White Dawn Climbing Rose

Long before the Knock Out® shrubs came onto the scene, blackspot was already taking a beating from a certain climbing rose with the vigor and size of a mighty rambler. White Dawn was introduced in 1949, and its lush, healthy foliage gets almost as much attention as its double-flowered ivory white blooms and gardenia fragrance.

This fast-growing rose is out to blanket trellises, arbors, pergolas, and fences with long, elegant canes studded with dark green leaves and beautiful blooms. Reaching up to 8 feet high and 3 feet wide, it's the one you want when you have a large structure that needs some living color. The flowers begin opening from pointed, ovoid buds as soon as the summer weather arrives, and continue right up to frost in many climates.

The flowers are often compared to gardenias, probably because of their soft white (a shade that used to be called moonlight) petals and rich, evocative gardenia scent. They sport perfect hybrid tea form, ruffling nicely as they slowly unfurl from a high center. Fully 3 inches wide, they are long-lasting in the vase as well as on the shrub, but who can bear to cut too many when they perfume and beautify the sunny garden so wonderfully?

And the blooms repeat all season, in waves, with a few weeks' rest between each bout. The earliest blooms are the most profuse, but White Dawn outlasts most others when it comes to fall flowers. A little chill in the air is no problem for this ultra-hardy beauty.

The child of New Dawn (a pale pink climber) and Lily Pons, White Dawn was introduced by American breeder L. E. Longley in 1949. We do not know why it isn't more widely used in American gardens, for its blackspot resistance sets it apart, and its vigorous rambler-like habit is a great boon. We are proud to make it available this season.