We grew Margaret Merril here years ago, and found it truly un-remarkable. Neither of us could smell it, either. And back then, I really could still smell roses.

Jeri

I just saw several Moondance roses and they are very nice. The plants were 3-4' tall, more shrublike, rather than tall stiff canes. Fragrant. I put it on my list to consider when I want more roses. Sugar Moon is another good one, too. I just got it and it's had one bloom so far, but it's still a small plant.

Here is a link that might be useful: Moondance on HMF

I made the mistake of thinking Iceberg was a no-brainer, grow anywhere rose, and I tried putting it in a partial shade spot. Wrong. I just pulled it out, potted it, and have it sitting in a sunny spot for the winter. Will determine what to do with it in spring, depending on how it does potted this winter.

Too early to tell for my Sugar Moon, but the first blooms were fabulous with a heavenly fragrance. Have high hopes for it.

There's a reason why Iceberg is everywhere, Kippy. Give it enough sun (Harmonyp is right to get it out of the shade), and it will bloom its little head off. I second Harmonyp's endorsement of Sugar Moon. I've had mine for two years, and it's a strong performer--beautifully shaped blooms and grand fragrance. If I remember rightly, it was marketed to compete with PJPII. Each has its fans (and detractors). I grow them both and would give the slight edge to Sugar Moon, but I wouldn't part with either of them. I also endorse Jeri's assessment of Margaret Merril--meh!
My favorite white, however, remains Bolero. Blooms like crazy (okay, not like Iceberg, but then, what does?) and the fragrance is to die for. A floribunda, it stays shorter than Sugar Moon, which in my smaller garden is a good thing.
I keep hearing good things about Maria Shriver, but I don't have any firsthand experience to go by.

Hope this helps,
Kay

Not in your climate but knew someone in California who liked this white shrub rose named Alba Meilland. Not White Meilland, but Alba Meilland. Heirloom used to sell it. You may want to take a peek at it on HMF....Maryl

Can you be more specific in what you want the rose to do/be? Size, fragrance, etc...

I have iceberg already, I had just read the article on Margaret Merril and seen Seafoam. Was mostly just curious about white roses people like or dislike.

I picked the iceberg because it was a) cheap $3 b) one root gallon c) since it was in the chicken yard and I have read that chickens are more attacked to red roses. d) it seems to be a very commonly used pollinator, so I can try that later too.

Kippy, my only worry about Sugar Moon is that it is a "grandchild" of 'Crystalline.'

'Crystalline' was a spectacular rose, which produced beautiful blooms in inland gardens, and was drech at the coast. I asked Tom Carruth about that, and he confirmed that 'Crystalline' needed heat.

We subsequently avoided roses of that breeding line, even when we were still planting HTs.

Jeri

I have Sea Foam, but I haven't had it more than 3 weeks. So I can't tell you squat. It's a cute rose, but is also super thorny (which for me was part of the draw...it's for the hedge line where people cross the lawn).

No real scent that I can detect, but it is a very cute rose. Lots of blooms, and seems hale and vigorous.

(But I have to vote for PJPII...fantastic, majestic, magnificent rose indeed. I won't ever be without one of those in whatever garden I have.)

Best-
Herding Cats

Cats, I have read about PJP11, looks really nice.

I am not really looking for any white roses right now, just wanted to hear what people think of a few of them. I have some wickly thorny once blooming cuttings I am going to put in at a "surprise! you should not have jumped the fence to steal the fruit" zone. Like Sea Foam, I figure they will leave some dna.

And I realized that the mystery rose I thought I had solved, is still unsolved, a tree rose with BIG crepe paper warm white roses with a pink edge. I hope they still look good tomorrow cause I will be bringing the camera.

I'm not terribly impressed with my Seafoam, even though I've seen some that are wonderful. I think he may hate his dirt? When he's happy, he makes beautiful red hips that are a plus this time of year. I thought he'd be happy for a tough spot for some reason, and I don't suggest him for that.

Alba Meid. is great for tough spots, OTOH. He has smaller flowers, but they are frothy and wonderful and easy. No hips that I've seen. He blooms in a lot of shade.

I haven't found the perfect white rose with impressive blooms. I have a pastel rose that is definitely cream-white for me that may become a huge favorite of mine, though: Sans Souci. It depends on your weather and definition of 'white', but he's worth a mention. Lovely blooms! So far he's not been abundant enough, but I haven't had him long. If he picks up the pace, I do suggest him for a cream rose in hot climates (other colors if cooler).

