Do Roses Need Full Sun? Which Rose Plants for Partial Sun

One of the first considerations when planting roses is; do roses need full sun? And what if your flower bed is in partial shade? Or in fact, has no shade at all?

Do roses need full sun? Here’s the quick answer, then we’ll get into more detail.

Roses grow well in a minimum of 4 – 6 hours of sunlight per day. 6 hours is the optimum amount of sun for the best growth. However, roses will still grow in less sun than this, it may just reduce growth and blooms. Roses are now available that will grow very well in your garden’s shaded area.

That’s hopefully set your mind at rest in terms of sunshine. But if you want to know how much difference it will make, or answers to other questions, then read on…

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Do roses need full sun?

Roses are sun-loving plants and will perform best in a sunny position in your garden. They will still grow quite happily in partial shade, but may not produce as many flowers.

So how much sun do roses need?

The amount of sunlight roses need depends on the variety of roses. Some varieties such as English roses need at least four to five hours of sunlight per day, while others such as Hybrid Tea roses thrive best on six to eight hours.

When it comes to roses, more sun is usually better. If you live in an area with hot summers, then afternoon shade may be beneficial to prevent the flowers from getting too much sun and burning.

When asking “do roses need full sun” … there are usually two moments at which you will want to understand this information. The first is when considering where to plant new roses, and the second is when assessing any issues (or optimization) with current mature rose plants.

First, we’ll tackle those that have existing rose beds and understand whether lack of sun may be an issue…

5 Ways to know if mature roses are getting the right amount of sun

1. Check leaf color

One way to tell if your roses are getting enough sun is to check the leaves.

If the leaves are pale green or yellow, then this is a sign that they are not getting enough sunlight.

But beware, as this may also be a sign of overwatering.

To check the water quantity is correct, here’s how much water roses need.

The leaves of a rose that is not getting enough sun will be smaller in size, probably lighter in color, and have fewer leaflets.

Also, check if your foliage is too dense and suffocates the lower parts of your rose plant from sunlight and airflow.

2. Check the number of flowers and petals

Another way to tell is by the number of flowers. Roses that do not get enough sun will usually have fewer flowers, with fewer petals than those that are getting enough sun.

The flowers may also be pale in color and lack the usual deep hue associated with healthy roses.

3. Check for pests and diseases

Pests and diseases are another way to tell if your roses are not getting enough sun. If you see any of these, it could be that your roses are not getting enough sunlight:

For the most part, it’s likely to have signs of fungal disease like black spot, here’s more about black spot on roses.

• Black spot
• Powdery mildew
• Aphids
• Japanese beetles

Black spot is more likely to occur in darker and more damp scenarios.

4. Check bud set

Bud set is another way to tell if your roses are not getting enough sun.

If you see that the roses are not setting any buds, or if the buds that do form are small and do not open properly, it may mean that the roses are not getting enough sunlight.

5. Check for leaf scorch

Leaf scorch is another way of telling if your roses are not getting enough sun.

Scorched leaves will have brown or black edges, and the leaves will eventually turn yellow and fall off.

Do not confuse this with the black patches caused by “black spot disease”.

On that note, here’s how to water roses in hot weather.

Upon inspecting my roses, there appears to be some slight leaf scorching, as well as some yellowing in the image.

But the plants are not drooping, so this is probably underwatering and it has been very dry recently. So watering more frequently should solve this.

The solution to the lack of sun for mature roses

If you see any of these signs, it potentially means that your roses are not getting enough sun.

You should either try to remove any obstacles – perhaps a taller plant that is shading them, trimming back a tree, etc.

Or if that’s not possible, then you should try to move your rose to a sunny spot in your garden.

You can also improve other aspects that you can control, such as the best rose soil mix. Or even the best NPK ratio for your roses.

But what about planting new roses? Let’s tackle that next…

Do roses need full sun – Planting New roses

But what about those who are deciding where to plant roses.

Hopefully, it might be obvious by this point that you should ensure roses get a minimum of 4 hours of sunlight per day.

But to check this we just need to double-check 4 main points.

