Most rose gardeners learn to accept thorns with a quiet resignation, arming themselves against the less-pleasant tasks of rose care with gauntlet gloves and loppers. But did you know that technically, roses don’t have thorns? All of those projections along the stem are really called prickles, which help protect the plant against predators.

Prickles are small outgrowths from the plant’s outer layer and can easily be broken off. Thorns are modified branches embedded deep within the stem’s structure.

Where To Plant Thornless Rose Bushes

Thornless varieties are useful when roses are planted along walkways or other high-traffic areas. They are also a great idea for children’s gardens, elderly gardeners, or anyone who has let thorns get in the way of enjoying the world’s most popular flower.

Fortunately, nature provides exceptions to the “every rose has a thorn” rule. While there are not many, some truly thornless roses do exist. A number of “nearly thornless” roses are available, which have scattered thorns along the stem. Certain roses, such as Polyanthas, tend to have fewer thorns as a class. Here’s a list of thornless and nearly thornless roses:

Thornless Roses*

• Ballerina (Hybrid Musk, Pink/white eye)
• Bleu Magenta (Hybrid Multiflora, mauve)
  
• Lady Banks Rose (Species, white or yellow)
• Mme Plantier (Alba, white, fragrant)
• Tausendschön (Hybrid Multiflora, pink blend)
• Veilchenblau (Hybrid Multiflora, mauve, fragrant)
• Zéphirine Drouhin (Bourbon, medium pink, fragrant)

Near-Thornless Roses

• Aimée Vibert (Noisette, white, fragrant)
• Belinda's Blush (Shrub, light pink, fragrant)
• Blush Noisette (Noisette, light pink)
• Bride's Dream (Hybrid Tea, light pink)
• Cécile Brunner (Polyantha, light pink)
• Champagne (Floribunda, light yellow)
  
• Climbing Iceberg (Climbing Floribunda, white)
• Climbing Pinkie (Climbing Polyantha, medium pink)
• Cornelia (Hybrid Musk, pink blend/yellow blend, fragrant)
• Crépuscule (Noisette, apricot blend)
• Dejá Blu™ (Miniflora, mauve)
  
• Dupuy Jamain (Hybrid Perpetual, pink-red)
• Crown Princess Margareta (Shrub, David Austin, apricot blend)
• Firefighter® (Hybrid Tea Rose, red, fragrant)
  
• Frau Karl Druschki (Hybrid Perpetual, white)
• Golden Showers (Large-flowered Climber, medium yellow)
• Isphan (Damask, pink, very fragrant)
• James Galway (Shrub, David Austin, light pink/medium pink)
• Lichfield Angel (Shrub, David Austin, White)
• Marie Pavie (Polyantha, White)
  
• Mme Alfred Carriére (Noisette, white, fragrant)
  
• Morletii ( Boursault, fuchsia)
  
• Outta the Blue (Shrub, mauve)
• Paul Neyron (Hybrid Perpetual, medium pink)
• Petit Rat De L'opera (Hybrid Musk, pink)
  
• Porcelain Rose (Shrub, pink)
• Porcelina (Hybrid Tea, white)
  
• Purple Splash (Climbing Rose,  Wine-purple and white striped)
• Raspberry Cream Twirl™ (Climbing Rose, Deep pink with white stripes)
• Rosa Mundi (Gallica, striped with white and pink, fragrant)
• Sally Holmes (Shrub, White)
• Souvenir de La Malmaison (Bourbons, soft pink)
  
• Sultry Sangria™ (Shrub, purple with a white eye)
  
• Sydonie (Portland,  pink, exceptionally fragrant)
  
• Tango (Shrub, red-orange)
• Tausendschon (Rambling Rose, pink)
• The Generous Gardener (Shrub, David Austin, light pink)
• Thérèse Bugnet (Hybrid Rugosa, medium pink, fragrant)
• Tricolore De Flandre (Gallica, Magenta-pink and white striped)
• Tuscany Superb (Gallica, mauve, fragrant)

*as per Combined Rose List; some thornless varieties may have a rare thorn or two, or small thorns.

Explore our complete collection of thornless roses by visiting here.