Climbing vs. rambling

How are they different?

 

A rambler sends out long, flexible flowering growths from the base which will bear flowers next year, rather like a blackberry. e.g R. American Beauty

A climber has lax, branched growth which clambers up things by latching on with thorns and which you can shape to get the effect you want. e.g R. Compassion

In practice, things are not hard and fast, for example, a rambler will also flower on last years's branched shoots.

 

I researched before I bought and ended up with a couple of climbers because a) the ones I bought don't grow as big and the space I had to fill wasn't massive and b) they are repeat flowering whereas ramblers tend to flower once a year.

 

Is it just me that thinks these are named the wrong way round?

A Rambler will shin up a tall tree. Personally I would call that climbing.

All the Climbers I have can be tied in to a trellis, maybe 6' tall (I dare say some will do more height that than). At best I would call that "rambling", it certainly isn't climbing.

But maybe I'm looking at the problem from my wrong end??

 

I reckon Kiftsgate could do that WOO

 

By the by, I'd like a Kiftsgate if anyone "has a bit" they could spare. Buckingham Nurseries used to sell it, which would have got me a small plant in a 9cm or 1L pot ... I'm not really wanting to spends several tens-of-pounds on one.

 

Thanks everyone, now I know more than I did before.

 

Go and be awed and terrified by the size and power of the Kiftsgate rose. Are you quite sure you want one, @Kristen?

 

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Kiftsgate's a remarkable rose, Armandii, and well worth growing