Some of the best thornless or nearly thornless roses include Zephirine Drouhin, Kathleen Harrop, Lady Banks Rose, Veilchenblau, Chloris, Mme. Plantier, Mme. Legras de St. Germain, Tausendschön, Reine des Violettes, and Climbing Pinkie.
There is a wide array of thornless (or almost thornless) roses for you to choose from. We list some of the most common or popular on this page.
This list also includes the near thornless roses, and it is not exhaustive by any means. Near thornless means what it says… there might be a few thorns, but they will tend to be scattered and mainly in the lower portion of the plant. The stems containing the blooms will nearly always be thorn free. The list is alphabetical with a brief description of each one, and links to any pages we have on that particular rose.
You might notice that David Austin roses have a better than average occurrence in our list. Also, polyanthas as a whole tend to have fewer thorns than other varieties. Something to bear in mind when next shopping for roses at the garden center.
Our Top Thornless Rose Picks
Best thornless climbing rose: Zephirine Drouhin
Best thornless rambler: Veilchenblau
Best yellow thornless rose: Lady Banks Rose
Best white old rose: Mme. Plantier
Best for arches: Climbing Pinkie or Zephirine Drouhin
Best nearly thornless old rose: Reine des Violettes
Thornless and Nearly Thornless Roses, Arranged by Garden Use
A Note on Smooth Touch Thornless Roses
Note: Primarily available in Australia only. Some modern thornless roses are sold under the “Smooth Touch” name. These roses were developed from breeding work by Harvey Davidson and are usually described as being 95 to 100% thorn free.
They are worth knowing about because they were bred specifically for smooth stems, rather than simply being older roses that happen to have fewer prickles. You may see names such as Smooth Angel, Smooth Lady, Smooth Prince, Smooth Velvet, Smooth Buttercup, Smooth Friendship, and others listed by Australian suppliers.
Thornless and Nearly Thornless Climbers, Ramblers, and Large Growers
Thornless roses are especially useful near paths, arches, gates, seating areas, and anywhere people are likely to brush past them. Some of the roses listed here are completely or almost completely thornless, while others are best described as nearly thornless. That usually means they may still have a few prickles, often lower down on the older wood, but the flowering stems are much easier to handle.
Aimée Vibert is a white Noisette rose with fragrance. It is best for gardeners who like graceful old roses, small clustered flowers, and a lighter, more informal climbing or large shrub effect.
Bleu Magenta is another mauve Hybrid Multiflora rambler. It is best for gardeners who like the old rambler look and want a deep, moody color rather than the usual pink or white.
Climbing Iceberg is the climbing form of the famous white floribunda Iceberg. It is useful for walls, fences, arches, or supports where you want a clean white rose with a familiar garden look.
Climbing Pinkie is a medium pink climbing polyantha. It is a good choice for arches, smaller fences, and cottage-style gardens where you want a softer pink climber without too many thorns.
Crépuscule is an apricot-blend Noisette rose. It is a good choice for warm apricot color, old rose charm, and a softer climbing effect, especially in a cottage-style or informal garden.
Ghislaine de Féligonde is a light yellow to yellow-blend Hybrid Multiflora with fragrance. It is a lovely choice for a softer climber or rambler effect, with warm coloring that can fade and blend beautifully.
Goldfinch is a light yellow to white Hybrid Multiflora rambler with fragrance. It is a good choice for a soft, romantic rambler effect, especially where cream, yellow, and white tones will suit the planting.
Golden Showers is a medium yellow large-flowered climber. It is useful where you want a bright yellow rose on an arch, wall, or fence, without choosing something too large or too wild.
Kathleen Harrop is a light pink Bourbon rose, sometimes described as a sport of Zéphirine Drouhin. It has a softer look and good fragrance, making it useful where you want a thornless or nearly thornless rose with old-fashioned charm.
Lady Banks Rose can be white or yellow, depending on the form grown. It is a species rose and can become very large, so it is best for warm-climate gardens with plenty of room, such as a large fence, pergola, shed, or old tree.
Lykkefund is a large-flowered climber with white to light yellow flowers. It is best for a larger space where a pale, graceful, nearly thornless climber can be given room to spread.
Mme. Alfred Carrière is a white Noisette rose with fragrance. It can be grown as a large shrub or climber and is best for walls, fences, pergolas, or larger supports where a pale, romantic rose is wanted.
Rose-Marie Viaud is a mauve Hybrid Multiflora rambler. It is best for a larger structure, fence, or informal garden area where its unusual coloring and rambling habit can be given room to show properly.
Tausendschön is a pink-blend Hybrid Multiflora rambler. It suits larger structures, fences, or informal garden areas where its clusters of soft pink flowers can be allowed to make a generous display.
Veilchenblau is a mauve-purple Hybrid Multiflora rambler with fragrance and very few thorns. It is excellent for a fence, arch, pergola, or informal structure where you want a once-flowering rambler with real character.
