Shade tolerant roses?

On so many rose sites you read about "Shade tolerant roses" but that's a wrong description. There are very few shade tolerant roses but there are roses coping with less sunlight. Not one rose would choose for a shady option as all wild roses thrive in full sun. They have their thorns to cling onto other plants or structures to rise up and get as much sunlight as possible.

Our cultivated roses are all descendants from those wild species so full sun is what they love most. There are however cultivated roses which can cope with partial shade, especially in the afternoon, when the sun is at her strongest. Dark red roses don't prefer partial shade but we give it to them to prevent burning of their beautiful dark flowers. Dark red roses don't mind the hot sun as long as they can produce seed but we like pristine flowers so we give them partial shade to protect the color.

So if it was up to our roses they would never prefer partial shade let alone full shade. Here are some roses coping with a partial shade position: Alba roses such as Félicité Parmentier (mine has partial shade), Madame Plantier and Königin von Dänemark Are Extremely Hardy and can cope well with shade. They only flower once. 

Gallica roses such as Charles de Mills, Officinalis etc... again they only bloom once for a few weeks. 

Westerland, Ghislaine de Feligonde, Ballerina, ramblers, Lady Hillingdon climbing, Mme Alfred Carrière, Mme Isaac Pereire, Bourbon queen, Coup d'Hebé. All these roses can bloom in partial shade.

But what if you only have full shade or a North facing garden. Then I would only recommend the Alba roses as they are the most tough. They won't perform at the best of their abilities but you'll have flowers for sure.

Don't forget that many many roses can grow in big pots so you can let them grow on a terrace or patio with full sun or partial shade. If you only have a 100% shady garden I would try the Alba's.