These are some of the roses that are tolerant of partial shade
Before getting into the roses that will do well with some shade, it is important to define shade and understand the shade environment, and to understand what a rose accomplishes with the sunshine it receives, so that you can decide if you are willing to live with certain attributes being diminished by the shade.
Growing Roses in Shade
Study your shaded area over an entire season before planting roses. In mid season when the sun is high overhead, many areas of your landscape receive sun for long periods. When the sun is low in spring and fall, many of those areas receive little or no sun. Your rose will need the minimum required hours of daily sun through the entire season to perform well at all.
Shaded areas are generally also dry areas. The shade is created by trees or large shrubs that quickly drain the surrounding soil of water and nutrients, and a large tree will soak up water faster than your rose can. When you plant a rose in shade, apply a good mulch around the plant to help the soil retain moisture: a heavy layer of newspaper topped with compost or aged manure. Bark mulch robs nitrogen from the soil as it decomposes, and a rose in the shade competing with large plants or trees will need all the nitrogen it can get. The compost or manure will also add natural nutrients to the soil.
Trees in particular have an extensive root system at least as wide as the crown of the tree, and often much wider. The roots compete with your rose for space as well as moisture and nutrients, and the rose may have great difficulty establishing and expanding its roots, particularly in the first year. Generally you should plant at least 2 feet from the trunk. If you are trying to grow roses under a tree with large surface roots, it may be best to grow the roses in pots. Do not build up the soil around the tree and cover the roots to provide soil for a rose or any plant. The roots are at the surface to access air; burying them will prevent that and may damage your tree.
Sunlight is essential for roses to grow and to bloom, and the amount your plant receives affects the health, growth vigor and blooming of the rose. Part shade is considered dappled sunlight or 4 to 5 hours of sunlight. In part shade your rose will grow tall and less dense, with long “leggy” limbs reaching for the sun. The problem is minimized with the more adaptable roses. Reducing the plant height by pruning cane length will encourage more dense growth: cane length can be reduced by as much as two thirds for shrub roses in very early spring while still dormant, and additional pruning to shape can be done when blooming is done. If your rose blooms on old wood, prune to shape only immediately after blooming, so the wood can grow and establish for next year’s bloom.
Blooming is most directly affected by the amount of sunlight the rose receives: the amount of blooms, frequency of blooming, the size of the bloom and even the petal color. Acceptable blooming can really only be achieved with 4 to 5 hours of direct sunlight. The most shade tolerant roses may bloom adequately with 3 to 4 hours of direct sunlight, but it should not be dappled or very early morning sun.
A few rose characteristics make a rose more adaptable to shade:
- Single roses, with the fewest petals, generally bloom better than those with more than 12 petals.
- Once flowering shrub roses put all their energy toward a single flush of blooming and will do fairly well in part shade.
- English Roses will do quite well with at least 4 to 5 hours of direct sunlight, even though the blooms are full and often repeat. However, they will not be happy competing with other roots for moisture and nutrients.
- Roses closest to a true species, with little or no hybridization, may be more adaptable. Notably, old garden roses such as gallicas, damasks and albas. Rugosa roses and China roses are also shade adaptable even though they rebloom, since they are naturally recurrent bloomers.
So, try to stay away from multi-flowering, multi-petaled roses for best success in shade. If you do try the repeating or continuous bloom hybrids, be prepared to sacrifice some blooming. But sometimes there is no predicting why certain roses do well in shade, as every garden environment is somewhat different, and a prolific blooming floribunda or spray rose may still produce plenty of blooms. There are advantages to growing roses in shade, too: both the blooms and the fragrance last longer than in full sun.
The Best Roses for Shade
These are specific roses that many gardeners have grown fairly well in part shade.
Anthony Meilland ‘Metialbaz’
Yellow roses are great glowing in shade. Anthony Meilland is a floribunda that blooms in a rich yellow that does not fade out. Large double blooms are borne in clusters, and will often produce a second flush in late summer even in the shade. Fragrance is mild and pleasant. Anthony Meilland’s plant is bushy and mounded, creating an excellen hedge or mass planting. Hardy to zone 6-9, zone 6 will require winter protection.
‘Ballerina’ Musk Rose
Often referred to as a Polyantha, ‘Ballerina’ is actually a hybrid musk rose. Hundreds of small blooms with five petals are borne in large clusters. The blooms are a bright medium pink with white eyes, blooming heavily in summer with another flush in autumn. ‘Ballerina’ is a graceful specimen plant with a rounded form and arching branches. Hips are formed in fall if the final flush of blooms is not deadheaded. ‘Ballerina’ is an own root rose, making it hardy to zone 5. Widely known for its’ shade tolerance, ‘Ballerina’ thrives on only a half day sun.
Carefree Wonder ‘Meipitac’
This Meilland shrub rose may be known as ‘Meipitac’ or ‘Dynastie’. Semi double blooms are a pink blend with white edges on the petals. ‘Carefree Wonder’ is an exceptional bloomer, often repeating. Fragrance is light and sweet. Mass plantings are spectacular, or creates a wonderful low hedge or border. It is very adaptable and quite tolerant of shade. In zone 7 and warmer, some afternoon shade will definitely benefit the plant. The plant is compact and bushy, producing hips in the fall. Very low maintenance and easy to grow, ‘Carefree Wonder’ is hardy to zone 5.
‘F. J. Grootendorst’ Rugosa Rose
‘F. J. Grootendorst’ is one of the Rugosa Roses that will tolerate light shade. Bright red double blooms are born in clusters. Fragrance is light and spicy. The plant grows tall and is a great specimen plant or the back of the border. Rugosa roses are tough and hardy, easy to grow, and tolerant of not only shade, but also wind, salt and poor soil. Hardy to zone 5.
Fair Bianca ‘Ausca’
Fair Bianca is a David Austin English Rose. Very full Camellia like blooms are pure white and very fragrant, a spicy anise scent. Large clusters of medium sized blooms are borne evenly over a 3-5 foot bush. Blooms cover the bush in mid-summer, then blooms lightly again through fall. Great in a cottage garden or mixed border. Hardy to zone 5.
Golden Showers
Golden Showers is another David Austin English Rose, but is a climbing rose. Plant it where it won’t have to compete with other roots and it will bloom nicely with four to five hours of sun. The blooms are large with a sweet fragrance, with strong stems good for cutting. The semi double flowers open in a golden yellow and fades to butter. The continuous bloomer begins in late spring and blooms late into autumn. In addition to tolerating some shade, Golden Showers will also tolerate poorer soils. It is nearly thornless and grows to about 10 feet in full sun, will often be 6 - 8 feet in shade. Hardy to zone 5.
‘Gruss an Aachen’
‘Gruss an Aachen’ is a floribunda rose with an Old Garden Rose form with salmon pink petals and salmon cream centers. The fully double blooms are at least 3” with a lovely fragrance. Blooming begins in early spring and continues to frost. Large clusters cover a compact plant, about 2 feet high and wide. It grows slowly on its own roots and is a hardy little rose. ‘Gruss an Aachen’ will tolerate some light shade. Hardy to zone 5.
Ice Meidiland ‘Meivahyn’
Ice Meidiland is an easy to care for ground cover rose. Pompom blooms are white with soft pink tones, produced in clusters from late spring to frost. The plant has a pleasing mounded habit with arching branches that is well behaved, reaching 2 - 3 feet and spreading 3 - 4’. Thorns are very sharp and woody. Deadhead to encourage blooming. Hips are formed in fall if blooms are not cut. Hardy to zone 5.