The PIlgrim Climbing Rose

Bred by David Austin Roses and dedicated to Chaucer’s pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales, The Pilgrim Climbing Rose is an elegant shrub consisting of dense clusters of 100+ petaled rosettes that fade from blonde at their centers to sugar cookie yellow at their edges. Lush, imperial green foliage sets off the stunning blooms, which produce a strong strong tea fragrance with added notes of fruit and spice. Bees will buzz about this shrub, otherwise known as Rosa The Pilgrim®, 'AUSwalker', and 'Gartenarchitekt Gunther Schulze', from the first moment it blooms in May until the last frost of autumn. Assembling the blooms into bouquets will not only brighten up a room indoors but also fill it with an ambrosia-like aroma.

This European original is cold hardy in zones 5 to 11. Growing upright to an ultimate height of 5 to 8 feet and spread of 2 to 3 feet, this perennial makes a lovely screen or cover for unsightly outdoor structures. Protect its blooms from deer by planting it with deer-resistant plants such as astilbe, coreopsis and salvia. This showy perennial can be lightly pruned to maintain the traditional form of a shrub or can be trained to climb up a wall or trellis.  

The Pilgrim Climbing Rose Care

The Pilgrim Climbing Rose prefers loamy, moist, well-draining soil that is slightly acidic. Choose a location that gets at least 6 hours of full sun. Plant it in a hole that is large enough to hold the entire rose’s root ball. Make sure this rose receives at least one to two inches of water per week. Once the blooming season begins, feed this climber with a formula specific for roses one or two times a month until the beginning of fall.

The Pilgrim Climbing Rose should be pruned in late winter. Trim dead, damaged, diseased or crossing stems. Cut back the side stems to a few inches. As you shape this climber, focus on creating horizontal versus vertical growth to increase the number of flowers. During the flowering season, deadhead spent blossoms.

The Pilgrim Climbing Rose Spacing

Train The Pilgrim Climbing Rose to climb a wall, fence, or trellis, or prune to maintain a smaller, shrub-like shape. This ornamental works well planted alone as a specimen in a garden bed or a container. When planted en masse, space each shrub 4-5 feet apart. Plant it alongside other companion perennials including false indigo, lavender, and Russian sage.