Rosa ‘White Drift’, commonly known as White Drift Rose, is a compact, low-growing shrub rose prized for its continuous blooming and disease resistance. It produces delicate, double white flowers from spring through frost, making it an ideal groundcover or edging plant. Growing just 1 to 2 feet tall and spreading 2 to 3 feet wide, White Drift Rose is perfect for borders, containers, and small gardens.

Though known for its ornamental beauty and minimal maintenance needs, White Drift Rose is not a native species and offers limited ecological benefits when compared to native plants.

Why Choose Rosa ‘White Drift’?

• Compact, groundcover habit ideal for borders and small garden spaces
• Continuous white blooms from spring through frost
• Disease-resistant and low-maintenance for easy care

Cultivating Tips

• Plant in full sun with well-drained soil for optimal flowering
• Prune in early spring to maintain compact size and encourage vigorous growth
• Tolerates drought once established but benefits from regular watering during dry spells

Design Ideas for Your Garden

• Perfect for edging, groundcover, or planting in containers
• Use in mass plantings for a carpet of white blooms
• Combine with native perennials and grasses to support pollinators and add biodiversity

Ecological Benefits

• Attracts some pollinators to its blooms, but offers limited habitat support
• As a non-native species, it provides minimal ecological benefit to local wildlife
• Native alternatives offer stronger ecological value and support for pollinators and birds

Since Rosa ‘White Drift’ is not a native species, here are three native alternatives available at Bumbee’s that provide ecological benefits:

• Clethra alnifolia – Summersweet (Dwarf varieties): Fragrant white flowers support pollinators; excellent for moist soils and small spaces
• Chelone glabra – White Turtlehead: Upright white flowers attract pollinators; ideal for rain gardens and borders
• Eupatorium perfoliatum – Common Boneset: White flowers attract pollinators and beneficial insects; great for meadows and wet areas