Rosa Alba Maxima

This beautiful rose is one of the most subtle and simple of the Albas, and yet also a sophisticated shrub of great character. Also known as the 'Jacobite Rose', or the 'White Rose of York'.
The shrub form is upright and arching, or fountain shaped. 

The foliage is typical of the Albas: grey-green and dark, generally disease free, although rarely this rose will get rust.

Blooms are white when fully open, but depending on the weather, they will have a cream or blush pink tone at the center at the beginning. They are produced in small clusters of 3 or as many as 8, and are very strongly, and sweetly scented.
R. alba maxima is not an ordinary rose....it is a sublime beauty that works very well in cottage gardens. Just remember that Albas are best left unpruned so that they may develope their true shrub form, so don't plant one unless you can allow it the room to grow as it pleases.
Alba Roses are hybrids whose antiquity may go back further than the Roman Empire. Plinius, who lived from 23-79 A.D., mentioned white roses in his Natural History. Botanists believe these roses may have been Albas.
Graham Thomas supports Dr. C. C. Hurst's theory that Albas are derived from the dog rose, Rosa canina, and the Damask rose, Rosa damascena. Others say it's born from Rosa canina and Rosa gallica. 

They have a penetrating pure rosy fragrance with tones of citrus. 

They are resistant to disease for the most part. Many can tolerate shade, drought, and are winter hardy.
Many prominent artists including Botticelli, Luini, Crivelli, Shoengauer, da Zevio and van Spaendonck illustrated Albas.

Zone 3 to 9

Intoxicating Fragranced Roses - Hansa

"Hansa", bred by Schaum and van Tol, Holland 1905. Hansa is one of the more typical R. rugosa hybrids, having characteristics very similar to the species. Often ignored and even maligned as being an unsophisticated rose, it is a very attractive shrub that deserves garden space.

Hansa blooms throughout the season, in the same manner as R. rugosa, often displaying ripening hips at the same times as new blooms are opening.

The flowers are a clear magenta hue, not a true red. The photo is true to color.

Hansa offers the distinct Rugosa fragrance, which can be described as Old Rose mixed with clove.

Bloom form is fully double, but of no particular arrangement of petals. We could call this a rosette form of 4'' - 10,2 cm.

Like most of the Rugosa class, particularly the ones that most closely resemble the species, this shrub is completely resistant to the typical rose diseases. For this trait alone this rose can be placed high on the list of larger desirable shrub roses!

It has a height of 5' to 7' - 150 to 215 cm and a width of 4' to 7' - 120 to 215 cm. Given the space to get to this size, it forms a wonderful treelike form with an umbrella shaped canopy. Rather than pruning this shrub to keep it small, people should be encouraged to place it where it can be allowed to take on these treelike characteristics. It suckers profusely and can be used as screen.

The beauty of these old plants of Hansa is really impressive. And the smell... mmmm!

The flowers are edible, as the hips are! You can make jam of them, although a good friend of mine eats them just like that, without cooking! :) He says they are sooo sweet!

Zone 3 to 9.