5 Favorite White Roses for a Purely Beautiful Garden
I love the look of white roses — they are cool and elegant, and instantly add class to any garden. In the language of flowers, white roses symbolize sincerity, purity and chastity. They also indicate innocence and spiritual love, and have sometimes been referred to as "the flower of light." Whether you're looking for a climbing rose to enhance your pergola or a deliciously scented one to flank your entryway, white roses are a classic choice.
The New York Botanical Garden
Best climber. Any shrub rose that is described as a "mannerly climber" is good in my book. 'Sea Foam' grows up to 8 feet tall, perfect for smaller trellises and arbors. It sports creamy white double blossoms that have successive bloom times in spring, summer and fall. Plant it in USDA zones 4 to 9. Find your zone
More white climbers include 'Moonlight', 'Prosperity','Colonial White' and 'Jeanne d'Arc'.
The New York Botanical Garden
Best cut flower. 'Moondance' offers impressively long stems, 14 to 18 inches long, making it an exceptional rose for cutting and arranging. The creamy white 3 1/2 inch-flowers also have a delightful spicy scent and are arranged in clusters on the stems. This shrub rose grows up to 6 feet tall in zones 5 to 9, blooms in late spring to early summer with repeat blooming and is resistant to mildew and rust. It is, however, a bit susceptible to black spot, so you'll want to keep an eye on that to avoid continued problems.
Other great cut white roses are 'White Gold','Susan' and 'Winchester Cathedral'.
The New York Botanical Garden
Easy-care favorite. What do you get when you cross the beautiful 'Graham Thomas' rose with the easygoing 'Carefree Beauty'? You get 'Stephen F. Austin', a lovely low-maintenance shrub rose that grows up to 6 feet tall in zones 5 to 9. It boasts 3-inch-wide almost-double flowers that fade to a cream color in warmer weather.
Want more low-maintenance white roses? Look for 'Snowdrift','Morden Blush', 'Sally Holmes' and 'Sea Foam'.
Discover more wonderfully easy-to-grow roses
The New York Botanical Garden
Best scent.'Iceberg' is a blindingly white rose and the original, introduced in 1958, is heavily scented and quite disease resistant. The "new" 'Iceberg' rose that was introduced in 2002 is equally beautiful, but the scent is said to be much milder. 'Iceberg' is a vigorous shrub rose, growing 4 to 6 feet tall in zones 4 to 9, and blooms in the spring with repeat blooms later in the season.
Additional white fragrant roses include 'Full Sail', 'Moondance','Pillow Fight' and 'Pope John Paul II'.
The New York Botanical Garden
Best color variation. 'Garden Party' is a hybrid tea rose that offers creamy white blooms dipped in pale pink. It's also blessed with strong fragrance and long canes that make it great for cutting. It grows to 4 feet tall and will do well in zones 5 to 9 — but be forewarned that this gorgeous girl is a bit susceptible to a plethora of diseases and pests. Many of these problems can be kept in check through good cultural practices, like making sure your rose has enough space around it to ensure good air circulation, and avoiding getting water on the foliage when irrigating.
Other color variations include 'Cafe Ole','White O'Hara' and 'Créme de la Créme'.
Joani Stewart-Georgi - Montana Ave. Interiors
White roses can be considered a neutral — they will go with virtually any other color in the garden. And if you have entertaining spaces where you like to gather in the evening, white roses will almost glow in the night. This light flower color really pops in the landscape, so if you have an area that you would like to stand out, white is the way to go.
The New York Botanical Garden
Best climber. Any shrub rose that is described as a "mannerly climber" is good in my book. 'Sea Foam' grows up to 8 feet tall, perfect for smaller trellises and arbors. It sports creamy white double blossoms that have successive bloom times in spring, summer and fall. Plant it in USDA zones 4 to 9. Find your zone
The New York Botanical Garden
Best cut flower. 'Moondance' offers impressively long stems, 14 to 18 inches long, making it an exceptional rose for cutting and arranging. The creamy white 3 1/2 inch-flowers also have a delightful spicy scent and are arranged in clusters on the stems. This shrub rose grows up to 6 feet tall in zones 5 to 9, blooms in late spring to early summer with repeat blooming and is resistant to mildew and rust. It is, however, a bit susceptible to black spot, so you'll want to keep an eye on that to avoid continued problems.
The New York Botanical Garden
Easy-care favorite. What do you get when you cross the beautiful 'Graham Thomas' rose with the easygoing 'Carefree Beauty'? You get 'Stephen F. Austin', a lovely low-maintenance shrub rose that grows up to 6 feet tall in zones 5 to 9. It boasts 3-inch-wide almost-double flowers that fade to a cream color in warmer weather.
The New York Botanical Garden
Best scent. 'Iceberg' is a blindingly white rose and the original, introduced in 1958, is heavily scented and quite disease resistant. The "new" 'Iceberg' rose that was introduced in 2002 is equally beautiful, but the scent is said to be much milder. 'Iceberg' is a vigorous shrub rose, growing 4 to 6 feet tall in zones 4 to 9, and blooms in the spring with repeat blooms later in the season. 
The New York Botanical Garden
Best color variation. 'Garden Party' is a hybrid tea rose that offers creamy white blooms dipped in pale pink. It's also blessed with strong fragrance and long canes that make it great for cutting. It grows to 4 feet tall and will do well in zones 5 to 9 — but be forewarned that this gorgeous girl is a bit susceptible to a plethora of diseases and pests. Many of these problems can be kept in check through good cultural practices, like making sure your rose has enough space around it to ensure good air circulation, and avoiding getting water on the foliage when irrigating.
Joani Stewart-Georgi - Montana Ave. Interiors
White roses can be considered a neutral — they will go with virtually any other color in the garden. And if you have entertaining spaces where you like to gather in the evening, white roses will almost glow in the night. This light flower color really pops in the landscape, so if you have an area that you would like to stand out, white is the way to go.