Golden Showers Climbing Rose

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

12 - 14 Feet

Mature Spread

12 - 14 Feet

Growing Zones

5 to 8

Climbing roses are the epitome of a cottage garden plant. Golden Showers is a vigorous, award-winning rose with next to no thorns but produces the loveliest, yellow flowers that are licorice scented. Golden Showers Rose blooms on old and new wood, making maintenance a breeze, and you will not end up with flowers only at the ends of the branches. The large, 4-5-inch, semi-double flowers are sure to attract beneficial pollinators early in the summer, and the hips appeal to birds early in the fall.

The dark green foliage is deciduous, while the almost thornless stems remain attractive over the winter and can make a lovely natural backdrop for broadleaf and other evergreens. Golden Showers has been a favorite with rose growers for over 50 years due to its hardy rootstock and incredible disease resistance. Golden Showers Rose can be grown in USDA zones 5-9 with little extra winter maintenance or protection. This shorter climbing rose is manageable in a smaller garden and can be trained to cover sides of buildings or even be used as a ground cover for hard-to-plant hillsides. 

Golden Showers Climbing Rose Care

Plant Golden Showers in a spot that receives full sun or part shade and has well-draining soil all-year round. Heavy clay soil should be amended with organic compost to make it lighter and better draining. Roses are hungry plants and need supplemental fertilizer to support nonstop blooming. A granular, slow-release fertilizer formulated for roses or tomatoes will evenly and continuously feed your rose all summer. Apply the feed in the early spring as the new growth is beginning to show. Roses are best watered with drip irrigation lines or soaker hoses to avoid getting the foliage wet. One inch of water a week will keep Golden Showers growing strong and blooming well. In climates that get heavy summer rains, supplemental watering may only be needed during the spring and fall. 

Pruning Golden Showers is simple and only needs to be done once a year. Cut back any dead, diseased, and dying stems and branches in late fall or early winter. Cut any suckers that have sprouted from the base near the graft bud. Tie in the main stems to a structure, and cut the side shoots back to 3 buds to encourage heavy blooming the following season. By the 3rd or 4th year, the height can be reduced to the desired size. Apply a mulch of compost, arborist chips, or shredded leaves on the root zone and close to the base of the rose. Remove any mulch covering the graft union and crown in the spring. 

Golden Showers Climbing Rose Spacing

The mature height of Golden Showers is 10 feet with a spread of 6 feet or more. Leave a 3-foot clearance when planting companion perennials and other shrubs. Plant roots at least 12 inches from fence lines and the foundation of any building.