Rose Avalanche+

’Avalanche+’ is a modern hybrid tea rose renowned worldwide as a premium white cut-flower variety. Since its introduction in 2004 it has achieved outstanding commercial success. In fact, ‘Avalanche+’ is the best-selling white rose in the high segments of the markets in Europe, widely regarded as the number-one white rose for high-end floristry. This cultivar features large blooms, thick sturdy stems, and a reliable vase life, making it extremely popular for weddings, royal events, and luxury floral designs.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

FLOWERING

This rose variety has a continuous flowering habit. In the greenhouse it is able to flower year round, and in a garden it blooms in flushes with short breaks from summer until frosts. The number of blooms per plant during the growing season is profuse, but there are too many to count.

Bloom:

The flowers of the rose variety ’Avalanche+’ are white or white blend. Buds have a light green (pistachio) tint on outer petals. Blooms open pure white, but in certain light may have a creamy vanilla tone at center, especially in hotter climates. The flowers have classical high-centered, classic hybrid tea form, opening fully to show a bowl-shaped center. Outer petals reflex slightly when the flower fully opens.

The flowers are large, the bloom diameter is about 10 cm (~4 inches) when fully open. The bud size is large, the bud is about 6.0–7.0 cm in length when closed. The flowers are double, with approximately 17–25 petals per flower. Petals have thick and velvety texture, they always fully open and do not remain tight.

The fragrance of ’Avalanche+’ is mild to none, very light fragrance described as weak; it was bred for appearance and performance over fragrance.

PLANT

This rose is classified as Hybrid Tea rose or Large-flowered florist’s rose for cut flower and garden exhibition. The plants have vigorous, strong, rather narrow and upright growth character. The height of the mature and well established plants is about 80 – 100 cm (2.5–3.5 ft) in height when grown in the garden and is moderately bushy, about 50 cm (1.8 ft) in diameter. As florists rose bred for cut rose production it can produce 40–90 cm (16–36 in) long flowering stems and has strong, sturdy canes with very few prickles.

The foliage quantity is abundant. It has large, dark green pinnate leaves, typically consisting of 5 leaflets, including the terminal leaflet. The texture of the leaflets is semi-glossy to glossy and smooth. The edges of the leaflets are serrated, the type of serration is single and large. The new growth is reddish-green, maturing to deep green.

Primarily it is a cut flower rose with long stems, large long-lasting blooms. But is also excellent in the garden for showy borders or in rose beds. Suitable for exhibition, often used in wedding work, bouquets, and high-end floral arrangement. Can be grown in containers with support stakes. Within the florists industry, ’Avalanche’ has had a significant impact. It is one of the world’s leading roses - around 25% of the Dutch production area for cut roses is dedicated to ’Avalanche+’. Such dominance underlines its economic and horticultural significance.

Like most roses, ’Avalanche+’ performs best in full sun. Aim for at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. In very hot climates, providing a bit of afternoon shade (or filtered light) can prevent sunscald on blooms as white petals of this rose can sometimes singe at the edges under extreme sun and heat, although it has good heat tolerance. If planting in a hot southern region, an eastern exposure (morning sun, afternoon light shade) can be ideal. In cooler or more northern climates, a south-facing spot with all-day sun is preferred. ’Avalanche’ is a heavy bloomer and benefits from regular feeding.

’Avalanche+’ roses are rated hardy to about USDA Zone 6b, it demonstrated good winter hardiness, wintering in such zones with proper protection. In colder zones (Zone 5 and Zone 4), it will require significant winter protection to come back each spring. In hot climates (Zones 9b–10), ’Avalanche+’ will grow vigorously but may have shorter dormancy or continual blooming, but requires enough water and partial afternoon shade.

This rose in general has moderate resistance to common rose diseases. It performs better than many hybrid teas in humid conditions, though preventive care is still needed. It is noted to tolerate rainy weather (flowers less likely to ball or rot among the white hybrids) and has very good heat tolerance (blooms hold up in heat). Although it is susceptible to black spot and mildew in high pressure situations, it is overly considered a robust cultivar. Watch for spider mites in hot, dry weather.

The name “Avalanche+” carries both descriptive and trademark significance. The word Avalanche literally refers to a massive slide of snow – an image evoked by the rose’s profusion of large white blooms.

’Avalanche+’ is the product of deliberate hybridization, though its exact parentage has not been publicly disclosed in detail. Like many commercial rose cultivars, its pedigree involves crosses of advanced breeding lines rather than direct wild species. Breeder Lex Voorn began rose breeding in the early 1990s, and by the time Avalanche+ was developed, he had a stable of breeding stock aimed at producing robust, beautiful cut roses. While the precise parent roses remain proprietary, we can infer the genetic influences: Avalanche+ likely descends from modern hybrid teas or grandifloras known for white or cream flowers, long stems, and vigor. It may share lineage with other successful cut whites such as ‘Vivaldi’, ‘Tineke’, or ‘Osiana’. In fact, Avalanche+ (Lexani) has been used as a parent in subsequent crosses – for instance, it was the seed parent in a cross with ‘Osiana’ that produced another Lex Voorn variety ‘Talea+’.

USDA 6