It would be hard to beat the China rose Ducher. It performs like a floribunda in that it's always blooming. And it has healthy foliage that doesn't need spaying.

Ducher rose is pretty good. Never needs spraying or anything. bulletproof rose unlike Iceberg that I tried in the past.

Seafoam is another white that is healthy and a bloom machine. Watch out for the thorns, however.

I agree on Seafoam! It is a bloom machine with beautiful foliage. I throws out long very thorny canes as mentioned above so it would be a good one to train as a climber.

I have a Temptress that makes huge, creamy-white blooms. It is prone to BS just a bit but well worth the extra effort. Cheryl

I planted Ducher last spring in my white bed. It bloomed occasionally throughout the summer. I think it was taking a while to get settled, but right before our first freeze, I brought 3 blooms in the house and was amazed at how beautiful it smelled. I had smelt it off and on all summer while on the bush and hadn't noticed any scent.

Also, through all our freezes, it has remained truly evergreen this winter not missing a beat. (No blooms since December, but very healthy.) Even my double knockouts in front went more or less dormant and lost most of their foliage, but not Ducher. She's currently adding on a lot more nice looking foliage. New foliage is red and seems to wilt in the freezes, but amazingly snaps out of it and carries on when it warms up again.

She's been a nice, full, spot-free rose.

I'm expecting great things from her this year!

Bobbi

There's a thread going about Ducher over in the Antique Rose Gallery.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ducher through the year ...

The Ducher is very beautiful. I've been researching white roses to replace one that I lost. There are quite a few white roses listed on the Antique Rose Emporium. I was admiring the Katharina Zeimet which is a very pretty white rose. But I haven't grown it, so I don't know anything about it.

I have Ducher and it is a good little rose. However, my "wow" white rose is Pope John Paul II......I finally broke down last year and bought this one after reading a year or two of raves on the rose forums and then I was a convert. Absolutely stunning large white (fragrant!) roses and last year it kept blooming through the heat of the summer. It's a hybrid tea but is one that has a bushy form. I have both of mine in large pots. I have a large number of roses of all kinds and this one is one of my favorites.

Lynn

I have to add one more thing about Ducher... I am shocked to see how nearly evergreen it is compared to other roses after several nights of low to mid teens temperature. I am considering planting them in front of front windows so they won't look so bare like other roses do.

Texaslynn - How's BS resistance on PJP II? I have heard good things about it too and actually almost bought it but decided not to since I didn't have a spot for it. I suppose I could try it in the big pot that I have lying around.

Texaslynne, will you email me? I cannot find your address on the forum. Mine should work okay.

I have had- and gotten rid of due to black spot- both Crystalline and Iceberg. I have both Ducher and Seafoam as well, and love both. Smaller blooms on both, very healthy, both HUGE plants. My favorite white rose though is Bolero. It's a small floribunda. Huge fragrant blooms, really quick repeat, very healthy, even though I don't spray at all.

I'm a Ducher fan too! Mine are in difficult conditions. Planted in a strip of soil about 3 ft wide between 2 concrete drives. As you might guess, other roses failed. These have thrived. I love the foliage, the flowers and the delicate scent. If I had to choose a tough white rose, this would be it.

Lou, PJP II is what I would call above average BS resistant for an HT......but I do spray some in the spring and fall when the humidity and temps fall into prime BS territory. I'm in a wetter part of Texas so that is an issue here.

I did notice something about Seafoam one time at a nursery which had a bad outbreak of BS amongst it's roses - it was one of the very few roses there that seemed relatively unaffected. I remember being impressed and have kept that in my mind (although I don't have personal experience with Seafoam in my garden).

Carrie, I did e-mail you....through the gardenweb thingy; hope it went through!

Lynn

dont think dutcher is all that pretty... I like many many roses on a plant and it looks very sparse...

I would love to do nothing but knockouts, but i dont like them... I like large many petaled roses... like chihuly, and crystaline, but i want a lot more flowers than a ht puts out...

i know.. im difficult.

d

Have you looked at the Bourbon St. Anne? Not the prettiest flower or shrub so she might not be a good choice for you. But her fragrance is like cinnamon.

Sorry to wander, but your post made me thing of Bourbons. My souvenier del la malmason is not very white but has a bit of a pink cast. Maybe another Bourbon?

I tried several white roses and the only ones I have left are Ducher, Souvie and St. Anne. I can't even remember the others now. I believe two were climbers all broke my heart.

I have and Iceberg story. My neighbor had several. They were lovely. One day I bought a mesh bag of ladybugs. I set them free assuming they would snarf the aphids on my many roses.

Not a chance! They took off like a helicopter batallion. Across the street, up and over her house and landed on her 3 Icebergs! Guess the cried for help were loud and the potential for snarfing greater.

Promise you will report back when you find the best white roses for Texas? Maybe one of the Buck roses? Can't remember the names but I do remember seeing white roses by Buck.
c

The Ducher in that link was a baby Ducher. Mine stays constantly covered with blooms, but they are little blooms. I'm a dead heading fanatic but even I give up when it comes to Ducher. Another good white is Mary Washington. But you really can't beat Bolero. It's not often you get disease resistance AND big fragrant blooms.

I know it's not the type you were looking for but my favorite white rose is Madame Joseph Schwartz.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.antiqueroseemporium.com/rose-406.html

Ossnap,

I bought several of that rose last month. I've never seen them before in person but I figured since it's a sport of earthkind rose, it's good enough. Lol. Glad to hear that it's a favorite white rose of yours. That means it's a good one!