Also Known As:  'Snowball'
Introduced:   1867, Lacharme, France
Class:  Bourbon
Zones:  5b-10
Parentage:  'Blanche Lafitte' x 'Sappho'
Flowers:  Purest white, beautifully formed
Height:  6 feet
Fragrance:  Excellent
Of note:Perfect white blooms of old rose character.

Description:
Pure white roses are rare; 'Boule de Neige' bears clusters of buds tinged red, but opens to a flower of unblemished, chaste white.  Blossoms are fully double and globular in form.  Due to the many petals, 'Boule de Neige' is susceptible to balling, but this should not stop you from including this magnificent rose in your garden.

Fragrance is excellent. Growth habit on young plants is slender, and 'Boule de Neige' will reach five or six feet with equal spread as it matures.  Foliage is dark green and may be sparse during the hottest days of summer; heat also will inhibit flowering, so best displays are in spring and fall.   Best grown as a large shrub where space is available, such as the back of the mixed border.  The canes are flexible, making 'Boule de Neige' a good choice as a pillar or as a pegged rose.