5 rose bushes with white dog-rose flowers

The sweet briar rose, suitable for all types of soil

Rosa pimpinellifolia is a thorny bush that grows up to a height of 90 cm. In the garden, it will find its place in a dense hedge, where birds love to hide. This botanical species gets its name from its finely cut foliage, which resembles that of burnet. From May to July, it is covered with a multitude of small, single dog rose flowers measuring 3 cm. Slightly fragrant, they are white, sometimes tinged with cream and pink, with a heart of yellow stamens. The stems and leaves change colour with the seasons, making it quite a decorative bush. The young stems are red, then turn brown and bronze. The leaves transition from green to yellow. The burnet rose also produces small, decorative black fruits. Not demanding, the burnet rose adapts to all types of soil, whether poor, sandy, calcareous, or even dry. To see it thrive, you just need to ensure that your soil is well-draining. It pairs perfectly with other botanical roses, mock oranges, or bush cinquefoils.

Burnet rose

The rose 'Escimo', with pure white dog roses

Highly floriferous, the rose ‘Escimo’ produces a myriad of single, white flowers with a golden centre from June to October. With a diameter of 5 cm, they display a pure white that contrasts beautifully with the dark green, glossy foliage. This is a bush that reaches 80 cm in height and bears fleshy green fruits in autumn, which then turn red and are favoured by birds. It has received the ADR label, which guarantees its resistance to diseases. Vigorous, it grows without any issues. You can plant it as a border or in a bed with pink roses like ‘The Fairy’ or orange ones such as ‘Amber Sun’. It also pairs very well with other modest-sized bushes, like a dwarf abelia.

Rose ‘Escimo’

The pteracantha rose, a very unique bush

With the Rosa omeiensis pteracantha, you embrace originality! This botanical rose of Chinese origin stands out with its triangular prickles and highly decorative red stems. Its red branches are even used in floral art. This feature makes it attractive and contrasts with the pure white of its small dog roses and the dark green of its foliage. It blooms in June, offering flowers that are also original with 4 petals, instead of the usual 5 petals found in dog roses. They give way to yellow-orange fruits that later turn red.
The pteracantha rose can grow up to 2.5 metres in height. Hardy, it withstands drought well and prefers full sun exposure.
It will find its place in a somewhat wild-looking hedge, alongside other bushes, such as lilacs, buddleias, or old roses.

Pteracantha rose (photo Wikipedia)

The rugosa rose 'Alba', a generous flowering

The Rosa rugosa ‘Alba’, also known as Japanese rose, offers a generous flowering, which extends over time, from June to October. This bush reaches 1.5 metres at ripeness and is covered, from summer to autumn, with cascades of large white dog roses with yellow stamens. Measuring 7 cm, the pure white and fragrant flowers bloom against a backdrop of green, crinkled foliage. In autumn, the foliage turns yellow and the flowers are replaced by fleshy fruits of an orange-yellow hue. Hardy and vigorous, Rosa rugosa ‘Alba’ adapts to all types of soil. In Japan, it thrives in sandy dunes. It is an easy-going and low-maintenance species that can be grown by the seaside.

Rosa rugosa ‘Alba’ (photo M Manners)

The rose 'Urban Streetlight Medeo', for borders and small beds

With an average height of 50 cm, the ‘Urban Streetlight Medeo’ rose is ideal for brightening the borders of your garden. From June to October, it is adorned with small, single dog roses in a white tinged with pale pink, featuring a centre filled with golden stamens. Its dark green, glossy foliage enhances the whiteness of the petals. In autumn, the foliage turns yellow and small yellow-orange fruits appear.
The ‘Urban Streetlight Medeo’ rose adapts to all soils except very dry ones. It has received the ADR label, which attests to its high resistance to diseases and excellent health.
It can be used as a border, planted in a small bed, or along a low wall. It pairs well with salvias, geraniums, nepeta, as well as other groundcover or shrub roses.

‘Urban Streetlight Medeo’ rose