A Whiter Shade of Pale Rose Bushes

A Whiter Shade of Pale Roses: Bareroot Plants

White with the merest touch of pale pink to its mature petals, it has an immaculate hybrid tea high centre, with perfectly scrolled petals opening from the bud, when the pink colour is most apparent.

A Whiter Shade of Pale stands out in that, unlike many hybrid tea roses, it has a really strong, alluring fragrance, so you may as well put it to good use in a sheltered corner where the smell can reverberate next to your terrace. The foliage is a good green with a glossy rounded leaf.

Browse our range of hybrid tea roses, or all of our rose bushes.

Features

• Height: up to about 90 cm
• Colour: white, touch of pink
• Shape of flower: high centred, double
• Size of flower: large - up to 25 petals
• Scent: very fragrant
• Flowering: repeat through summer into autumn
• Group: Hybrid Tea
• RHS Award of Garden Merit
• Cutting flower

Growing A Whiter Shade of Pale

Prefers full sun and works well in mixed, preferably sheltered borders. It copes well in most soil types but benefits from a mulch feed in winter or late spring.

A Whiter Shade of Pale Live in Your Garden

The delicate colouring makes it ideal for incorporating in a herbaceous border of soft pastel feminine colours - pale pinks, silvers, blues and whites, alongside spikes of Linaria Canon J. Went, blue delphiniums, cosmos Purity, cleome bHelen Campbellb, Artemisia bPowis Castleb and any pale blue or violet salvia, like East Friesland. Given that it is sweetly scented, plant up a pot or two to stand on a terrace; a perfect accompaniment for that relaxing evening drink.

It can also be used as a focal point in a bed of darker flowers: try crimson peonies or Hidcote Lavender. It would look stunning with climbers like Lincoln Star clematis or New Dawn rose and set against the deep green of a yew hedge.

How to plant A Whiter Shade of Pale roses

If planting against a wall leave about 45cms (18") between plant and wall. Dig a hole deep enough to allow the graft to finish at soil level when planted and with plenty of room for the roots. Improve the soil from the hole by removing large stones, weeds, roots and other rubbish and mixing in about 25% by volume of well rotted compost or manure. Wet the roots and sprinkle with Rootgrow so it stays in contact with the roots. If planting a pot grown plant gently loosen some of the roots before planting.

Position A Whiter Shade of Pale rose so the roots are spread out and it is set at approximately the same level in the soil as it was before being transplanted. The union should be level with the soil when you have finished planting. Backfill the hole with the planting mix, firming it down as you go. Water in thoroughly. Water again a day or two later and then keep watering in dry spells.

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Did You Know?

This rose was bred by Colin Pocock in 2006 at Pocock Nurseries. In a rose market so rich in pale pink varieties, A Whiter Shade of Pale's rise to enduring success demonstrates how special it is, as do its Gold & Fragrance awards at the 2007 Hague Rose Trials, and its 2010 Certificate of Merit at the Australian National Rose Trials.

To those of a certain generation, you can't mention this plant's universally recognised name without bringing up the rock band Procul Harum and their smash hit of 1967, bWhiter Shade of Paleb. It sold over 10 million records, which is astonishing for vinyl: on YouTube in 2022, it had been played a few hundreds of millions of time, which isn't much compared to popular new songs. This plant probably won't go on tour, despite being a worthy tribute rose, but it does play an exclusive gig at your place every summer.