I'll report back on him in 3 years, lol :)

For what it's worth, I've got Iceberg, Bolero, and Seafoam. Iceberg does what no other white does - blooms its fool head off all summer. Bolero is smaller, but has lots of gorgeous blooms, and a very nice fragrance. It has a smaller Floribunda appearance. I'm impressed with it. Seafoam has something of the form of The Fairy, although mounding and taller. Lots of smaller blooms, small leaves, and lots of thorns. I'm letting it just do its thing as a specimen plant, and I can see it getting to about 4' high and 6' around with no training whatsoever. All three are very good bloomers and so far bulletproof - but all three are very different in their visual effect.

My Bolero got off to a shaky start. Bought as a 3 gal in fall 2011, had to dig up, and cage this May due to gophers eating most of her roots. She's hanging in there, very stable now and hopefully next year I'll get to see what she's made of. For the few blooms I've gotten so far, they are amazingly beautiful and fragrant on the bush, and didn't work in the vase. In the peak of heat they were pure white, in the cool, they had the lightest lovely pink tinge. And did I say fragrant!?

As for chickens, my neighbors flock ate every bud off my new climbing iceberg. They also had easy access to my pink OGRs and various minis, but they much preferred the iceberg. My neighbor couldn't believe chickens ate rosebuds because they leave his rugosas alone, but I was able to film his darlings gulping the buds whole which helped convince him that good fences make good neighbors.

My very favorite white is Moondance, I can't say enough good things about her. Constantly in bloom, creamy white, large, full, perfectly shaped long lasting flowers, impervious to heat, a neat upright plant, lovely dark green glossy foliage, vigorous, black-spot free, even fragrant.

Di

I have Sea Foam. It blooms its head off and is very vigorous, tough. Mine has RRD, the last in the linee of the prevailing winds that carried the mite and off by itself. Because it still blooms constantly, I leave it to die its slow death, whacking off the thick red, gnarled canes. Other healthy canes keep shooting up, as well. Eventually the RRD will win, but this should give you an idea of how tough it is.

Two other white I love are the Musk Rose ad Manchester Guardian Angel, both large. MGA is very loose and can easily be trained.

I used to have 3 Sea Foams with 3 Penelopes. They all became huge, and almost impossible to care for. Sea Foam has smaller blooms than Penelope, and has many thorns. It was very hard to dead head.

Iceberg seems to like California more than Okalhoma.

Have you considered Ducher? I love that rose and have about 5.

If you like Hybrid Musks or Musks, I would recommend Penelope unless you need pure white. Also Bubble Bath is pretty, but not a true white.

Sammy

My best white here is Pope John Paul II. It's the only truly white rose I've ever had that actually opened in my humidity. Honor, JFK and Full Sail were lovely buds that usually just turned brown and never opened up.

White roses for zone 10:

S. de St. Anne and Konprincessen Victoria, both sports of SDLM, S. de St. Anne blooms better than most floribundas.

Secret Garden Musk Climber

There are some Austen whites which do nicely in hot climates, Swan, Dove and Fair Bianca.

Some of the smaller niosettes bloom almost continuously. They have small flowers in immense clusters. Some folks consider them insipid. I think they make lovely short hedges, and you can plant your more flamboyant flowers in front of or around them. My favorite is Mary Washington, which has beautifully shaped very double flowers the size of large coat buttons.

Alba Meidilland and White Meidilland are both excellent choices which can be grown just about anywhere roses can be grown. I think the Meidilland series might be the closest thing yet to roses you can grow anywhere. In CA both bloom just as freely as does Iceberg, and the flowers are much prettier. Alba Meidilland grows like a small rambler.

Secret Garden Musk Climber is a magnificent ever-blooming climber for this area.

Jeri

I have Secret Garden Musk Climber on my must have list.

Of course I have to decide just where to her!

I failed to get a photo of my mostly white rose today, I love that one!

Does everyones iceberg have some pink tint or striping in them?

Kippy, my Iceberg doesn't have any pink in it.

Iceberg is pretty un-stable, color-wise.

It's produced Brilliant Pink Iceberg, Pink Iceberg, Blushing Pink Iceberg, and Burgundy Iceberg (Sport of Brilliant Pink Iceberg).

It never surprises me to see some random pink on Iceberg.
:-)

Jeri

My Burgundy Iceberg occasionally has blossoms that are magenta streaked with a bit if white. Very pretty.

Di