Don't hate roses because they have thorns; love thorns because they have roses.

Just Joey is especially thorny; Memorial Day is especially not.

Tamora is quite thorny, but wonderful in all other ways!

{{gwi:212144}}

Good lord you kill me with that Tamora every year.....alas she only wears spotted dresses for me.

:o(

I still miss her.

Ronda

Hi, I would really like to try planting a David Austin rose but would like to know if anyone has had success with overwintering them in a climate such as mine; high altitude 5200 ft and very windy at times. I think they are such beautiful roses!

nlvwroses, look at the Austin website, I think there's a list of "cold hardiest" varieties. It will be tough in your climate though. A protected spot like a south-facing wall out of the wind, will be your best chance.

REDS
Rouge Royale
Crimson Glory
Chrysler Imperial--thorniest in the red group
Oklahoma
Papa Meilland
Firefighter*

BICOLORS/PHOTOTROPIC
Granada
Sheilas Perfume
Dream Come True
Color Magic*
Paradise*
Brigadoon
Gemini*
Secret*
Chicago Peace*
Distant Drums*
Distant Thunder
Day Breaker--thorny
Heart O Gold
Octoberfest

APRICOT BLEND
Prairie Sunrise
Floral Fairy Tale
Sunset Celebration
Just Joey
Tamora very very
Antico Amore
Heaven on Earth
Royal Wedding

DARK PINK
Peter Mayle*
Yves Piaget*
Buxom Beauty
Perfume Delight
The McCartney Rose*
Pink Peace
Bewitched
Fragrant Memory

LIGHT PINK
Tiffany
The Alnwick Rose
Frederic Mistral
Amazing Grace
Sweet Surrender
Memorial Day
Elle
Moonstone*
New Zealand*
Quietness
Roberto Capucci

BIG AUSTINS
Abraham Darby
Jude the Obscure*
Spirit of Freedom
A Shropshire Lad
Brother Cadfael
Eden

YELLOWS
Julia Child
Elina

I starred (*)the ones that are not very prickly in my garden. 'Tamora' is probably the prickliest rose in my garden but also one of the very best. If you do get 'Color Magic' be aware this one is highly prone to die-back.

Thanks for the info, everyone. I've worked out a planting scheme that puts the thorny roses in the interior of the rose garden so it doesn't pose a hazard to dogs or humans.

Sometimes I have daydreams of using a sharp razor to slice off the thorns on the rose bushes themselves. Wouldn't have to touch the thorns lower down, just in the top 2-3 feet of growth. I know that I'd enjoy that chore, but I fear that it might create wounds that introduce disease, though that risk would only exist until the wound healed over... Am I crazy for even thinking this?

Hoovb, thanks for the details you provided--I've really enjoyed seeing pictures of your rose garden.

Crimson Glory is not, Pink Peace is not bad.

If you're looking for thorny not on the list, go for Love (OMG! talk about thorns) and Captain Harry Stebbings. I call the Capt the assassin because he always nails me - sheez.

You've got some nice selections on that list. I'm jealous. Wish I had more room.

And yes, that Tamora is beautiful!!

I've been gouged, scratched, bloodied, and had the clothes ripped off my back, but I still pay little attention to thorns. So I had to do some thinking about your list. I concur that Tamora is truly armored against all comers. I wish mine would look as good as Hoovb's.Heaven on Earth is fairly thorny, but it has other problems, such as droopy canes that you may have to tie up. Frederic Mistral (Mr.Thrips) has moderate thorniness; Jude the Obscure is pretty thorny for me; Brother Cadfael has only a few thorns; Julia Child is moderately thorny. Hope this helps.
Diane

I, too, am looking for not so thorny roses. In my past, I waded into the thorns for love of roses, but now I am a very thin-skinned woman in her 70s, and just a tap and my arms are bloody under the skin, black and blue. Some of us really NEED roses with few thorns. Can't do without roses, so must do what we can to protect our old selves.

Depends on what type of rose you love Ann. Easter Basket is nearly thornless. Only has thorns on the bottom of canes. Flower Girl is thornless with each cane having maybe one or two. Each is exceptionally disease resistant and does well with the cold weather up here.

I have or have had many of the ones on your list and don't remember any of them as being very thorny. None of them are thornless though. Two I do remember as being EXTREMELY thorny were Snowfire and Falling In Love. They were both heavily armed with very large and sharp thorns. Since neither of them were very healthy or good in my garden they're gone now.

I have Granada, Pink Peace, Tamora, Alnwick Rose and Oklahoma. While I agree that Tamora is pretty grabby, and Oklahoma has those downward-hooking talons, the rest are not particularly thorny as far as I can tell . Avoid Munstead Wood -- that one is loaded for bear. Have you considered Queen of Sweden or Molineux? These seem comparatively smooth-skinned (as is Carding Mill).

All of them (excepting Alnwick Rose, which is stingy) have performed magnificently here (10a/20). I must have thirty photographs of Granada -- always changing, always distinctive. Oklahoma was new to me this year and I loved it so much, I ordered two more. Good luck!

Gardener, not on your list, and a climber, but thornless, is Zephirine Drouhin. A beautiful rose that repeats and is hardy to zone 4b.

Tamora is a horribly thorny rose, but oh so beautiful. Love is also horrendous. Every rose has its friggin thorn.

Heritage is nearly thornless as is Nahema, if you're interested.

For those roses that have large but far between thorns I have absolutely removed them when the canes are near walkways or within touching distance of my 4 year old's little hands. I don't plant thorny roses near the walkways, but Heritage, for example may have a few thorns near the bottom and I simply snap them off or cut off the pointy ends with my garden sheers. I do that to all roses that are anywhere near where humans or dogs would roam.