AMADEUS® – red climbing rose – Kordes
Bring a touch of storybook romance to your garden with AMADEUS®, a richly red climbing rose that covers arches and fences with generous flower clusters while remaining reassuringly robust in typical British conditions, even where strong winds and showers test taller plants. This own‑root climber settles in steadily and rewards patient, simple care with dependable longevity and a dependable framework of canes that can be trained over pergolas, arbours or along walls. Its repeat-flowering displays create a cosy, afternoon‑tea atmosphere from early summer well into autumn, while the semi‑double blooms offer a gentle, fresh scent and some benefit for visiting pollinators. Over time the dense, healthy foliage forms a dark green backdrop that highlights the lustrous red clusters, and you do not need complicated pruning to keep it productive. Own‑root growth means damaged or aged stems can regenerate from the base, helping the rose remain reliable and visually satisfying for many years as it matures from establishing roots to taller shoots and, by the third season, a full cottage‑garden presence.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Rose arch at a garden entrance |
Ideal for framing a path or gate, its climbing habit and repeat flowering create a welcoming tunnel of red blooms that sets a romantic, cottage style tone without the need for complex pruning systems, suiting beginners. |
| Pergola for afternoon seating |
Trained along the rafters, the dense foliage and plentiful clusters of flowers provide filtered shade and an intimate feel for outdoor seating, enhancing the sense of enclosure and storybook charm that appeals to families. |
| South- or west-facing house wall |
Its strong colour, good heat tolerance and reliable repeat flushes make it well suited to a warm wall, where the structure supports growth and the rose offers long-season coverage for homeowners. |
| Fenceline in a family back garden |
Along a boundary, the vigorous but trainable canes quickly soften hard edges and create a leafy, flowering screen, delivering year-on-year ornamental value with only basic tying-in for busy. |
| Traditional cottage-style mixed border |
Used at the back of a border with herbaceous perennials and herbs in front, the deep-red clusters and dark foliage give vertical emphasis and a classic cottage look that suits romantics. |
| Large container on terrace or patio |
In a 40–50 litre container with a sturdy obelisk, this climber offers vertical colour where planting into the ground is limited, while own-root growth helps maintain structure and flowering over time for urbanites. |
| Partially shaded side passage |
Tolerating partial shade, it can brighten a less-sunny side area when trained along wires, bringing colour and cottage atmosphere to spaces often overlooked by gardeners. |
| Coastal or exposed rural garden |
When securely tied to supports, its strong framework and resilient foliage cope well where gusty, damp weather challenges taller climbers, making it a steady choice for long-term structure seekers planners. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage Archway – Train AMADEUS® over a wooden arch with fragrant bigroot geranium at the base to carpet the ground in pink and green – ideal for lovers of classic cottage gardens.
- Kitchen Walkway – Let the climber cover a pergola leading to the vegetable patch, underplanted with Potentilla neumanniana for a soft yellow spring edge – perfect for rural kitchen-garden owners.
- Romantic Fence – Space plants along a boundary fence and interplant with low Euonymus japonicus ‘Microphyllus’ to give a neat evergreen line beneath scarlet blooms – suited to neat, traditional front gardens.
- Cream-and-Red – Combine AMADEUS® with cream or soft-apricot shrub roses nearby, using tall perennials for in-between structure – for those seeking a gentle but dramatic colour contrast.
- Patio Statement – Place a single plant in a large 40–50 litre pot with an elegant obelisk and simple groundcover around the base – ideal for small, paved urban spaces.
Technical cultivar profile
| Property |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Climbing rose from the Klettermaxe® collection; registered as KORlabriax, marketed as AMADEUS® / Klettermaxe®; ARS exhibition name Amadeus™; large-flowered exhibition climber type. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by W. Kordes III, W. Kordes’ Söhne, Germany; breeding completed 2003, registered 2003, introduced 2007; parentage undisclosed; selected for decorative climbing habit and vivid red colour. |
| Awards and recognition |
Gold medals at Hague (2004), Geneva (2004) and Lyon (2005) International Rose Trials; Certificate of Merit, Bagatelle (Paris) 2004, reflecting strong ornamental garden performance. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Vigorous climbing habit reaching about 240–380 cm high and 90–160 cm wide; dense, glossy dark green foliage with moderate thorns; moderate self-cleaning, some deadheading helpful in wet spells. |
| Flower morphology |
Semi-double, cup-shaped clusters; approximate petal count 13–25; large 7–10 cm blooms held in trusses; repeat-flowering with a strong second flush, giving prolonged seasonal display. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Deep, lustrous red flowers (RHS 53A outer, 46A inner) from early summer; colour holds strongly in sun with little fading; buds velvety ruby-red, blooms darken slightly before ageing without bluing. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Fresh, classic rose scent of mild strength; not overpowering near seating areas; semi-double form with partly open centres provides some pollen access, moderately attractive to bees and other pollinators. |
| Hip characteristics |
Forms decorative spherical hips in moderate quantities; about 9–15 mm in diameter; orange-red (RHS 40A) as they mature, offering late-season interest and modest wildlife food value. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately –26 to –23 °C (RHS H7, USDA 5b, Swedish zone 4); good heat tolerance but needs watering in extended drought; disease-wise sensitive, especially to powdery mildew, needing regular protection. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best on supports such as arches, pergolas and walls; recommended spacings 140–240 cm; suitable for partial shade; mass planting density around 0.4–0.5 plants/m²; monitor and treat foliar diseases proactively. |
AMADEUS® offers vigorous climbing growth, repeat clusters of rich red flowers and long-term structure, while its own-root form supports resilience and renewal over many seasons; an inviting choice if you value enduring, romantic garden features.
