In gardening, what are the differences between climbers and ramblers?
If we are speaking of roses, ramblers are generally from a first-generation cross of a species rose (most often multiflora or wichurana). They are heavily influenced by the species parent, meaning they are vigorous, quite hardy, generally have clusters of smaller blooms, and are most often once-blooming in the spring. They tend to produce a lot of wood, and under good growing conditions, can be heavily pruned or cut back to the ground after flowering. They will produce new growth, to mature this year, but not bloom again until next spring. Multiflora rambers are somewhat hardier, but tend to mildew more than wichurana ramblers. Wichurana ramblers tend to have more glossy foliage. Many ramblers are pink to red, with a few whites, creams, or light yellows. Here is Dorothy Perkins, a wichurana rambler:
Climbing roses are a mixed bag. Some are from a vegetative sport (mutation) of a hybrid tea, grandiflora, or floribunda. They will have blooms just like the plant they sported from, but taller canes. They may be a very upright pillar rose or a giant, broad shrub. The ones like this mostly take the name of the plant they came from, such as Climbing Peace (the hybrid tea) or Climbing Angel Face (Floribunda). Climbing Peace is a giant plant that climbs more than it blooms. Climbing Angel Face makes a nice shrub and is a great rebloomer, so these all vary.
Other climbing roses are crosses between ramblers or other climbers, and larger flowered roses such as hybrid teas. Some grow tall, some short, some bloom more than others. As they are repeatedly bred for larger, more hybrid-tea like blooms, they take on more of the characteristics of hybrid teas, also. They are more free-blooming, but also shorter than ramblers because they stop growing to produce buds during the current season.
To summarize, ramblers bloom once a season. Most, though not all, climbers, bloom with larger flowers and greater frequency. Some climbers have been interbred enough with hybrid teas that they are basically just larger hybrid teas, more of a shrub. Both rambers and tall climbers need to be tied to a support structure. Some of the shrub-like climbers are self-supporting. Here is a very hybrid-tea-like climber, very popular, called America. It is a cross of two hybrid teas, and is really just a giant shrub:
And to show you what a mixed bag ‘climbers’ are, here is a once-blooming large-flowered climber from 1926 named Madame Gregoire Staechelin. It’s cross of a hybrid tea and a hybrid perpetual. It has blooms like a HT, but grows like a rambler.
Other climbing roses are crosses between ramblers or other climbers, and larger flowered roses such as hybrid teas. Some grow tall, some short, some bloom more than others. As they are repeatedly bred for larger, more hybrid-tea like blooms, they take on more of the characteristics of hybrid teas, also. They are more free-blooming, but also shorter than ramblers because they stop growing to produce buds during the current season.
To summarize, ramblers bloom once a season. Most, though not all, climbers, bloom with larger flowers and greater frequency. Some climbers have been interbred enough with hybrid teas that they are basically just larger hybrid teas, more of a shrub. Both rambers and tall climbers need to be tied to a support structure. Some of the shrub-like climbers are self-supporting. Here is a very hybrid-tea-like climber, very popular, called America. It is a cross of two hybrid teas, and is really just a giant shrub:
And to show you what a mixed bag ‘climbers’ are, here is a once-blooming large-flowered climber from 1926 named Madame Gregoire Staechelin. It’s cross of a hybrid tea and a hybrid perpetual. It has blooms like a HT, but grows like a rambler.
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- baohaojing
