Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Lady Banks Rose - White
White Lady Banks Rose smothers an arbor, pergola or wall in small double white flowers every spring, with a light violet scent. The canes are nearly thornless, it grows fast, and it keeps most of its leaves through a Valley winter. The largest rose bush in the world, in Tombstone, is a white Lady Banks. Once rooted it needs only low to moderate water and no spraying.
Best for: shading a pergola or patio arbor, greening a long wall or fence, covering a bank, and a scented spring show near a patio or walk.
Train it up and over a pergola or arbor near the patio, where the light violet scent carries in spring. One plant can cover a good-size structure, since it spreads up to 20 feet.
Set plants 8 to 12 feet apart, center to center, and about 18 to 24 inches off the wall. Add wires or a trellis for the canes. It stays mostly leafy in winter.
The canes are nearly thornless, so it works beside a gate, walk or seating area where a thorny rose would snag clothes.
It outgrows small trellises and tight spots fast. It flowers only in spring, and cutting it back in fall or winter removes next year's flowers.
- Along a wall or fence8-12 ft apart, center to center
- Off a wallAbout 18-24 in from the wall
Water every day for the first week, then every few days while it roots in. After that, soak deeply and less often, with less water in winter.
Cut back right after the spring flowers, and finish by about July. Take out dead canes and anything too long. Never prune it in fall or winter.
Give it a strong pergola, arbor or wall wires. Tie new canes in as they grow long. Left loose it will mound and sprawl.
It grows in full sun or part sun. An east-facing wall with morning sun suits climbing roses in the Valley.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Does white Lady Banks Rose smell good?
Yes. The white form has a light violet scent. Plant it near a patio or walk to enjoy it in spring.
When does it bloom?
It blooms once a year in spring, with the peak around mid-March in the Valley, and it does not rebloom later. Do any pruning right after that bloom so you keep next year's flowers.
When should I prune it?
Only right after the spring bloom, finishing by about July. It flowers on older wood, so skip fall, winter and early spring pruning.
Is it really the biggest rose in the world?
The largest rose bush on record is a white Lady Banks in Tombstone, planted from cuttings in 1887, and it covers over 8,000 square feet. Give yours a strong, roomy frame, since it keeps spreading for years.
How big will mine get?
Plan on 15 to 20 feet tall on a support and up to 20 feet wide. Unpruned for many years it can get much larger.
How far apart should I plant it?
About 8 to 12 feet apart, center to center, along a wall or fence. Keep it 18 to 24 inches off the wall. The Spacing tab counts plants for your run.
How much water does it need?
Water every day the first week, then taper while it roots in. Once rooted it is a low to moderate water plant. Give deep soaks spaced out, and less in winter.
Does it have thorns?
It is nearly thornless, so pruning and training are easy on the hands. That makes it a good choice beside a gate, walk or seating area.
Does it get black spot or bugs like other roses?
Rarely, since it is virtually pest free in the Valley and most fungal diseases leave it alone. There is no need to spray it. Just cut out dead canes after the spring bloom.
White or yellow Lady Banks?
Both have the same size, habit and care. Choose the white form if you want its light violet scent near a patio, and the yellow form for soft yellow flowers with little scent.
Lady Banks Rose - White for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
White Lady Banks Rose (Rosa banksiae) is the white, scented form of the nearly thornless climbing rose from China. It blooms once each spring and stays mostly green all year. This page covers size, spacing on a wall or pergola, water, pruning and how it compares with the yellow form.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
White Lady Banks Rose in Arizona
White Lady Banks is the scented form of Rosa banksiae, a nearly thornless climbing rose from China. It blooms once each spring and does well in hot, dry Arizona yards.
The Tombstone rose
The world's largest rose bush grows in Tombstone. It is a white Lady Banks started from cuttings in 1887 and now covers over 8,000 square feet.
Does white Lady Banks Rose have a scent?
Yes, a light violet scent from the white double flowers. The yellow form has little scent, so pick the white one if fragrance matters.
When to prune white Lady Banks Rose
Prune right after the spring bloom, by about July. Pruning in fall, winter or early spring removes the older wood that carries next year's flowers.
How far apart to plant Lady Banks Rose
Space plants 8 to 12 feet apart, center to center, along a wall or fence. Keep the base 18 to 24 inches off the wall. One plant usually covers a pergola.
Lady Banks Rose on a pergola
It climbs 15 to 20 feet and spreads up to 20 feet, so one plant can roof a pergola or arbor. Give it a strong frame and tie the canes in as they grow.
When to plant roses in the Valley
December through February is the best time to plant roses here. Fall and early spring also work. Summer is the hardest time for a new rose to get rooted.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.