Iceberg Floribunda Rose
Rosa 'Iceberg'
flowerIceberg is one of the most widely planted floribunda roses in the world, prized for sheer flower power and easy care. An upright, well-branched bush 3 to 5 ft tall, it carries large clusters of lightly ruffled, semi-double to double pure-white flowers, sometimes blushed pink in cool weather, from late spring until frost. The blooms have a light honey fragrance and nearly smother the plant at peak. Floribundas were bred to combine the cluster flowering of polyanthas with the refinement of hybrid teas, and Iceberg is the class benchmark, with notably good resistance to black spot and rust.
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Sun
full sun
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Water
Every 5 days
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Bloom
~45 days
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Difficulty
easy
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Lifecycle
perennial
Comes back every year
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Spacing
2-3 ft. apart
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Planting Depth
Set the graft union at the soil line, or 1-2 in. below in zones 5-6
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Soil pH
6.0-6.5
Growing Details
Soil Type
Slightly acidic, well-drained loam
Hardiness Zones
Zones 5 – 9
When to Fertilize
Early spring, then again after each bloom flush
Fertilizer
Balanced rose fertilizer or slow-release
🌱 Growing Guide
Grow Iceberg in full sun in medium-moisture, slightly acidic, well-drained loam. It flowers and resists disease best with six or more hours of sun and good airflow; light shade is tolerated but dulls performance. Water deeply at the base in the morning and keep water off the leaves. Shear off spent flower clusters to keep the long succession of bloom going, and prune in early spring to shape the bush and remove old or crossing canes - floribundas are pruned more lightly than hybrid teas. It needs less spraying than a hybrid tea thanks to its disease resistance, but still benefits from clean fallen-leaf cleanup. In the coldest zones give the base a winter mulch.
🌼 Have a different variety?Cultivars of the same species usually share the same basic care — they differ mainly in flower color, height, and bloom form, not in how you grow them. So this guide still applies even if your exact variety isn't the one shown.
Planting Calendar
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Direct sow
Apr 15
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Projected first bloom
May 30
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
✅ Plant alongside
Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests
- English Lavender — Shared full sun and a bee-drawing scent that complements the white roses
- Catmint — A low blue-flowered skirt that covers the rose base and feeds pollinators
- May Night Salvia — Deep violet spikes that contrast the white clusters and bloom in the same season
🛡️ Pest & disease prevention
Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide
Iceberg resists it well; keep the edge by planting in sun with airflow and clearing fallen leaves
Space plants for airflow and avoid wetting foliage late in the day
Hose colonies off new growth and let ladybugs and lacewings clean up; skip heavy nitrogen
Handpick into soapy water in the morning rather than hanging lure traps
🌸 Blooms & cutting
Iceberg makes airy, generous cut bunches - snip whole clusters or single stems in the cool morning just as the buds open, cutting above an outward-facing leaf. Because it blooms in clusters, removing the whole spent truss keeps the plant tidy and the bloom rolling. Deadhead through the season and stop about six weeks before frost. Left unpruned at the end of the season it sets small hips.
🥗 Nutrition & benefits
A purely ornamental landscape and cut rose. The lightly fragrant clusters carry the garden from spring to frost; bees work the open older blooms for pollen, and unpruned plants set small hips for birds.
For educational and informational purposes only — HomeSown is not medical, health, or other professional advice. Always positively identify any plant before handling or eating it; some plants, and some parts of otherwise-edible plants, are toxic. Consult a qualified professional before consuming or otherwise using any plant, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.