Don Juan Climbing Rose

Ah, what a romantic devil Don Juan Climbing Rose is. Huge, fragrant red blooms dangle from vigorous canes, banked by glossy dark green foliage. Quickly reaching 8 to 10 feet tall and 5 feet wide, this is the climbing rose you want draped over the patio wall, twining up the arbor, or festooning a large trellis. No wonder Don Juan Climbing Rose is considered the standard red climber, by which all others are judged.

If you saw these 5-inch blooms without the plant, you’d probably assume they were exhibition-quality hybrid teas. Packed with 30 to 35 petals and boasting a true red hue that won’t fade, the blooms make superb cut flowers. And the sight of a fully-blooming vine is astonishing—no tiny, short-lived blossoms here.

Don Juan Climbing Rose blooms in summer, achieving the best color in areas where the nights are warm. If you live in a high-humidity climate, this is the climber you must have.

Plant Don Juan Climbing Rose in full sun and well-drained soil. The offspring of New Dawn x New Yorker, it was bred in—where else?—romantic Italy in the late 1950s before coming to the United States for its debut. Don Juan Climbing Rose is a dependable and vigorous performer no matter where you live. If planting more than one for solid coverage, space the plants 8 feet apart.