I have a Zepherine Drouhin that is growing GREAT in a spot with only four hours of sun per day.
I have never tried growing it in shade because I don't believe ANY ROSE can truly grow properly in shade.But to answer your question, I'd say it probably would do better than most with LIMITED sun. If i really had no choice whatsoever, I might get adventurous and try a spot with only three hours of sun, but that seems "iffy". But given the proper conditions, it is ABSOLUTELY, my very favorite rose, I have twenty of them.

So many questions and coments. Where to start? I have grown Zepherine Drouhin under many conditions. In zone 5 I am growing it in 2 seperate gardens. One where it is never sprayed and shows no blackspot or mildew even when others in the garden do. One where it is sprayed every week and it still shows some mildew. There does seem to be a corelation between lack of water (water stress) and an increase in disease susceptibility. Finally this rose in zone 4? Why not. Grown on its own root in good soil with good watering and fertilizing. Mulched heavily in Late fall (after the ground freezes similar to how some Hybrid teas are protected in zone 5) you could treat it as a herbaceous perennial, cutting away any deadwood in spring and still get a rose that blooms on new wood to 6 feet tall and wide. Besides often you might never have temperatures drop below the ten below zero of zone 6 (at least around el nino). And if you had temperatures to 30 below every 5 years you'd still have good flowers on a smaller shrub. No I nelieve that some roses can be used in much colder temperatures than they have been and this may be one. Besides if you have to prune it back to the ground there are no thorns. Oh, and planting in shade, It has been my experience that as the shade increases the number of blooms, the vigor of growth and the disease resistance are reduced. The largest plant food for roses is the photosynthesis of sunlight.

I have to add to my previous comment. Careful in zone 4 planting with a southern or eastern exposure. One thing that can reduce a plants hardiness is coming out of dormancy during the day in winter only to be frozen back again at night. Southern exposures are helpful during the growing season or in areas where temperatures dont become severe in winter. Otherwise they can spell Major Winter Dieback. Sometimes the damage is not easily seen.

Shade and Blackspot:
My zeph does great in shade. When I first planted it around 5 years ago, it had blackspot that year so I sprayed, but since that first year it hasn't shown any sign of blackspot.

By observing roses planted in more shady sites, I have found that they bloom less often and that the plants are actually kind of spindly as they are reaching for the sun. Some roses can do OK in shady conditions, but the more sun the plant gets, the better it thrives.

This rose has a reputation of growing quite well in shady conditions, but the same cultivar grown in sunnier conditions is simply beautiful.

Smiles,
Lyn
helpmefind.com

Yes! my Zephirine is 7 years old and is huge. It has shade most of the day