Add the Beautiful, Ancient Alba Rose Flower to Your Garden

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Alba Rose Flower

One of the most beautiful and oldest known types of flowers is the lovely Alba rose.  This elegant type of flower has been beloved for centuries and is classified as an old garden rose because it was in existence prior to modern hybridization techniques that became popular in the late 1860s.  Although this plant dates back to ancient times, the Alba rose flower continues to be a popular addition to gardens around the globe.

The Alba rose is a favorite of many rose gardeners of all levels of experience because these rose varieties tend to be hardy and disease resistant.  As with almost all old garden roses, the Alba rose only flowers once per year in the late spring or early summer but the elegant, fragrant blooms can be treasured for up to six weeks if the conditions are right. 

Alba roses tend to reach average heights of greater than 6 feet and will grow long, arching canes that hang down gracefully.  These canes have been known to grow over a dozen feet if left untrimmed!  The beautiful Alba rose is very hardy and most variations perform well in planting zones 3 to 9.  These plants are easy to care for, often requiring little attention.  The Alba rose performs best in a sunny location with nutrient rich, well-drained soil but it can still produce beautiful rose flowers in shady locations.  In addition, this hardy plant is resistant to most pests and fungal infections.

Learning how to prune rose bushes like the Alba rose is not complicated because these plants bloom on old wood. This means that new growth will not produce blooms until its second season.  The Alba rose should be pruned immediately after flowering and should not be trimmed at any other time to prevent accidently removing next year’s flowers.

There are many different types of Alba roses including:

  • Amelia:  This lovely Alba rose is one of the smaller varieties, growing to about five feet tall.  It produces elegant pink rose flowers that fade in color as the rose ages. These blooms have a pleasant, sweet fragrance.
  • Celestial:  This is one of the oldest known Albas, dating back to ancient times.  This large shrub is known for its sweet smelling pink flowers.  Celestial roses perform well in full sun, but are easy to grow and generally tolerates most soil condition.  This plant will also tolerate some shady conditions.
  • Chloris:  Chloris is another very old rose variety that likely existed in ancient times.  This lovely shrub has few thorns, rich green foliage and light pink double rose flowers.
  • Felicite de Parmentier: This is another compact Alba rose bush that produces pretty pink flowers with a strong but sweet odor.  The lovely flowers are accented by grey-green foliage.  Its pink roses will bloom for up to six weeks.
  • Maiden’s Blush:  This lovely Alba rose was known to be in existence prior to the 15th century.  This large rose bush reaches heights of seven feet and has dramatic arching branches.  This plant produces three inch pink flowers that have a pleasant, sweet aroma.
  • Morning Blush:  This Alba rose will also produce lovely white roses but these beautiful flowers have traces of pink and red around the edges.  This nearly thornless plant will reach up to 6 feet in height and can spread up to 6 feet wide.  This plant prefers full sun but will still bloom if conditions are shady.  These pink rose flowers do not have a strong fragrance.
  • Madame Plantier Rose (The Brides Rose): This dramatic rose bush is known for its large sweeping canes that have virtually no thorns and lovely cream colored flowers that grow in clusters. Its canes can be trained to climb and grows vigorously.  This rose bush can become quite large, reaching heights up to 12 feet and spreading up to 8 feet.  This plant is a perfect choice for gardeners who are looking to add dramatic white rose flowers to their yards.
  • Queen of Denmark:  If you would like an Alba rose that has pink roses with a strong and pleasant fragrance, select this variety.  This plant originated in Hamburg and grows to about five feet high.  The lovely, thorny branches of this rose bush are often weighed down by its elegant, bright pink blooms. This fragrant rose bush is among the smaller Alba rose flowers, tolerates shady conditions and performs best in planting zones 4 to 8.
  • White Rose of York:  This elegant, fragrant plant reaches heights of up to nine feet and dates back to the 15th century. White Rose of York produces striking, bright white rose flowers with eight petals.  This plant can tolerate planting zones 3 through 9. 

Alba roses make wonderful, low maintenence additions to any home garden.  Ask your local nursery if one of these varieties would perform well in your location!  If you would like more information about different types of rose flowers, check out our articles For Beautiful Flowers, Try Growing Old Roses and Modern Roses Make Beautiful Summer Flowers. 

Or learn more about the following individual types of old roses from our related articles about:

 

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