You could actually grow the rose Lavender Lassie up a tree in less than full sun. It's a hybrid musk rather than a rambler and it won't get gigantic.

I have two growing into trees right now, with two more planned.

Paul's Himalayan Musk Rambler is planted at the base of a mulberry tree, and he's having trouble staying in the tree. His canes are lax and thorny, and they tend to go up the tree then hang down as soon as they have the opportunity. I don't think I would try this again with this rose.

My other tree climbing rose is American Pillar, which is happily scaling a Virginia Cedar tree. As of now, in its fourth year, it is at least 25' into the tree and continuing to climb. The hot pink flowers spill from the tree's canopy in May and it is certainly a sight to see!

My next tree climbers will be Veilchenblau and Tausendschoen, together, to climb a ratty wild cherry tree in my front mixed rose border. I've never seen Tausendschoen in a tree, but Robert grows his Veilchenblau into a holly tree (along with Fortuniana) and the effect is stunning!

My best advice on how to get started is to plant the rose on the upwind side of the tree if you can. My American Pillar had to be planted on the south side of its cedar tree, and sometimes the canes that are just beginning to climb get blown out of the canopy.

Most of the Wichuranas that I can think of are happier crawling along the ground instead of climbing trees. I'll bet Albertine is stiff enough to be a good tree climber.

Connie

I have Veilchenblau just starting to grow up a large eugenia tree. It's about 8 feet up, just reaching for the lowest branches. We just had that tree pruned, and I told the tree people NOT to prune the three lowest branches (which are small and sort of ratty looking), because I needed them for the rose. They complied, but looked at me funny -

We are also trying to grow Fortuniana up that tree. A plant of it used to go up it at least 30 feet, but it died. I planted a new one at the base, and for 5 years it never put out a cane longer than 2 1/2 feet. Suddenly last year it put out one that is just going up like an elevator - it is 10 feet tall and still growing. Yay!

Jackie

I think Veilchenblau and American Pillar are the only two that would work in my zone, though Tausendschoen and Fortuniana are very pretty. Thoughts on Paul's Himalayan or Seven Sisters?

The climbing species, multiflora, wichurana, moschata, from which most of the mentioned roses were bred, are actually quite shade tolerant. Nature enabled them to climb through trees into the sun to get the light. You might experience more mildew on the parts not in sufficient sun, but as seedlings and rather small plants, they are very shade tolerant until they scramble their way into the canopies and out into the sun. I'd imagine pretty much any of them would be OK grown that way.

The easiest way I've found to get them up into the trees and provide them decent root room is to plant them out from the trunk and train them on to strong ropes or chains attached to lower limbs and the ground. Once the rose is sufficiently anchored, the rope can deteriorate, leaving the plant to hold itself in the tree. Of course, whatever works in your situation is what you should do. Kim

How about Zephirine Drouhin? I've looked at it for other places and can't remember why I decided against it in the past, but it keeps catching my eye in photos. Maybe it was the blackspot issue. Nice that she blooms more than once as well.

I am trying quite a few different ramblers up trees. As Connie has said, Fortuniana has certainly scaled my holly and is now into the neighboring cedar. I look forward to it blooming each year. Veilchenbleu is also doing well in the holly. Others I have growing into trees include: Ayshire Queen, Alexander Girault, Blush Rambler, Violette, Super Dorothy, Crimson Rambler, Climbing Cecile Brunner. Others are planted and set to climb...too many to list here.

I'm glad I read this post to see that you are growing Francois Juranville in zone 5. This opens up possibilities for my zone 5 family gardeners. I am VERY fond of the Barbier ramblers.

Robert

Here is a picture of the old rambler Dawson's Apple Blossom (1890) growing up a crabapple tree. It did this all by itself - I had nothing to do with it.

Jackie

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That's gorgeous, Jackie --

Some years ago, we planted R. banksia lutea next to a 6-ft fence. Some feet from it, we planted R. banksia banksia. We thought we'd train the roses along the top of the fence.

The roses had other ideas.
They scaled the fence, then made a leap to the two ficus trees planted on the other side of it. They've scrambled all the way up through the trees, and out the top, draping all over. Under the canopy of the trees, the blooms are like twinkle-lights in the dark. They did this all on their own, but I think that's just what banksiaes do, if they can find anything horizontal to climb.

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We planted 'Silver Moon' at the base of a huge old seedling avocado, and it's now 3/4 of the way to the top. I hasn't bloomed much here, but this year its foliage is flaming yellow, so maybe this is its year.

We planted "Phillips & Rix Cl. China" down the hill, intending to put an arbor up for it. We haven't got the arbor installed, but P&R got tired of waiting, found its way to a nearby pepper tree, and has started to climb -- saving us money we'd have spent on an arbor.