FIREBIRD ® – yellow-red bedding floribunda rose - Kordes
FIREBIRD is a compact floribunda that brings a truly romantic cottage feel to everyday gardens, with glowing yellow-and-red clusters that shine even in changeable British weather and shrug off breezy, coastal conditions. Its upright, bushy habit stays neatly in scale for small borders and front gardens, yet is easily strong enough for a low hedge or generous pot on a patio. As an own-root rose it offers reassuring stability and longevity, quietly rebuilding from the base if ever cut back hard and keeping its colour show reliable over the years. Once planted into decent soil, it asks for modest maintenance, rewarding even basic care with repeat flushes from early summer to autumn. In its second and third seasons the plant fills out into a dense, glossy structure studded with clusters of fiery blooms that lend a warm, storybook focus to family gardens and relaxed afternoon-tea spaces.
Usage options
| Target area | Reasoning |
|---|
| Small family front garden bed |
The compact 60–80 cm height and 45–65 cm spread make FIREBIRD easy to place near paths, drives, and entrance borders without overwhelming the space, while dense foliage helps cover bare ground and frame the front of the house attractively for beginners. |
| Traditional cottage-style rose border |
Its remontant flowering habit provides repeat clusters of warm yellow-red blooms through the season, weaving continuous colour among perennials and herbs and supporting that gentle afternoon-tea cottage atmosphere valued by romantics. |
| Low flowering hedge along a path |
The upright, uniform growth habit and recommended hedge spacing around 35–40 cm allow a low, coherent line of bushes, ideal for edging a lawn or path while keeping views open and maintenance straightforward for families. |
| Decorative patio or terrace container |
FIREBIRD’s tidy structure and repeat-flowering clusters suit a large 40–50 litre container where its fiery colours can be enjoyed up close on a seating terrace, with simple deadheading and watering routines suited to busy. |
| Mixed bed with grasses and groundcovers |
The rose’s upright, glossy framework combines well with low evergreens and dwarf fountain grasses, giving year-round structure while the changing flower tones add movement and interest for visually inclined stylists. |
| Weather-exposed suburban or coastal garden |
FIREBIRD is bred for resilience and can integrate into beds in open, breezy plots, where its sturdy framework and floribunda habit cope reliably with blustery, salt-laced air typical of many coastal-edge neighbourhoods for practical homeowners. |
| Easy-care family planting with modest upkeep |
Medium maintenance needs, own-root staying power, and resistance to black spot and powdery mildew reduce complex spraying routines, so occasional checks and light pruning are generally sufficient for time-pressed gardeners. |
| Long-term planting in a settled family garden |
As an own-root floribunda, FIREBIRD establishes a durable framework that can be rejuvenated if needed, supporting a long-lived, reliable colour display that matures with the garden over many years, suiting forward-looking planners. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-hedge – Line a path with a low row of FIREBIRD, underplanting with Saxifraga x arendsii for a soft edge and spring carpet – ideal for families wanting a storybook front walk.
- Patio-centrepiece – Grow a single bush in a 40–50 litre terracotta pot, surrounded by thyme and chives for a fragrant, informal kitchen terrace – perfect for busy urban homeowners.
- Grass-companion – Combine FIREBIRD with dwarf Pennisetum and pale foxgloves in a narrow bed to contrast fiery blooms with airy seedheads – suited to design-conscious cottage gardeners.
- Warm-border – Mix FIREBIRD with cream roses, lavender, and soft pink perennials for a gentle, romantic palette that glows at evening tea time – appealing to lovers of classic cottage style.
- Front-garden-frame – Place a pair of bushes by the drive or gate, backed with low evergreen Lonicera pileata to keep structure when the rose is out of flower – good for neat yet informal entrances.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter | Data |
|---|
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bedding rose, registered as KORtragoso; marketed as FIREBIRD ® Fantasia®; ARS exhibition name Firebird; bush floribunda within the Fantasia® collection for garden and show use. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Tim-Hermann Kordes from unnamed Rosa hybrida lines in Germany in 2005; introduced by W. Kordes’ Söhne and Star Roses & Plants from 2015 onward in Europe and North America. |
| Awards and recognition |
Audience Prize at Le Roeulx, Belgium in 2014 and further awards in international rose trials, confirming its ornamental impact and dependable garden performance in varied judging conditions. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Compact, upright bush to around 60–80 cm high and 45–65 cm wide, with dense, glossy dark green foliage and moderate prickles; suited to bedding, low hedges, and containers in family gardens. |
| Flower morphology |
Medium-sized, double, cupped flowers with 26–39 petals borne in clusters; remontant, giving a good second flush and repeat flowering waves across the season under normal garden care. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Yellow-red bicolour; golden-yellow base (RHS 13C) with vivid scarlet edges (RHS 43B), shifting through orange-red to crimson; blooms show colour change rather than classic fading as they mature. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very weak, barely perceptible fruity scent; primarily grown for its colour effect and bedding performance rather than fragrance, making visual impact its defining ornamental characteristic. |
| Hip characteristics |
Rosehip set is generally low due to the double blooms; where produced, hips are small spherical berries about 6–10 mm, coloured orange-red (RHS 34A), with limited ornamental impact in most seasons. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately –26 to –23 °C (RHS H7, Swedish zone 4, USDA 5b); resistant to powdery mildew and black spot, medium tolerance to rust; suitable for typical UK winters with routine monitoring. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in fertile, well-drained soil in sun; plant around 40 cm apart in beds, slightly closer for hedging; suitable for large pots; medium maintenance, with occasional plant protection and standard pruning. |
FIREBIRD ® offers compact structure, repeat flowering, and resilient garden performance in an own-root form that settles in for many dependable years, making it a thoughtful choice for relaxed cottage-style family planting.
