Pure white petals with a barely perceptible buttery-cream tint at the centre. - climber, climbing rose - strong, pronounced-scented rose - sweetly spicy
– Strong, sweetly spicy fragrance in bloom
– Elegant pure white flowers hold colour well
– Vigorous climber for walls, pergolas, pillars
– Proven hardiness to –26 °C, RHS H7
– Attractive orange-red hips for seasonal interest
– Special feature: American Rose Society Gold Medal winner with Longwood Gardens “passed the test” rating.
Unfortunately, we are currently unable to ship to the United Kingdom; we only deliver to countries within the European Union. For more information, please contact us!
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City of York® climbing rose
Climbing vigour and height make City of York® ideal for clothing walls, pergolas and arches in classic cottage style, while its glossy foliage stays fresh and attractive through the season in exposed gardens where frequent rain and wind test many roses. Expect reliable, remontant flowering in soft clusters of semi‑double, snow‑white blooms with a warm ivory centre, backed by fragrant sweet‑spicy notes that carry well around seating areas and paths. The flowers largely self‑clean, meaning fewer deadheading tasks, and the plant’s own‑root character builds a long‑lived, stable framework that matures steadily over time into a permanent feature. With its good heat tolerance and medium maintenance needs, you gain confident, easy enjoyment in an average family garden. Planted once with decent soil preparation and occasional care, it develops roots, then framework, then full ornamental impact over its first three years, becoming a dependable vertical presence for busy beginners.
Glossy mid-green foliage of City of York® climbing rose
Usage options
Target area
Reasoning
House walls and front façades
Strong climbing growth and significant ultimate height allow City of York® to cover plain brick or render with a soft, traditional curtain of white bloom. Its glossy foliage and medium disease resistance keep it looking orderly with modest care, giving a welcoming frontage for busy homeowners.
Pergolas, arches and garden entrances
The long, flexible canes are easy to fan out over arches and pergolas, creating a scented tunnel of semi‑double white flowers. Good repeat flowering means it does not finish after a single flush, so entrances and walkways stay inviting for longer, suiting romantic gardeners.
Vertical accent in cottage-style borders
Its pure white, cluster‑flowered heads mix naturally with pastel perennials and traditional cottage plants, adding height without overwhelming small beds. Because many spent blooms drop on their own, the border keeps a tidy appearance with minimal intervention, ideal for aesthetics‑focused beginners.
Urban and family seating areas
The pronounced sweet‑spicy fragrance drifts around terraces and small patios when trained on trellis or a pillar near seating. Semi‑double blooms offer some interest for pollinators without becoming untidy, bringing sensory value to compact spaces for city garden owners.
Partially shaded side passages
Tolerance of partial shade allows planting along north‑east walls or side alleys that receive only limited direct sun. It still flowers and clothes its support, turning awkward, overlooked corners into usable green corridors for practical householders.
Weather-exposed and coastal gardens
Good structural vigour, dense foliage and reliable flowering help this climber cope with breezier, more exposed plots where other roses can look sparse. Its performance stays reassuringly steady even where changeable weather is common, reassuring for coastal gardeners.
Long-term framework planting
As an own‑root plant it develops a durable woody structure and can regenerate from its base if damaged, supporting a long life on pergolas or fences. Once established, routine pruning is flexible rather than exacting, giving a stable feature for long‑term planners.
Large containers by entrances and patios
When planted in a generous 40–50 litre container with a sturdy support, City of York® offers climbing impact where ground space is limited. Regular watering and feeding keep it flowering well while the self‑cleaning habit reduces fiddly upkeep, helpful for balcony and courtyard owners.
