In my humble opinion, Madame Alfred Carriere is the greatest of all white climbing roses. I can never resist singing her praises high, loud, and long enough. I love her unconditionally. A life without her, would be a life with a whole lot less. If heaven exists, this is the rose you will meet when you enter the pearly gates, for she will indeed adorn and grace each side of the welcome entrance.
Funnily most gardeners have never heard of her. Well now is the perfect time to get acquainted.
Madame Alfred Carriere was first released way, way back in 1879, and has very deservedly survived in popularity ever since. Even after 140 or so years, rosarians today still regard her as the best white climbing rose, ever. No modern white flowered climbing rose released since, has ever matched, or surpassed her glory. And that is really saying something.
Her supremacy lies in the fact that she has so many great unrivalled qualities. She is, with minimal effort so easy to keep in check to a height of two metres. Some rose books say it can reach four metres, but I have never seen it grow more than half the height. Its branches are blessed with little to no thorns, her foliage practically disease free, that is, immune to blackspot, scale and mildew and a repeat flowerer from spring right through to autumn. It just never shuts up flowering.
And then there are her double petalled blooms. They are a pure pearly white, with delicate touches of the palest of shell pinks at their heart, yet they look a stunning and sublime white en masse. And then there is her perfume, just perfect. It is rich and exquisite, a full, sweet, heady musk of a fragrance, a scent which will send your nose and head reeling in pure bliss. It is a scent you will always seek to return to. In all respects she is a keeper and a true bingo.
Regrettably we know nothing about her personally, except she was the wife of Alfred Carriere. Why was this fabulous rose named after her? Maybe she was a highly intelligent and glamorous women, an academic, or a liberationist, an early suffragette or maybe she just a mistress to some famous titled gentlemen. Who knows, but it would be fun to fill in the blank, vacant spaces of her life and history. Regardless her name remains celebrated in this rose for all time.
Sadly the Madame can be difficult to source. Mid winter is the best time to find and buy her. Your best bet is to get in early and pre-order the rose at your local nursery or try specialist rose growers known for their large and comprehensive range of varieties for sale. But beware they are quickly snatched up as if they were pure spun gold.
If you are unsuccessful in your search, no big matter, don’t despair, patience rewards the brave, there is always next year. So, enter her name Madame Alfred Carriere, in large bold text into your diary or a wee note affixed to your fridge door, anything to remind you that next year, this is the one rose you can never garden without.
I first encountered the Madame at a large and long established New England garden, called Auchinlea. I will never forget it. The climbing rose, so very happily grew and prospered along long wired mesh fences, surrounding a tennis court. She fully clothed the entire fences, from head to toe, a wall thick and luxurious in both flowers and foliage. It was perfection. One of the garden’s major walking paths immediately led you along this wall of magic, practically grazing your shoulders as you passed by her. It was impossible not to view and fully appreciate its flowering enchantment and her glorious heavy perfume. I was privileged to work as the gardener there for nearly a decade. Lucky, lucky me.
This great garden at Auchinlea has recently changed hands, but I am very sure it will one day be open to the public to visit. There is a great possibility that the garden may open for the New England Garden Festival in November2025. I will keep you posted.
There is also a great example of the Madame at the expansive Suamarez Rose Garden, whose plantings of hundreds of roses chronicles their history and evolution over hundreds of years. A must see experience.
Good luck, especially finding a Madame Alfred Carriere for yourself, happy planting and have fun.
Regards Ned McDowell