Rhonda was bred by Jack Lissemore in the United States in 1968 from New Dawn crossed with the floribunda Spartan. The flowers are medium pink, fully double, and lightly fragrant, appearing in the main flush and sometimes repeating later in the season. The canes are prickled and reach 7 to 10 feet tall with a spread of 4 to 6 feet, making it a mid-scale climber suited to a trellis, fence, or wall.

New Dawn in the parentage lends Rhonda a measure of that famous climber's toughness, and disease resistance is generally good, though powdery mildew, black spot, and blight warrant attention in humid conditions. Plant in full sun with fertile, well-drained soil, and prune in late winter to remove dead and diseased canes. Regular pruning rejuvenates the plant and encourages more abundant flowering. Hardy from zone 4 to 9, it covers a wide geographic range for a climbing rose.