There is No Rose Without a Thorn … Not!

According to the proverb, there is no rose without a thorn … but that really isn’t true. There are actually quite a few thornless roses, both species and cultivars, so if you love roses, but can’t tolerate their wicked thorns, there is hope for you.

The advantage of thornless roses is that they can be used in spots where thorns would simply not be welcome, such as near a walkway where they could tear at your visitors’ clothes (or skin!), near a child’s play area or in gardens designed for the visually impaired. And who wants spines on climbing roses you have to constantly attach to their support? Of course, if you’re into flower arranging, flowers from thornless roses are also far easier to handle.

Thornless Roses

The following roses are considered thornless. They may produce a very small thorn occasionally, notably under a leaf, but it’s not going to reach out and grab you!

1. Rosa banksiae, syn.‘Lady Banks Rose’ (species, white or yellow)
2. Rosa ‘Bleu Magenta’ (hybrid Multiflora, mauve)
3. Rosa ‘Chloris’ (Alba, light pink, very fragrant)
4. Rosa ‘Cinderella’ (miniature, pink)
5. Rosa ‘Goldfinch’ (hybrid multiflora, light yellow/white, fragrant)
6. Rosa ‘Hippolyte’ (Gallica, mauve/red blend)
7. Rosa ‘Irene Marie’ (miniature, orange and yellow)
8. Rosa ‘Kathleen Harrop’ (Bourbon, light pink, fragrant)
9. Rosa ‘Lykkefund’ (Climbing, white/light yellow)
10. Rosa ‘Mme Legras de St. Germain’ (Alba, white, fragrant)
11. Rosa ‘Mme Plantier’ (Alba, white, fragrant)

    

12. Rosa ‘Smooth Prince’ (hybrid tea, red)
13. Rosa ‘Tausendschön’ (hybrid multiflora, pink blend)
14. Rosa ‘Veilchenblau’ (hybrid multiflora, mauve, fragrant)
15. Rosa ‘Zéphirine Drouhin’ (Bourbon, medium pink, fragrant)

Nearly Thornless Roses

And there are also roses that are almost thornless. Either they only produce thorns occasionally or they only appear on old wood. Nearly thornless roses can be used in the same way as thornless one, in places where thorns would be an annoyance.

1. Rosa ‘A Shropshire Lad’ (David Austin, yellow blend)
2. Rosa ‘Abradacabra’ (hybrid tea, red striped yellow)
3. Rosa ‘Aimée Vibert’ (Noisette, white, fragrant)
4. Rosa blanda (species, white or pink)
5. Rosa ‘Blue for You’ (floribunda, blue mauve, fragrant)
6. Rosa ‘Bride’s Dream’ (hybrid tea, light pink)
7. Rosa ‘Cambridgeshire’ (groundcover rose, red and orange)

   

8. Rosa ‘Cardinal de Richelieu’ (Gallica, burgundy purple, fragrant)
9. Rosa ‘China Doll’ (polyantha, medium pink/light pink)
10. Rosa ‘Climbing Iceberg’ (climbing floribunda, white)
11. Rosa ‘Climbing Pinkie’ (climbing polyantha, medium pink)
12. Rosa ‘Clotilde Soupert’ (polyantha, white)
13. Rosa ‘Complicata’ (Gallica, pink blend, single)
14. Rosa ‘Cornelia’ (hybrid musk, pink blend/yellow blend, fragrant)
15. Rosa ‘Crépuscule’ (Noisette, apricot blend)
16. Rosa ‘Crown Princess Margareta’ (David Austin, apricot blend)
17. Rosa ‘Frau Karl Druschki’ (hybrid perpetual, white)
18. Rosa ‘Geoff Hamilton’ (David Austin, medium pink)
19. Rosa ‘Ghislaine de Féligonde’ (hybrid multiflora, light yellow/yellow blend, fragrant)
20. Rosa ‘Golden Border’, syn. ‘Comtesse du Barry’ (polyantha, pale yellow and white)
21. Rosa ‘Golden Showers’ (climbing, medium yellow)
22. Rosa ‘Heritage’ (David Austin, light pink, very fragrant)

    

23. Rosa ‘J.P. Connell’ (shrub, light yellow)
24. Rosa ‘James Galway’ (David Austin, light pink/medium pink)
25. Rosa ‘John Clare’ (David Austin, deep pink/light red, fragrant)
26. Rosa ‘Kew Gardens’ (David Austin, white)
27. Rosa ‘La Marne’ (polyantha, pink blend)
28. Rosa ‘Lady Hillingdon’ (tea, yellow blend, fragrant)
29. Rosa ‘Leander’ (shrub, apricot blend)
30. Rosa ‘Litchfield Angel’ (David Austin, cream)
31. Rosa ‘Marie Pavié’ (polyantha, pale pink to creamy white)
32. Rosa ‘Martin Frobisher’ (shrub, pale pink)
33. Rosa ‘Mlle Cécile Brunner’ (polyantha, light pink)
34. Rosa ‘Mme Alfred Carriére’ (Noisette, white, fragrant)
35. Rosa ‘Mortimer Sackler’ (David Austin, light pink)
36. Rosa ‘Nestor’ (old rose, lilac pink)
37. Rosa ‘Oceana’ (Hybrid Tea, apricot blend)
38. Rosa ‘Outta the Blue’ (shrub, mauve)
39. Rosa ‘Paul Neyron’ (hybrid perpetual, medium pink)
40. Rosa ‘Pure Perfume’ (shrub, white, fragrant)

    

41. Rosa ‘Reine des Violettes’ (hybrid perpetual, mauve, fragrant)
42. Rosa ‘Rose-Marie Viaud’ (hybrid multiflora, mauve)
43. Rosa ‘The Generous Gardener’ (David Austin, light pink)
44. Rosa ‘The Shepherdess’ (David Austin, pale apricot)
45. Rosa ‘Thérèse Bugnet’ (hybrid rugosa, medium pink, fragrant)
46. Rosa ‘Tuscany Superb’ (Gallica, mauve, fragrant)