They are hardy in all sections of the United States. While their flowers are usually smaller and have fewer petals than other types of roses, many shrub cultivars bear attractive pods or hips in the fall. They have fine-textured foliage and some are quite useful for hedges or screen plantings. They are often trained on fences or trellises, but some are grown without support to cover banks and help prevent soil erosion. Like bush roses, climbing roses are grouped into several types.
Types frequently overlap, and some cultivars can be classified under multiple categories.
Rambler Roses Rambler roses are rapid growers, sometimes developing canes as long as 20 feet in one season. The flowers are borne in dense clusters and are small, generally less than 2 inches across. The plant flowers only once during a season and only on canes that were produced the preceding year. The foliage is glossy and the plants are very hardy, but many cultivars are susceptible to mildew. Older cultivars are being replaced by newer climbing cultivars that bear larger flowers throughout the growing season and that are less vulnerable to mildew.