White climbing rose to identify

16 years ago

I originally thought I had a climbing Iceberg, but now

I'm doubting that assessment because it only blooms once.

Characteristics:

Blooms are pure white with no speckles, stripes. They never have any hints of ivory, yellow, pink, or mauve.

Stamens are yellow.

Bloom size is about 2 or 2.5 inches across. They do not resemble hybrid tea form.

Buds are pink; photos attached have a very good representation of how the buds look.

Scent is very sweet, very strong.

Leaves are smaller than all the HT's we have, and new growth is always light green--never burgundy.

Thorns are straight,narrow and green, like a true needle and not like a hook.

Dead blooms fade to a crispy, ugly brown if not removed.

It continues to grow upright & flop outwards at a massive rate after it finishes its one & only bloom, at mid-May.

Photo of the bush, mid-May 2010:

{{gwi:317070}}

A new bloom, not yet open, with buds:

A fully-open bloom and a few buds:

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Comments (6)

petaloid
16 years ago
I can tell by the lacy sepals on the buds, and the bloom form, that it's not Iceberg -- you're right about that.

It looks to me like a heritage variety, and I hope someone here can name it.

You might also want to post your excellent photos on the Antique Roses forum.
hartwood
16 years ago
Is your rose relatively thornless? If so, I think you may have Mme. Plantier.

Connie
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flaurabunda
Original Author
16 years ago
Nope, definitely not thornless. Very thin, needles-like prickles. I also forgot to mention that it is certainly cane-hardy in zone 5b. If I don't cut her back in the spring, she's everywhere!

It was planted here at our house by previous owners. It's the only rose in our yard that we didn't plant. I have more clues for the Rose ID detectives....our house was struck by lightning about 4 years ago while the previous owners lived here. Upon inspecting several of the replaced items, they are quite obviously things bought locally at Big Box stores. (Vanity in bathroom, doors, landscaping rock, tile, etc.)

When they landscaped, they stuck about 7 bland, gangly spirea shrubs all around the house. Everything here is the basic, boring stuff you get a Lowe's or Menard's. I'm betting the rose came from similar stock, so it would be something readily available and not too exotic or rare.

SOOOO glad that we ripped out that spirea & started roses!
petaloid
16 years ago
I researched a bit, and your rose really does look a lot like Connie's suggestion of Mme. Plantier. I guess if it has a lot of thorns it must be something else.

Madame Hardy is a white alba that blooms once a year and has those frilly, old-fashioned sepals, along with thorns.

I don't know if that's what you have, but it is available at some regular garden centers, and at least one of the photos on HelpMeFind is from a grower in Illinois:

Here is a link that might be useful: Madame Hardy photos
flaurabunda
Original Author
16 years ago
Wow! Great call! I thought for a minute that I remembered yellow stamens---and I was wrong. My husband found a picture that verifies that ours does indeed have a green pip.

I'm calling her Madame Hardy from now on. Thank you so much! Here's the picture of ours that looks just like the ones on Help me find:

---Laura
petaloid
16 years ago
I'm very happy that I could help, and it's obvious you are taking good care of that lovely rose.