1. Your growing zone

If you’re a gardener already then you’ll be well aware of USDA growing zones.

For other countries and cities growing zones might also be a factor, so check out my growing zone resource for roses here.

So naturally, you need to check that the rose you’re buying is going to grow in your area.

2. The type of rose

As I alluded to earlier, there are now roses that have been engineered to thrive in less sunlight, and dappled, or shaded areas.

For the rose that you plan to plant, check the amount of sun that rose needs or how much shade it can tolerate – preferably before purchasing! I’ve got a couple of suggestions lower down.

3. How the sun moves across your flower bed during the day

When you’re checking for sunny places to plant roses, do remember that the sun moves!

So just because a spot in your garden gets 4 hours of sunlight now, doesn’t mean it will do so all day or even all year.

To get an accurate idea of how much sun your roses will actually get, it’s best to do a sun analysis of your garden over the course of a day, or even better, over the course of a year.

This will give you an idea of how the light falls on different areas at different times.

You may be surprised to find that the hottest time of year hits a part of your yard you didn’t expect!

4. The difference between morning and afternoon sun

When it comes to roses, there is a big difference between morning and afternoon sun.

Roses do best with morning sun and afternoon shade, or dappled sunlight throughout the day. This is because the hot afternoon sun can scorch the leaves, causing them to turn brown and wilt.

If you live in an area with very hot summers, it’s best to grow roses that are resistant to heat and drought.

So once you’ve established this, you kind of need a starting point of “rose ideas” to look at and assess.

Experienced rose growers will likely already know where to look, but if you’re still learning (like me in many ways!) then I’ll move on to some places you can start below.

Which rose do I need?

How much sun your roses get will also depend largely on the type of rose you’re growing.

For example, hybrid tea roses need around 6 hours of sun per day, while climbers can tolerate up to 8 hours. Ramblers can grow well in as little as 3 hours per day.

Some rose types, such as floribundas and grandifloras, can do well in the partial sun too – as little as 4 hours of sunlight a day.

Here’s the difference between climbers and ramblers.

So with all that in mind, how do you know which rose is right for your garden?

When it comes to roses, there are a handful of main categories – predominantly those fall into bush roses, ground cover roses, and climbers. Each one has its own sun requirements. Although you can kind of break this down further such as how much sun mini roses need.

Generally, bush roses need at least 5 hours of sun per day, while ground cover roses need around 4 hours. Climbers can do well in as little as 3 hours of sunlight a day.

So, if you’re looking for a rose that can tolerate shady conditions, then a climber or ground cover rose would be a better direction to look in than a bush rose.

It’s also worth noting that the different types of roses also have different water requirements. So, make sure you do your research before planting to ensure you’re giving your roses the best chance to thrive.

Having considered the above, let’s move on to a couple of specific roses you might want to try depending on where you’re planting and how much shade you’re faced with.

Rose for partial or dappled shade

A partial shade might be a wall or fence that shades the rose during a portion of the day. Try to steer clear of shade during the morning sun if possible. A couple of examples might be as follows.

Dappled shaded areas you would probably count as being beneath, or under a tree or other foliage.

Or perhaps on the side of a picket fence with gaps – hopefully, you know the kind I mean. So try going for this rose.

Pink Drift® Groundcover Rose

Rosa ‘Meijocos’

A groundcover rose with hot pink blooms. It will grow in zones 4 – 11 and can be in full sun, or partial shade. It’s easy to care for and is perfect as a bed filler or a cascading rose.

It has deciduous foliage and will bloom continuously from spring to frost.

Check availability of Pink Drift® Roses

Do roses need full sun ~ More roses help 🌹

I hope this article has helped answer the question do roses need full sun. As you can see, there are varieties of roses that can do quite well in shady areas.

And as a bonus, these types of roses often have more flowers and bloom for a longer period of time than those that require full sun.

If you’re looking to add some roses to your garden, don’t be afraid to try out some of the varieties that do well in shade.

After you’ve planted your rose, you may need to plant rose companion plants. So check out my article on the Best Rose companion plants.

See also my tools and resources page, and happy rose growing!