Old Garden
Mutabilis
Multicolor · repeat-blooming · Zones 6-9
Old Garden Rose
Alba Maxima
The 'Great Double White,' an ancient, very hardy alba.
The Alba Maxima is a white old garden rose valued for its generous early-summer display and memorable fragrance. Below you'll find a full profile of Alba Maxima — its characteristics, how to grow it, where to use it in the garden, and answers to the questions gardeners ask most.
About Alba Maxima
Alba Maxima belongs to the old garden & heirloom roses, a class defined by full, many-petaled blooms, often quartered or cupped. Prized for depth of fragrance and full, romantic form, the old garden roses carry a character that many modern roses cannot match.
In flower, Alba Maxima is white and gives one memorable, concentrated display, carrying a strong, carrying fragrance. It is hardy across USDA zones 3-8, so it suits a wide range of gardens with the right seasonal care.
Characteristics and form
Alba Maxima makes an arching, informal shrub in most classes, typically around 3 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide. The blooms are full, many-petaled blooms, often quartered or cupped, medium to large in size, set against often matte green foliage. Knowing a rose's habit and mature size is the key to placing it well: give Alba Maxima room to reach its full spread without crowding its neighbors, which also keeps air moving through the plant and disease at bay.
How to grow Alba Maxima
Plant Alba Maxima where it will get at least six hours of direct sun a day in fertile, well-drained soil with good air movement around it. In cold climates, set the graft union — the swollen knob where the variety joins the rootstock — at or just below the soil line; in mild climates, keep it at soil level. Once planted, water deeply and less often to encourage deep, drought-resistant roots.
- Light: Full sun, six hours or more; morning sun is best because it dries dew early and limits disease.
- Soil: Rich and well-drained, slightly acidic at about pH 6.0–6.5. Improve heavy or sandy soil with plenty of compost before planting.
- Water: Deep, infrequent soakings at the base rather than frequent light sprinkling; more in heat, sandy soil, or containers.
- Feeding: A balanced rose fertilizer in early spring to support its single flush.
- Pruning: Prune it after the main flush and only lightly, since it flowers on wood formed the previous year.
Bloom habit: Once (early summer). Alba Maxima blooms once, in a single generous flush in early summer. Leave the last flowers to form hips for autumn and winter interest.
Where to use Alba Maxima in the garden
Alba Maxima suits heritage and cottage borders, fragrant gardens, and specimen shrubs. It is at home in a romantic, informal planting with other old roses and cottage perennials. For more ideas, see our guide to companion plants for roses.
Common problems and care
Grow it with good air flow; many old roses are robust and famously long-lived. Watch for the usual rose troubles — black spot, powdery mildew, and aphids — and head them off with good air flow, base watering, and a tidy autumn clean-up. See our full guide to rose diseases and pests for identification and treatment.
Alba Maxima — frequently asked questions
How big does Alba Maxima get?
Alba Maxima typically grows about 3 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide, forming a an arching, informal shrub in most classes. Its final size depends on your climate and how you prune it.
Is Alba Maxima fragrant?
Yes — Alba Maxima has a strong, carrying fragrance, and scent is one of the reasons to grow it.
Does Alba Maxima bloom more than once a season?
No. Alba Maxima blooms once, in a single generous flush in early summer, rather than repeating through the season — so enjoy its main display and let it set hips afterward.
What hardiness zones does Alba Maxima grow in?
Alba Maxima is hardy in USDA zones 3-8. That range describes the winter cold it can survive; gardeners colder than zone 3 should give it winter protection or grow it in a movable container.
Is Alba Maxima easy to grow?
Grow it with good air flow; many old roses are robust and famously long-lived. Give Alba Maxima full sun, well-drained soil, and the ordinary seasonal care any rose appreciates, and it is a straightforward rose to grow.
How and when should I prune Alba Maxima?
Prune Alba Maxima after the main flush and only lightly, since it flowers on wood formed the previous year — see our step-by-step guide to pruning roses for the full method.