Pure white petals with a barely perceptible buttery-cream tint at the centre. - climber, climbing rose - strong, pronounced-scented rose - sweetly spicy
– Tall, vigorous climber for walls and pergolas
– Strong, sweetly spicy fragrance
– Glossy mid‑green foliage with dense cover
– Very good, long‑lasting white flower colour
– Good heat and drought tolerance Speisialtacht: Méid mór siúlóide le bláthú athfhillteach saibhir.
With its gracefully arching canes and masses of pure white blooms, CITY OF YORK® offers a classic cottage-garden look that stays surprisingly reliable in everyday Irish conditions, even where summers are cool and humid. This long-lived, own-root climbing rose settles in steadily, giving you a reassuring year‑on‑year presence without demanding complicated care. In its first season it concentrates on roots, in the second on stronger shoots, and by the third year it usually reveals its full ornamental impact along walls, pergolas or sturdy pillars. Semi‑double clusters with a sweetly fragrant scent invite visiting bees, while the glossy mid‑green foliage keeps the plant looking neat between flushes of bloom.
Dense, glossy mid-green foliage of City of York® climbing rose.
Use cases
Target area
Reason
Front garden wall or house facade
Trained flat against a warm wall, CITY OF YORK® quickly creates a tall, elegant curtain of white flowers and glossy foliage, giving strong vertical structure and year‑round framework for busy homeowners who want dependable impact with minimal fuss for beginners
Romantic cottage‑style pergola
Its long, flexible canes are ideal for weaving over pergolas, where the semi‑double white blooms and sweetly spicy perfume drift down at head height, creating a traditional cottage‑garden feel that suits families who enjoy relaxed, nostalgic outdoor spaces for garden‑lovers
Sunny or lightly shaded seating area
Because it tolerates partial shade, this climber can be planted near terraces or benches that do not get full sun all day, providing scented screening and soft dappled shade without needing specialist pruning knowledge for homeowners
Small group planting on a large fence
Planting two or three CITY OF YORK® along a longer boundary allows the repeat‑flowering clusters to knit together into a continuous white and green backdrop, staying manageable but impressive for those wanting a simple, unified look for urban‑gardens
Coastal or exposed rural garden structures
This robust climber copes well with breezy, damp conditions, making it suitable for arches and obelisks in areas where air stays moist and fungal pressure can be high, supporting gardeners who need varieties that keep going with modest care for Irish‑gardens
Pollinator‑friendly family garden corner
The semi‑double, easily accessible flowers are attractive to bees, offering nectar and pollen through the flowering season, so you can combine ornamental effect with a gentle wildlife benefit in play areas and visible family spaces for nature‑fans
Background to mixed perennial beds
Used as a tall backdrop, its white clusters and neat, self‑cleaning habit sit well behind perennials and grasses, reducing deadheading work while keeping the focus on a clean, bright canvas for gardeners who like relaxed but tidy borders for busy‑owners
Specimen climber in a large container
In a minimum 40–50 litre container with good drainage, CITY OF YORK® can be grown as a feature on a balcony or patio, giving vertical height, strong scent and long‑term structure from an own‑root plant that matures reliably over the years for patio‑owners
Decorating ideas
Cottage Archway – Train CITY OF YORK® over a metal or wooden arch and underplant with lavender and catmint to frame your front path in soft white and blue – ideal for fans of traditional cottage gardens.
Elegant Pergola Run – Let its long canes drape along a pergola with white clematis and pale pink rambling roses for a layered, romantic tunnel of bloom – perfect for families who love leisurely summer evenings outdoors.
Calm Green Backdrop – Use CITY OF YORK® on a boundary fence behind hydrangeas and hostas to create a tranquil, low‑maintenance green and white scheme – suitable for homeowners seeking a soothing, easy‑care space.
Coastal White Scheme – Combine this climber with Artemisia, sea holly and ornamental grasses near exposed sites for a resilient, silver‑and‑white look – good for coastal gardeners dealing with wind and salt‑laden air.
Scented Seating Nook – Plant beside a bench and mix with daylilies and dwarf wormwood for fragrance at different heights and seasons – great for anyone wanting a compact, restful corner for evening relaxation.
Technical cultivar profile
Parameter
Data
Name and registration
City of York (City of York®), large-flowered climbing rose, ARS exhibition name City of York; often listed as a rambler‑type climber due to its vigorous, long canes.
