Iceberg Rose
The Iceberg Rose - Common, Yet Special
At a glance the name Iceberg rose conjures up an image of a white, though exotic plant, that's going to be difficult to locate, and expensive when you do find one. In reviewing several gardener's forums addressing this particular rose, it appears that more than one owner has purchased their Iceberg rose at a box store, often on discount, brought it home in a plastic sack (a "body bag" as one person put it), eventually planted it, neglected it, and yet had been rewarded year after year with beautiful and prolific white blooms, that go on for all summer.
Not The Best For A Cut Flower - The Iceberg rose has just about everything going for it with one small exception. It does not make a particularly good cut flower. For one thing it is of the floribunda type, with several blossoms growing on one stem, and the stems, while strong enough to hold up the flower, don't seem to work quite as well when placed in a vase filled with water. One can just as well choose another rose of the table setting and leave the Iceberg rose in the garden where it probably really belongs anyway.
The Iceberg rose is a variety of the Rosa genus, belonging to the family Rosaceae. It can be grown as a bush, a climber, or trained as a small tree. As a tree it is make an especially attractive container plant. As a bush or tree the Iceberg will grow to a height of between 2 to 3 feet, while as a climber it may reach 6 feet, but generally no higher. It is a moderately hardy plant, doing well in USDA Zones 4 through 9.
Fragrance And Color - The Iceberg's fragrance has been variously described as "mildly aromatic", "slightly fragrant", and "mellow", but by all accounts very pleasing to most. It has also been described as one of the whitest or purest white roses one can find, and most photographs seem to bear this out. There is also a pink variety that as been recently developed. The Iceberg normally first blooms in late spring or early summer, then blooms continuously into the autumn months. One owner claims that the first blooms appear to look more like those of a tea rose, while subsequent blooms take on a look more like one would expect for a wild rose.
The Iceberg rose is fairly easy to maintain, being resistant to mildew and rust, so prevalent in many rose varieties and species. It is somewhat susceptible to black spot, especially in more humid climates, though even if this does become a problem, the plant's blooming characteristics do not seem to be adversely affected.
Pruning Considerations - There are several ways in which to prune the Iceberg rose. One way is to prune it back rather severely in the spring if you plan on growing the plant as a shrub. Lighter pruning is fine when allowing it to grow as a climber. Flowers grow on new wood, so cutting back on old wood in the spring is not apt to affect blooming unless the plant is pruned back too severely. Pruning can also be done in the summer to shape the plant. Light pruning fosters new growth, so it's best not to prune too late in the summer and find your rose having significant fresh new growth at about the time the first frost hits. In warm climates, some even do a bit of winter pruning, cutting the entire plant back to about 2 feet high if a shrub, and to about 4 feet if it is to be a climber.
The Iceberg rose may be the perfect example of good things coming in inexpensive packages.