@aspenhill, Teri ...
The list of roses that will do in partial shade and which will climb trees reaching for the light is much longer than Mike's list.
Species roses are forest edge plants. They often grow in shadier conditions than what we have been taught is necessary for a rose to be a vigorous plant. The roses that are the best in shadier conditions have fewer petals and are generally light colored with thinner petal substance. Of course, there are exceptions because everything depends on the rose. Roses with a lot of petals generally have a lanky growth and fewer blooms because the plant is putting its energy in reaching for more light and sacrificing bloom to meet that one vital need. If those same roses were sited where they get more sun, they are more successful garden plants.
I haven't researched Mike's list, but the way to find the best roses is to find the common characteristics of these roses and go from there. There will always be differences in your success depending on your climate, soil and the roses themselves.
I have a friend who told me that she couldn't grow roses in her oak forest. In the areas where there is more dappled shade, she is now growing 10 roses up into those trees and now has several shrub roses growing in the same area.
I love hearing the "I can't phrase" because it is possible to find roses that work well in less than ideal conditions. When a rose is "happy" it is like growing weeds and many roses are quite happy with less than the ideal 6 hours of sunlight recommended. Since roses can't read, they don't know there are rules to be followed.
Training roses to grow into trees is really quite simple. If you are interested we can start another thread.
@Mike
A couple of thoughts .... I'd probably pass on 'Paloma Blanca' from RU. I've grown the rose in two different climates and it has been a dud in both climates. Griffith Buck used to bud all of his viable seedling for testing. My sense of this rose is that it needs the additional vigor of a stronger root stock.
I've also found that whenever I have purchased bands from any nursery, I end up with a much stronger and more vigorous plant if I grow it up to a 3 gal size for the root mass. In my experience and my lousy soil, when I have a strong root mass, the rose can withstand more stress than when I plant it earlier. I've tested this theory with a few roses in my current garden and the roses planted out with the smaller root mass at the same time have never caught up with the roses with the larger root mass with the same care. Just something to think about.
My favorite rugosa is not a true rugosa but a cross between a miniature rose and a rugosa, 'Linda Campbell'. I planted it in one of the street beds and it has required very little care. It has now grown large enough that you can see it from Main Street down below where I live. I have people driving up just to look at that one rose. Nothing seems to bother it, so it keeps getting bigger and bigger and truly makes a statement.
Smiles,
Lyn
