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Iceberg (Rosa 'Iceberg'), whole plant
  • Iceberg — close-up of leaves and flowers
  • Iceberg — seasonal appearance
  • Iceberg in a garden setting

Iceberg

Rosa 'Iceberg'

Medium · Some experience

About Iceberg

Iceberg is the world's most popular white floribunda rose, producing prolific clusters of semi-double 3-inch white blooms on a graceful 3 to 5 foot shrub. Lightly fragrant, almost continuous-blooming, and one of the most disease-resistant roses ever bred, it was inducted into the World Rose Hall of Fame in 1983 and remains a top American landscape rose.

  • Disease-resistant
  • Long-blooming
WATER
Regular
Top inch dry
LIGHT
Full sun
6+ hrs direct
HARDY
Hardy to -30°F (-34°C)
USDA hardiness zones 4–10

How to care for Iceberg

Watering

  • Springevery 5 days
  • Summerevery 3 days
  • Fallevery 7 days
  • Winterevery 14 days

Soil · Rich & loamy

  • Top dressingBark mulch15%
  • Main mixRich loam + compost 3:170%
  • DrainageGravel15%

Use fully finished compost — fresh compost burns roots.

FERTILIZER

Balanced Feed 14-14-14

An even feed covers all three needs at once, keeping leaves, roots and blooms moving together with nothing pushed out of balance.

N33%P33%K33%
  • Nitrogen · Leaves
  • Phosphorus · Roots + Blooms
  • Potassium · Strength
  • Springevery 30 days
  • Summerevery 30 days
  • Fallevery 45 days
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At a Glance

  • NativeEurope
  • Height3–5 ft (0.9–1.5 m)
  • Spread2–4 ft (0.6–1.2 m)
  • Flower colorWhite
  • Foliage colorGreen
  • SoilWell-drained, Loamy, Rich
  • LocationsYard

Bloom time

BLOOM CYCLE

Peak bloom

May–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Deadhead clusters for repeat bloom; prune late winter

Fragrance

LIGHT FRAGRANCE

The flowers have a light honey scent.

Toxicity

Humans Slight

Unknown toxic principle

Slight

  • Stem
  • Contact

EXPOSURE Touching stems.

EFFECT Pricks from thorns.

NOTE Not toxic; thorns cause mechanical injury.

Safe

EXPOSURE No exposure route is reported.

EFFECT No toxic effect is reported.

NOTE Listed as non-toxic for dogs; avoid eating ornamental plants unless confirmed edible.

Safe

EXPOSURE No exposure route is reported.

EFFECT No toxic effect is reported.

NOTE Listed as non-toxic for cats; avoid eating ornamental plants unless confirmed edible.

Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.

DISTRIBUTION

Iceberg · Native
  • Native
  • Europe

History

Illustrated historical scene for Iceberg

Rosa 'Iceberg' (German: 'Schneewittchen', meaning Snow White) is a pure white floribunda rose bred by German hybridizer Reimer Kordes of W. Kordes' Söhne, released in 1958 from a cross between 'Robin Hood' and 'Virgo'. The cultivar bears abundant clusters of semi-double pure white blooms with a light honey fragrance, repeating continuously from late spring to heavy frost, on exceptionally vigorous, disease-resistant plants that tolerate heat, cold, drought, and neglect far better than typical modern roses. 'Iceberg' won the Royal National Rose Society's President's International Trophy in 1958, the All-America Rose Selections award in 1983, and was voted the World's Favorite Rose by the World Federation of Rose Societies in 1983.

It remains perhaps the most widely planted white rose in the world. Inducted into the World Rose Hall of Fame in 1983 as the best-known white rose.

Remains a signature landscape rose of American public gardens, cottage plantings, and foundation beds.

Symbolism & meaning

What It Symbolizes

Iceberg Rose makes visible Pure devotion — endless waves of pure white flowers, blooming so reliably that no garden ever seems to have enough of it. Its place in the World Rose Hall of Fame, awarded in 1983, simply confirms what generations of gardeners already knew. A floribunda whose virtue is showing up, again and again.

  • Pure devotion — endless white flowers
  • Hall of Fame — World Rose Hall of Fame 1983

Where the Name Comes From

Original German name 'Schneewittchen' means Snow White; marketed in English as 'Iceberg' for pure white floriferous display.

Uses & Fun Facts

  • Pure white floribunda blooms continuously in clusters
  • Reliable choice for white flowering hedges and edges
  • Long-stemmed white sprays brighten summer floral arrangements

Related plants

More Rosa plants

Plants with similar care

Frequently asked questions

How often should I water Iceberg?

In summer, water about every 3 days; in winter, about every 14 days. Adjust for heat, pot size and drainage.

How much light does Iceberg need?

Full sun: 6+ hrs direct. Watch the leaves — scorching or stretching means the light needs adjusting.

Is Iceberg toxic to cats or dogs?

Pets Safe (Dogs Safe · Cats Safe) Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.

Is Iceberg easy to grow?

It is moderately demanding: a good choice once you have a little experience.

When does Iceberg bloom?

It typically blooms May–Sep in the Northern Hemisphere.

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