Groundcover
Coral Drift
Coral orange · repeat-blooming · Zones 4-11
Groundcover Rose
White Drift
White pompon blooms.
The White Drift is a white groundcover rose valued for its reliable repeat flowering and clean, dependable habit. Below you'll find a full profile of White Drift — its characteristics, how to grow it, where to use it in the garden, and answers to the questions gardeners ask most.
About White Drift
White Drift belongs to the groundcover & drift roses, a class defined by small single or double flowers borne in profuse clusters. Its low, spreading shape makes it as much a landscape plant as a flower, carpeting ground that would otherwise need mowing or mulch.
In flower, White Drift is white and fills the plant with bloom in wave after wave, carrying little or no scent. It is hardy across USDA zones 4-11, so it suits a wide range of gardens with the right seasonal care.
Characteristics and form
White Drift makes low, wide-spreading, mounding plant, typically around 1 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide. The blooms are small single or double flowers borne in profuse clusters, small in size, set against small, glossy, and healthy foliage. Knowing a rose's habit and mature size is the key to placing it well: give White Drift 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 White Drift
Plant White Drift 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, repeated after the first flush to fuel the next.
- Pruning: Prune it in late winter to an open, outward-facing framework, then deadhead through the season.
Bloom habit: Repeat (recurrent). White Drift blooms in repeated flushes from late spring until the first frost. Deadhead spent flowers to bring on the next wave.
Where to use White Drift in the garden
White Drift suits slopes and banks, edging, the front of borders, large containers, and weed-suppressing ground cover. Plant it in drifts of three or five, or let it spill over a low wall or the rim of a container. For more ideas, see our guide to companion plants for roses.
Common problems and care
Groundcover roses are among the most disease-resistant of all roses and are usually self-cleaning. 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.
White Drift — frequently asked questions
How big does White Drift get?
White Drift typically grows about 1 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide, forming a low, wide-spreading, mounding plant. Its final size depends on your climate and how you prune it.
Is White Drift fragrant?
White Drift has little or no scent; it is grown more for its white color and habit than for perfume.
Does White Drift bloom more than once a season?
Yes. White Drift is a repeat-blooming rose that blooms in repeated flushes from late spring until the first frost, especially if it is deadheaded and fed through the summer.
What hardiness zones does White Drift grow in?
White Drift is hardy in USDA zones 4-11. That range describes the winter cold it can survive; gardeners colder than zone 4 should give it winter protection or grow it in a movable container.
Is White Drift easy to grow?
Groundcover roses are among the most disease-resistant of all roses and are usually self-cleaning. Give White Drift 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 White Drift?
Prune White Drift in late winter to an open, outward-facing framework, then deadhead through the season — see our step-by-step guide to pruning roses for the full method.