If you’re looking for low-maintenance white roses to add to your garden, you can’t go wrong with a disease-resistant variety.
White roses are especially beautiful, and thanks to their resistance to common rose diseases, they’re easy to care for.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the power of white roses and why disease-resistant varieties are a must-have for any gardener.
8 Disease Resistant White Roses For Your Garden
White roses are not only beautiful, but they are also disease resistant. This makes them the perfect addition to your garden.
Here are some tips on how to care for your white roses.
1. Summer Memories Rose
Summer Memories rose was bred by Tim Hermann Kordes in Germany, in 1992.
| COLOR: White | BLOOM SIZE: Medium | FRAGRANCE: Mild Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 2ft – 6ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
Summer Memories is a healthy and vigorous rose with dark green leaves that provide a nice background to the abundance of white blooms.
Each bloom has up to 90 petals!
As a floribunda rose, the Summer Memories will produce a massive number of flowers.
To maximize your flower production, we suggest pruning your roses as they start to wilt.
By pruning spent blooms, the rose plant will redirect its energy into producing more buds.
What can you do with those pruned roses afterward? Dried roses make for beautiful decor.
Simply hang the roses upside down in a dark, cool, dry location for up to three weeks.
Your roses will be perfectly preserved.
2. Polar Express Rose
Polar Express rose was bred by Tim Hermann Kordes in Germany, in 1998.
It was introduced in Germany by Dehner Deine Natur in 2010, as ‘Gletscherfee’.
| COLOR: White | BLOOM SIZE: Medium | FRAGRANCE: Mild Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 4ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
The Polar Express rose is known to attract several pollinators to your garden.
Insects such as butterflies and bees will love to make a pit stop by your garden if you have these roses in your garden.
Selecting these varieties is not only eco-friendly but also extremely beneficial to the health and yield of other plants in your garden.
Your roses will benefit from a soil that is moderately moist.
Avoid overwatering your soil, as this is not only counterproductive but detrimental to the roses’ health.
Wait until the top 2 to 3 inches of soil has dried up before rehydrating the plant.
3. Petticoat White Rose
Petticoat rose was bred by Tim Hermann Kordes in Germany, in 1992.
| COLOR: White | BLOOM SIZE: Medium | FRAGRANCE: Mild, Sweet Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 3ft – 4ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
Petticoat rose has lovely old-fashioned flowers with 50 petals.
In the early spring, you must give your Petticoat roses a heavy prune.
Start by cutting back any foliage that has died off during the winter frost.
After that, you must cut back any overgrowth by pruning and canes that cross.
Those living in warmer climates should prune about 1/3 of the bush.
If you live in a cold climate, you’ll find yourself needing to prune more than that.
Space your rose bushes about 4 feet apart from one another.
Giving your roses ample spacing not only increases air circulation between the plants, but it allows the root system to grow and develop uninhibited.
A strong, fortified rose bush starts at the roots!
Allowing the roots to spread will further develop their growth, giving you a healthier plant in the long run.
4. Ole White Rose
Ole rose was introduced as part of the Northern Accents series of roses bred for hardiness by Kathy Zuzek.
| COLOR: White | BLOOM SIZE: Medium | FRAGRANCE: Mild Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 3ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
Since the Ole rose tends to grow small (reaching 3 feet tall at maturity), these roses can make for excellent white roses for mixed borders.
Plant your ole roses in locations of the garden that needs to be filled out. Ole roses can be used to completely transform the bare locations of your landscape.
The Ole rose may die back to the ground during the winter freeze, but don’t panic, this is entirely normal.
This rose variety is very tolerant of cold and will bounce back in the spring.
5. Old Baylor Rose
Old Baylor rose was bred by Mike Shoup in the United States, in 2006.
| COLOR: White | BLOOM SIZE: Medium | FRAGRANCE: None to Mild Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 4ft – 6ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
The Old Baylor is a continuously blooming flower that is highly suitable for cutting.
While the Old Baylor is not known for having a strong aroma, they are undeniably beautiful and would look stunning in a floral arrangement.
This rose variety is known to have prickly thorns.
While thorns are a totally normal and expectable part of the rose bush, it is never fun to get poked by them.
We always encourage wearing protective gloves and an eye shield before handling thorny roses.
6. Marie-Luise Marjan Rose
Marie-Luise Marjan rose was bred by W. Kordes & Sons in Germany, in 1999.
| COLOR: White | BLOOM SIZE: Large | FRAGRANCE: Moderate, Spice, Sweet Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 3ft – 4ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
After transplanting your rose bushes, wait at least three weeks for the roses to establish themselves before applying any fertilizer to your Marie-Luise Marjan roses.
Apply a fertilizer that is slightly higher in potassium to encourage vigorous flower development.
A fertilizer that is higher in nitrogen is great for foliage growth, especially if you find that your young plant’s growth pattern is not up to your expectations.
Though please be aware that prolonged use of nitrogen can discourage flower development, leaving you with a whole lot of leaves and minimal rose.
7. Lion’s Rose Fairy Tale Rose
Lion’s Rose Fairy Tale was bred by Tim Hermann Kordes in Germany, before 1999.
| COLOR: Cream White | BLOOM SIZE: Large | FRAGRANCE: Mild, Sweet Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 2ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
The best soil to ensure optimal growth for your Lion’s Rose Fairy Tale is a well-draining, fertile soil.
Heavy clay soils are not recommended as this can compact your plant’s roots, making root development very difficult.
You can break apart heavy clay soil by working in materials such as half-composted straw.
In addition, adding heavy amounts of manure and compost will help fertilize a poor soil.
The ideal time of year to plant your Lion’s Rose Fairy Tale bushes is in the late autumn to late spring.
When transferring your roses to the garden, gently shake out the root ball of the plant to encourage the roots to spread out.
Related post: Where Do White Roses Grow Best In Your Garden
8. Innocencia Vigorosa
Innocencia Vigorosa rose was bred by Wilhelm Kordes III in Germany, in 1993.
| COLOR: White | BLOOM SIZE: Small To Medium | FRAGRANCE: Moderate Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 1ft – 2ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
While the Innocencia Vigorosa is highly resistant to disease, it can be slightly susceptible to mildew.
Mildew is merely the byproduct of too much-trapped moisture in the plant.
Regardless, mildew can be swiftly avoided by keeping away from overhead watering as well as spacing out your rose bushes by 3 to 4 feet apart.
This variety is a continually blooming rose that is certain to give you a large yield of blooms throughout the entire growing season.
Of course, you’ll want to get the most out of these plants, so prune accordingly.
Once you notice a flower has begun to wilt, prune it so that the plant grows a new bud in its stead.
Conclusion
Of course, everyone loves white roses, but we understand that sometimes caring for them isn’t always easy.
Selecting varieties of roses that are resistant to a disease is one less thing gardeners have to worry about.
Disease-resistant roses are the all-around best choice for gardeners with busy life schedules, gardening newcomers, or even veteran gardeners who simply don’t want to fret over disease prevention!
Owning disease-resistant roses is a necessity for your garden, we hope this list has helped narrow down your choices.
