I was given a Stairway To Heaven climbing rose plant last Spring as bare root. Kept it in a large pot until planting in full sun area in early summer. I live in Zone 7. Plant was anemic looking, but bloomed heartily last summer. This year it is very bushy, not leggy/climbing like I would expect. It is VERY healthy looking so far this year. I have a trellis nearby ready to train the climbers. It just seems more like a bush. Have I done something wrong, or just not waited long enough?
The rose may still be going through its establishment period. Especially if it struggled last year after planting, it may take some time for the long cane-like shoots to develop this year. It's also possible that the rose may have been mislabelled, and that it is a shrub rose rather than a climber.