Styling ideas
Cottage arch – Train City of York® over a narrow metal arch and underplant with soft pink geraniums for a romantic, traditional entrance – for lovers of classic cottage gardens
White pergola – Cover a wooden pergola with this white climber and combine with blue clematis for layered flowering at different heights – for those seeking easy, long-season structure
Front-wall frame – Fan the rose along wires beside a doorway, with lavender at the base to echo its scent and keep lines neat – for homeowners wanting low-fuss kerb appeal
Pollinator path – Run it along a side fence and edge the path with daylilies to echo its colour while supporting insects – for gardeners who value wildlife interest
Container column – Grow it in a 50 litre pot with an obelisk on a patio, keeping the rest simple with silvery Artemisia in surrounding tubs – for small‑space gardeners needing vertical drama
Technical cultivar profile
Parameter
Data
Name and registration
City of York®; registered cultivar name City of York, large-flowered climbing rose. American Rose Society approved exhibition name City of York; unregistered for formal registration purposes.
Origin and breeding
Bred by Mathias Tantau in Germany, 1939, introduced 1945 by Rosen Tantau. Parentage is ‘Professor Gnau’ × ‘Dorothy Perkins’, combining rambler vigour with floribunda-style cluster flowering.
Awards and recognition
American Rose Society Gold Medal 1950 and Longwood Gardens Ten-Year Rose Trials “passed the test” rating, confirming durable ornamental and garden performance in varied conditions.
Growth and structural characteristics
Strong climbing habit with dense mid‑green, glossy foliage, height typically 4.5–7.5 m and spread 1.4–2.4 m. Moderately thorny canes suitable for training on walls, pergolas, arches and tall pillars.
Flower morphology
Semi-double, cup-shaped clusters with about 13–25 petals per bloom, small flower size but borne in numerous heads. Remontant, giving a good second flush and continuing intermittent flowering into late season.
Colour data and phenology
Pure white petals with a very slight buttery-cream centre; ARS W, RHS NN155C outer, NN155D inner. Colour holds well with minimal fading, from creamy buds to translucent white in full bloom.
Fragrance and aroma
Pronounced sweetly spicy scent of strong intensity, noticeable around seating areas and paths in still air. Semi-double form with visible stamens offers some value for visiting pollinating insects.
Hip characteristics
Forms moderate quantities of small, ellipsoid orange-red hips, around 10–14 mm diameter. Adds a discreet late-season accent and can provide incidental wildlife interest in less formal plantings.
Resistance and winter hardiness
Rated to about -26 to -23 °C, RHS H7, USDA zone 5b, Swedish zone 4. Disease resistance medium overall: good against black spot, moderate against powdery mildew and rust, requiring occasional care.
Horticultural recommendations
Maintenance medium; benefits from basic pruning and support tying. Plant about 1.8 m apart for mass use, 1.7 m for hedging, 3 m as specimens, ensuring adequate moisture during longer dry spells.
City of York® offers vigorous climbing height, fragrant repeat white flowering and a durable own-root framework that settles in for the long term, making it a thoughtful choice for turning simple supports into lasting garden features.
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
Meaning of Cultivar Name:
The name is that of the city of York; it may refer to York in northern England or to York in the United States (Pennsylvania).
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 pharmaROSA®’s unique cultivation technology!
2-litre, own-root, potted rose.
With a shoot system appropriate to the season.
With a root system that thoroughly permeates the growing medium.
Quality compliant with the requirements of the E.N.A. (European Nurserystock Association).
Supplied in unique packaging that prevents damage.
Can be planted during frost-free periods.
True-to-variety rose bush with a unique 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.
Crop overview: several varieties and growth stages in a short crop section.Shoot system: intensive growth of fresh basal shoots on a young plant.Root system: demonstration of a vigorous root system permeating the growing medium, by removing the pot.Balance: mature plant with root system and shoots in harmony with each other.
Information about the videos
The video series is not a “seasonal showcase”; it illustrates the essence of pharmaROSA® own-root cultivation in a tangible way: how the plant is built up, what the root system is like and how the shoot system regenerates. The recordings were therefore made at different times and with plants at various stages of development, so mixed foliage levels and differing stages of growth may appear in the videos. They are not a ‘sample’ of the batch dispatched, but a visual explanation of how the technology works. The current condition of the rose available to order — typical for the given period and similar to what you can expect to receive in the parcel — is shown in the upper part 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.