Origin and breeding
Bred by Mathias Tantau, Rosen Tantau, Germany, from ‘Professor Gnau’ × ‘Dorothy Perkins’; bred 1939, introduced 1945, unregistered cultivar widely established in European and international gardens.
Awards and recognitions
American Rose Society Gold Medal 1950; Longwood Gardens Ten-Year Rose Trials rating “passed the test”, confirming long-term performance and garden reliability under varied conditions.
Growth and structure
Strong climbing habit reaching 4.5–7.5 m high with 1.4–2.4 m spread; dense, mid-green glossy foliage, moderately thorny shoots; suitable for walls, pergolas, pillars and robust arches.
Flower morphology
Semi-double, cup-shaped clusters; 13–25 petals per bloom, small flower size around 0.5–1.5 inches; borne in generous trusses for a light, airy look rather than heavy, fully double flowers.
Colour and phenology
Pure white petals with a soft buttery-cream centre; colour holds very well with minimal fading; buds creamy-white with greenish tinge; repeat-flowering with an abundant second flush in suitable conditions.
Fragrance and aroma
Strong, sweetly spicy fragrance typical of old-style climbers; noticeable in still air and around seating areas; semi-double blooms expose stamens, giving partial value for pollinating insects.
Rose hip characteristics
Produces moderate quantities of small, ellipsoid orange-red hips, about 10–14 mm across, adding late-season interest and a natural look if spent flowers are not removed.
Resistance and hardiness
Hardy to about −26 to −23 °C (RHS H7, USDA 5b, Swedish zone 4); disease resistance medium overall, with good black spot resistance; benefits from basic care in humid, high-pressure seasons.
Horticultural recommendations
Best in well-drained soil with regular watering in prolonged dry spells; responds well to training and tying-in; space 1.7–3 m apart; medium maintenance, occasional plant protection may be required.
CITY OF YORK offers reliable repeat flowering, strong fragrance and adaptable, long-lived own-root growth for walls or pergolas, making it a sound choice if you would like a tall, classic white climber without complicated gardening.
Detailed product attributes
Product Identification Data
Product Name:
CITY OF YORK® – white climbing rose - Tantau
Product Type:
pharmaROSA® ORIGINAL - 2-litre own-root potted rose
Pollinator Attraction:
Open, semi‑double flowers provide easy access to the stamens, and this flower form with exposed reproductive parts increases attractiveness to pollinating insects.
Pollinator-Friendly Rating:
Due to its semi-double flowers, it is considered partially pollinator-friendly.
Our product is a rose grown with unique pharmaROSA® cultivation technology!
2 litre, own-root, potted rose.
With shoots appropriate to the season.
With roots thoroughly interwoven through the growing medium.
Quality in line with the requirements of the E.N.A. (European Nurserystock Association).
In unique packaging that prevents damage.
Can be planted during frost-free periods.
True-to-type rose plant with an individual identifier.
The pharmaROSA® own-root potted rose is a well-rooted plant that supports reliable establishment when planted and cared for properly, so it can be planted whenever the soil is not frozen.
Stock: several varieties and several stages of development in a short stock section.Shoot system: intensive growth of fresh basal shoots on a young plant.Root system: presentation of the strong root system interwoven through the growing medium with the pot removed.Balance: mature plant where the development of the root system and the shoots is in harmony.
Information about the videos
The video series is not a “seasonal showcase”, but makes the essence of pharmaROSA® own-root production tangible: how the plant is built, what the root system is like and how the shoots renew themselves. The footage was therefore taken at different times, showing plants at different stages of development, so mixed leaf coverage or differing growth stages may appear in the videos. This is not a “sample” of the batch delivered, but an illustration of how the technology works. The current condition of the rose available to order — typical of the given period and similar to what you can expect to receive in the parcel — is shown at the top of the product page.
Pages for private customers Garden roses for the family garden, with minimal care → ORIGINAL® Premium garden roses – instant impact, a truly showpiece garden → EXTRA® Pages for professionals and private customers Roses for public spaces – large areas, sustainable maintenance → NATURAL® Roses for projects – hedge and row planting, fast implementation → RAPID® For professional partners only Production – propagation material for garden roses, wholesale → NEONATAL®
Company details
PharmaRosa Ltd. Company registration number: 01-09-717479 VAT number: 13075314-2-43 Plant health registration no.: HU130721 Bank account (IBAN): HU85117631891388688400000000 BIC (SWIFT): OTPVHUHB Bank name: OTP Bank Nyrt.
