	Polyantha	Noisette
  Ballerina	"Footlights"	Blush Noisette
  Belinda	Gloria Mundi	Bougainville
  Bloomfield Dainty	Katherina Zeimet	Cato's Cluster
  Bubble Bath	La Marne	Champneys' Pink Cluster
  Clytemnestra	Little White Pet	Fewell's Noisette
  Cornelia	Marie Pavie	Frazer's Pink Musk
  Daphne	Mignonette	Mary Washington
  Daybreak	Mlle Cecile Brunner	Nastarana
  Excellenz von Schubert	Mrs R. M. Finch	Tutta's Pink
  Felicia	Paquerette
  Kathleen	Phyllis Bide	Modern Shrub
  Moonlight	The Fairy	Applejack
  Mozart		Birdie Blye
  Pax	Floribunda	Rosy Cushion
  Penelope	Escapade	Sea Foam
  Prosperity	Iceberg
  Sally Holmes
  Thisbe
  Windchimes
  Yesterday

  
  
  
• My Shady Rose-Garden, by Whitman Cross in 1932 American Rose Annual
  
  
• Growing Roses In The Shade, by Searing Baldwin in 1976 American Rose Annual
  
  
• The Shady Rose Garden, by Roy Hennessey in 1942 book Hennessey on Roses
  
  
• Made In The Shade, by Lori Levine in January 2000 The American Rose magazine
  

       Most roses need five or more hours of light a day; however, there are many rose varieties that do well in filtered shade and three to four hours of sun. I’ve found that many of the old garden roses, hybrid musks, climbers and some of the modern English roses do well in partial shade conditions. Of the old garden roses, almost all of the alba roses will take shade. Alba roses are tall, one-time bloomers that are very hardy and disease-resistant with colors ranging from white to pastel shades of pink. Galllicas form another class of one-time bloomers including some that are shade tolerant. Polyantha roses are compact, ever-blooming and are the predecessors of the modern floribundas.
  
       Hybrid musks as a class are noted for their disease resistance and shade tolerance. ‘Lavender Lassie,’ ‘Ballerina,’ and ‘Felicia’ are among those I would recommend. ‘Lavender Lassie’ is covered in buds with just a few hours of morning sun. ‘Ballerina’ has delicate single blooms that appear in large clusters like a hydrangea and repeat well and ‘Felicia’ has dainty apricot-pink blooms with a nice scent, in partial shade.
  
       English roses are modern roses bred to combine good repeat bloom with the form and fragrance of an old garden rose. A few of these will tolerate shade, such as “Fair Bianca,” a short bush with cupped white blooms; ‘Tamora’ a short apricot; ‘Abraham Darby,’ a tall-growing apricot pink; and ‘Bow Bells,’ a medium-pink cupped bloom. The floribunda ‘Gruss an Aachen’ also does very well in shade.
  
       Finally, there are many climbers that will take shade. The ones I grow in partial shade are ‘Mme Alfred Carriere’ a white noisette, ‘Zephirine Drouhin,’ a soft pink large-flowered climber, and ‘New Dawn,’ another soft pink large-flowered climber.
  
       Adaptability is often the name of the game in roses. So if you find your garden offers a less-than-ideal amount of sun-light, consider these made-in-the-shade options. (Pictures of these roses are shown in the January 2000 issue of The American Rose magazine.)

last updated 2005 March 15