Recommendations for a red climbing rose

johnnypenstemon

Good morning all, can anyone recommend a (preferably long-flowering - surprise, surprise) climbing red rose towards the claret end of the spectrum, ideally with smaller, tighter blooms rather than mega blousy?

My neighbours have one, pictured, that I like but they don’t know the cultivar.

Etoile de Hollande seems to fit the bill, but other suggestions are welcome.

Many thanks, Johnny

Dovefromabove

Ma planted a Climbing Crimson Glory on the front of the farmhouse when I was a child ... I remember it as being almost continually in flower and having a gorgeous scent. It was very popular back then but seems to have gone out of fashion ... can’t think why ... it’s lovely, a classic HT shape flower and with a really good deep colour

https://www.classicroses.co.uk/roses/container/crimson-glory-climber-climbing-rose.html

Nollie

How big do you need it to be and what do you plan to train it up?  If you have a large expanse of wall/fence to train the rose along wires, you need something fairly vigorous, if it’s for an obelisk or pillar, something a bit smaller. Etoile de Hollande is on the big/vigorous end of the spectrum I think..

johnnypenstemon

Ma planted a Climbing Crimson Glory on the front of the farmhouse when I was a child ... I remember it as being almost continually in flower and having a gorgeous scent. It was very popular back then but seems to have gone out of fashion ... can’t think why ... it’s lovely, a classic HT shape flower and with a really good deep colour Thanks for the link Dove, that’s a lovely looking rose with the right sort of colour and it’s been added to the (very) shortlist.

johnnypenstemon

It will be trained up and along triple row wire supports on a mellow old brick wall, about 4 metres wide and over 2 metres tall. So vigorous I think. Thanks for the pointer on Etoile de Hollande.

Nollie said:

How big do you need it to be and what do you plan to train it up?  If you have a large expanse of wall/fence to train the rose along wires, you need something fairly vigorous, if it’s for an obelisk or pillar, something a bit smaller. Etoile de Hollande is on the big/vigorous end of the spectrum I think..

Fire

I have both Etoile and Crimson Glory and they both do well and match your colour requirement - great scent too. Etoile is a big, vigorous plant. After lots of searching of the last few years for dark red climbing roses, these are the two I have settled on. The reds haven't changed to pink for me, unlike some others; and they are not super-stuffed roses, but quite open form, which I like best. Both are robust and healthy cultivars, it seems.

I've only put mine in over the last few years so can't post good pics yet.

Ena Harkness is the right colour and gorgeous scent but the heads are heavy and tend to bend. The flowers also don't last very long on the plant for me - a day or two.  Other roses hold their flowers for weeks.

This is Ena last week.

Nollie

I must say I’m quite taken with Crimson Glory. I’ve tried 3 climbing reds and they all wilt in my heat and go pink for me. How do they compare in cane stiffness @Fire, re training along wires? I heard EdeH has quite stiff canes and wants to go straight up, do you find that? I have vowed not to try another, so am only thinking of Johnny of course 😉 

Trevor White has both and seem to be sending out far superior, bigger bare root roses than Beales, the latter have had rather mixed reviews on the rose thread lately..

https://www.trevorwhiteroses.co.uk/shop/climbing-roses/crimson-glory-climbing/

Dovefromabove

When trained on wires over half the front of the farmhouse, albeit in a quite haphazard way, there seemed to be no problem in getting it to go around windows ... I really can’t remember ... I was only 19 when I left, but I think it may have stiffer canes than a rambler type as it’s more if a HT type, but as long as you tie it in when the canes are young I’m pretty sure it’ll be fine. 

It certainly holds its blooms up better than Etoile d’Hollande which tends to ‘hang its head’. 

johnnypenstemon

@Fire Brilliant, thanks. Which of your Etoile and CG get the least sun, if either? The envisaged position gets sun, but it’s hardly baking. That Ena bloom is stunning.

johnnypenstemon

@Nollie Very considerate of you . Pliability of the canes is a factor I hadn’t considered, being inexperienced with climbing roses so I’ll keep an eye on that.

Dovefromabove

The front of the house with Crimson Glory on was south facing ... the rose replaced a 300+ year old grape vine which was removed when the wall was rendered. I don’t remember the flowers fading much in the sun.