BONANZA ® – yellow-red park rose – Kordes
Wrap your garden in a romantic, storybook glow with BONANZA, a tall, hardy shrub rose whose bicoloured blooms bring instant warmth to family gardens and small cottage plots alike. Its upright habit and dense, glossy foliage give reliable structure, forming a leafy backdrop that stays handsome well beyond the main flowering flush. This pharmaROSA® ORIGINAL 2-litre own-root plant settles in quickly and promises a long-lived anchor for borders or informal hedges, developing strong roots in the first year, generous framework in the second, and full ornamental presence by the third. The rose’s good self-cleaning habit reduces deadheading time, while remontant flowering ensures repeated colour for relaxed afternoon teas beneath an arbour. Well suited to UK gardens, it copes steadily with breezy, damp weather in more exposed areas, providing reassuring continuity of display with only moderate care. Own-root growth means dependable regrowth from the base, helping the shrub recover well from pruning, weather or occasional neglect.
Usage options
| Target area | Reasoning |
|---|
| Main cottage border in a family garden |
BONANZA forms a tall, upright shrub with dense, dark green foliage that anchors a cottage-style border and gives the “afternoon tea under the arbour” feel even in modest plots. Its long-lived own-root structure supports evolving plantings for homeowners. |
| Mixed rose and perennial bed |
The vivid amber-yellow and crimson-edged blooms bring a strong colour focus among perennials, while the generous repeat flowering keeps borders lively through summer. Good self-cleaning limits faded petals, keeping the mix tidy for busy gardeners. |
| Informal flowering hedge along a path or boundary |
Planted at hedging distances, BONANZA builds a leafy, semi-formal screen with regular bursts of colour, ideal for softening fences in family gardens. Own-root resilience allows periodic harder pruning without long-term setback for practical planners. |
| Feature shrub near patio or seating area |
The bicoloured flowers create a strong visual accent beside seating, while the moderately thorny, upright framework remains manageable to shape. With moderate care needs, it suits those who want impact close to the house for beginners. |
| Small park-style group planting in front gardens |
Group plantings at recommended density create a park-like sweep of colour that reads well from the street. The ADR award underlines robust performance and long-term garden value, useful where reliability matters for family buyers. |
| Raised beds or improved heavy-clay sites |
BONANZA adapts well when drainage is improved, building a strong, deep root system that stabilises the planting and supports long-term growth even in challenging soils and in areas that see frequent wind and rain along exposed coasts for UK gardeners. |
| Large containers on terraces or paved areas |
In very large containers of at least 40–50 litres, this shrub rose offers vertical structure and season-long flowers without complex care routines, an attractive option where ground planting is limited for urban owners. |
| Low-maintenance traditional kitchen garden edge |
Used as a boundary to a rural-style kitchen garden, BONANZA’s repeat flowering and good self-cleaning give a colourful yet practical edging, while own-root growth supports the natural three‑year development arc towards full ornamental value for cottage lovers. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-Ribbon Hedge – Plant BONANZA as a loose hedge, interweaving clumps of lady’s mantle and honesty for a softly frayed, romantic edge – ideal for cottage-style traditionalists
- Kitchen-Garden Portal – Flank a simple arch or gate with BONANZA and underplant with nettle-leaved bellflower to frame the entrance to a productive plot – perfect for kitchen-garden enthusiasts
- Amber Tea Corner – Use a single BONANZA beside a bench, backed by dark evergreen shrubs, to highlight its warm blooms around a small seating area – suited to relaxation seekers
- Front-Garden Welcome – Arrange a trio of BONANZA in a triangular group, surrounded by low perennials, to create a generous, long-lived welcome near the front door – good for kerb-appeal planners
- Container Focal Point – Grow one BONANZA in a very large pot with trailing groundcovers at the rim to soften edges and showcase its bicolour flowers – ideal for balcony and patio dwellers
Technical cultivar profile
| Feature | Data |
|---|
| Name and registration |
Park and shrub rose, registered as KORmarie, sold as BONANZA ® – yellow-red park rose – Kordes; ARS exhibition name ‘Bonanza’, shrub category for shows and displays. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Reimer Kordes at Wilhelm Kordes’ Söhne from Seedling × ‘Arthur Bell’; introduced and registered in Germany in 1983 by W. Kordes’ Söhne. |
| Awards and recognition |
Holds the ADR (Allgemeine Deutsche Rosenneuheitenprüfung) award from 1984, indicating proven garden performance over multi-year trials in varied German climatic regions. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright shrub reaching about 110–180 cm high and 60–100 cm wide, with dense, glossy, dark green foliage and moderate thorns; good self-cleaning, with most spent blooms dropping naturally. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, double, cup-shaped blooms with 26–39 petals, carried mainly in clusters; remontant habit with a generous second flush after the main bloom, suitable for cutting and garden display. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Bicoloured yellow-red flowers: vivid amber-yellow base with crimson-red edges, ARS yb, RHS 14A outer and 46B inner; tones fade gently from deep golden yellow to paler gold and warm brick-orange. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Fragrance is described as very weak and barely noticeable; this variety is primarily selected for its striking bicolour effect, flower form and garden performance rather than its scent. |
| Hip characteristics |
Limited hips due to double blooms; occasional small, spherical, bright red hips of about 10–16 mm diameter may appear, adding a modest seasonal accent in late summer or autumn. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to about −21 to −18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b, Swedish Zon 3); heat tolerance is good with moderate drought resilience; disease resistance is medium, with some susceptibility to black spot. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in sunny positions for flowering; suitable for beds, parks, cutting and as a specimen; moderate maintenance, occasional plant protection, and spacing of 50–90 cm depending on intended use. |
BONANZA ® – yellow-red park rose – Kordes offers vivid, repeat bicolour flowering, a structural, long-lived shrub form and dependable own-root regrowth, making it a thoughtful choice for those planning a lasting, easy-care cottage-style feature.
