Sombreuil is a hybrid climber in the rose family (Rosaceae) by an unknown breeder. It was introduced in the United States by Roses of Yesterday and Today in 1951 as 'Sombreuil' and then again by Wyant (Melvin E. Wyant, Rose Specialist) in 1959 as 'Colonial White'. In 2006 the American Rose Society determined that the name 'Colonial White' should no longer be used and the rose should be known as 'Sombreuil'. Parentage is not established. This vigorous climber grows 8 to 14 feet tall and up to 5 feet wide. Plant in full sun to partial shade in moist, well-drained garden soil. It has some drought tolerance once established. Prune in late winter to remove dead or diseased canes and to control size. The fully double, white to ivory, fragrant flowers are 3-4 inches across and appear in flushes throughout the season. The foliage is a glossy, dark green on canes with many prickles. Use Sombreuil on any vertical surface as a hedge or specimen. Works well in a cutting, cottage or English garden. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Good disease resistance. See pests of roses to the left. Deer will browse roses. VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Rosa .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Herbaceous Perennial; Rose
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing; Spreading
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Dark green leaves
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant
Flower shape
Saucer
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
Flowers are fully double with 40-60 petals in a flat old-fashioned rosette form, a moderate tea fragrance and 3-4 inches across. Large white globular buds. Blooms in flushes throughout the season. Flowers appear in clusters.