Zéphirine Drouhin is one of the classic thornless climbing roses. It has fragrant medium pink flowers and is a good choice for arches, fences, doorways, or anywhere people may walk close to the plant.
Old, Heritage, and Classic Nearly Thornless Roses
Cardinal de Richelieu is a fragrant mauve Gallica rose. It is useful if you want a dark, old rose look with rich purple-mauve tones.
Chloris is a light pink Alba rose with very fragrant flowers. It is best for gardeners who love old roses, soft colors, and a graceful shrub shape.
Complicata is a single pink-blend Gallica rose. It is best for a more natural, open-flowered look, with simple blooms that still have plenty of garden presence.
Frau Karl Druschki is a white Hybrid Perpetual rose. It is best for a traditional white rose effect and suits gardeners who like older rose classes with large blooms.
Hippolyte is a mauve to red-blend Gallica rose. It is best for someone who enjoys old roses with deeper coloring and a more historic feel.
Lady Hillingdon is a fragrant yellow-blend Tea rose. It is best for a warm, elegant old rose look, especially where softer yellow and apricot tones are wanted.
Mme. Legras de St. Germain is a white Alba rose with fragrance. It is useful where you want an elegant old white rose with a clean, classic look.
Mme. Plantier is another fragrant white Alba rose. It is a beautiful choice for a romantic old-fashioned garden, especially if you want a soft white rose with historical character.
Paul Neyron is a medium pink Hybrid Perpetual. It is known for very large blooms and is best for someone who wants an old rose with a bold, showy flower.
Reine des Violettes is a fragrant mauve Hybrid Perpetual and one of the best-known nearly thornless old roses. It is ideal if you want fragrance, history, and rich violet-mauve coloring.
Tuscany Superb is a fragrant mauve Gallica rose. It is a good choice for gardeners who love deep, old-fashioned color and the moody richness of Gallica roses.
Polyantha and Smaller Nearly Thornless Roses
China Doll is a medium to light pink polyantha rose. It is best for smaller spaces, edging, and gardeners who want plenty of small pink flowers on a compact plant.
Clotilde Soupert is a white polyantha rose. It is useful for cottage-style planting, small gardens, and softer old-fashioned effects.
La Marne is a pink-blend polyantha. It is best for borders, edges, and informal planting where a compact, free-flowering rose is wanted.
Mlle. Cécile Brunner is a light pink polyantha, often called the Sweetheart Rose. It is best for gardeners who like small, perfectly shaped blooms and a delicate old-fashioned look.
Shrub Roses and English-Style Nearly Thornless Roses
A Shropshire Lad is a David Austin shrub rose with yellow-blend flowers. It is best for a soft, romantic garden effect and can be useful where you want an English rose look with fewer thorns.
Cornelia is a fragrant Hybrid Musk rose with soft pink, peach, and yellow-blend tones. It is best for a romantic shrub rose effect, especially where you want fragrance, softness, and a graceful old-fashioned look.
Crown Princess Margareta is a David Austin shrub rose with apricot-blend flowers. It is best for warm color, old-fashioned flower form, and a generous shrub shape.
Geoff Hamilton is a medium pink David Austin shrub rose. It is useful where you want a softer pink English rose effect with a rounded, romantic look.
Heritage is a very fragrant light pink David Austin shrub rose. It is best for fragrance, softness, and a classic English rose feel.
James Galway is a light to medium pink David Austin shrub rose. It is best for gardeners who want a graceful shrub with a romantic pink flower form.
John Clare is a David Austin shrub rose with deep pink to light red flowers and fragrance. It is useful for adding stronger pink color without moving into harsh or bright tones.
J.P. Connell is a shrub rose with medium yellow to light yellow flowers. It is useful if you want a yellow shrub rose with fewer thorns than many traditional roses.
Leander is an apricot-blend shrub rose. It is best for warm coloring and an informal shrub rose look.
Mortimer Sackler is a light pink David Austin shrub rose. It is a good choice where a graceful, softer pink shrub rose is wanted, especially in a mixed border.
Outta the Blue is a mauve shrub rose. It is best for gardeners who want a less common color and a more modern shrub rose style.
Pure Perfume is a white shrub rose. It is useful where you want a pale rose with a clean look and, as the name suggests, fragrance appeal.
The Generous Gardener is a light pink David Austin shrub rose. It is best for a romantic, generous flowering look and can also be used where a larger shrub or trained rose is wanted.
Thérèse Bugnet is a fragrant Hybrid Rugosa with medium pink flowers. It is best for cold climates, toughness, fragrance, and gardeners who want a hardy shrub rose with fewer thorns than many rugosas.
Hybrid Tea and Other Nearly Thornless Roses
Bride’s Dream is a light pink Hybrid Tea rose. It is best for gardeners who want a more formal, elegant bloom with a softer pink color.
Oceana is an apricot-blend Hybrid Tea rose. It is useful where you want a warm, florist-style bloom with gentler coloring.