LA PERLA ® – cream-coloured hybrid tea rose - Kordes
The hybrid tea rose LA PERLA brings a quietly luxurious, pearl-cream glow to family gardens, creating a romantic, storybook feeling ideal for afternoon tea beneath an arbour. Its upright, bushy habit and dark glossy foliage give a refined structure to cottage-style borders, while the perfectly formed, very double blooms hold their colour remarkably well, even in changeable British summers with frequent showers and brisk breezes near the coast. Bred by Kordes and ADR-certified, it offers dependable health and winter resilience, needing only straightforward seasonal care for long-term beauty. As an own-root plant in the pharmaROSA ORIGINAL 2-litre pot, it establishes steadily for decades of longevity and easy regeneration if cut back hard. In a typical UK family garden you can enjoy its softly scented blooms both in the border and as elegant cut flowers for the table, while the tidy, moderately thorny stems make everyday maintenance manageable for busy or beginner gardeners.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front-of-house focal point near the front door |
The upright, bushy habit and dense, glossy foliage create an immediate sense of refinement, while the pearl-cream flowers read clearly from the street without being garish, giving a welcoming, classic impression that suits traditional UK homes and formal entrances for the style-conscious homeowner. |
| Cottage-style mixed border by a seating area |
Repeated flushes of well-formed, very double flowers give steady visual interest through summer, so your seating corner feels “dressed” without constant replanting; the creamy, calm palette blends effortlessly with pastels, herbs and cottage perennials for relaxed evening sitting for romantic-cottage gardeners. |
| Cutting bed for home-arranged bouquets |
Long, straight, hybrid tea stems with ball-shaped blooms are ideal for vases, and the petals’ excellent colour retention means arrangements stay elegant for days indoors, giving pleasurable, low-effort harvests from a small space for home florists and lovers of classic cut flowers. |
| Small urban garden with limited maintenance time |
High disease resistance, including strong tolerance to black spot and rust, means far less spraying and troubleshooting; once established, routine care is largely limited to annual pruning and watering in dry spells, easing the workload for busy city dwellers and beginner gardeners. |
| Long-lived feature shrub in a family back garden |
As an own-root rose it builds a durable framework and can regenerate well from hard pruning or accidental damage, giving stable shape and reliable flowering over many years rather than peaking then declining quickly, reassuring those planning a long-term family garden. |
| Mixed rose bed in colder or exposed locations |
With hardiness down to typical UK winter lows and beyond, plus an ADR background, this cultivar stands up to frost and wind without special protection in most gardens, supporting confident planting in open, less sheltered spots for practical-minded family gardeners. |
| Raised bed on challenging or heavy garden soil |
In UK gardens where clay or compacted ground can cause problems, planting LA PERLA in prepared, free-draining raised beds or improved soil lets its roots develop steadily, reducing stress and keeping growth vigorous and tidy for gardeners making the best of difficult plots. |
| Large decorative container on terrace or patio |
The neat footprint, upright habit and repeat-flowering make it very suitable for a 40–50 litre container, providing months of interest close to windows or seating; the modest thorniness also helps when repositioning pots around paved areas for balcony and patio enthusiasts. |
Styling ideas
- Pearl-porch welcome – Flank a front path with pairs of LA PERLA underplanted with low yarrow and glaucous sedge to frame the doorway in soft cream and blue-green – ideal for homeowners seeking a smart, traditional entrance.
- Romantic-tea corner – Place LA PERLA beside a small bistro set, weaving in lavender and soft-pink perennials for a calm cream-and-pastel palette – perfect for those dreaming of afternoon tea in a cottage-style nook.
- Kitchen-garden bouquet row – Run a short row along a veg patch edge with Liatris ‘Kobold’ between plants, giving vertical accents and providing armfuls of elegant creamy stems – suited to home growers who love cutting their own flowers.
- Elegant-mixed hedge – Alternate LA PERLA with other softly coloured shrub roses at 50–60 cm spacings to create a flowering boundary that screens while looking refined – good for families wanting privacy without heavy, dark fencing.
- Patio-showpiece pot – Grow a single bush in a 50 litre container with trailing thyme at the base for scent and soft edges – a practical choice for balcony and terrace gardeners with limited beds but a taste for classic roses.
Technical cultivar profile
| Property |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, Eleganza collection; registered as KORpenparo, marketed as La Perla ® Eleganza® KORpenparo, ARS exhibition name La Perla, premium gold cultivar quality rating. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Tim-Hermann Kordes (Germany) from ‘Pink Panther’ × ‘Arosia’; bred 2000, introduced and registered 2008 by W. Kordes’ Söhne for garden and exhibition use. |
| Awards and recognition |
ADR-certified (2009) for overall garden performance; Gold Medal Baden-Baden 2009, Bronze Medal Paris Bagatelle 2008, RNRS Trial Ground Certificate St Albans 2009. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright, bushy shrub 80–110 cm high and 50–75 cm wide, with dense, dark glossy foliage and moderate prickles; suitable for flowerbeds, specimen planting and hedging. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, solitary hybrid tea blooms, 2.75–3.95 in across, very double with 40+ petals, ball to pompon shaped; reliable rebloom with a generous second flush in the season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Cream flowers with pearlescent, soft butter-yellow centre; RHS 155D outer, 11D inner; colour holds well, fading gently to off-white with a light buttery eye in full sun. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Light, sweet, classic rose scent, noticeable at close range without being overpowering; suitable for seating areas and cut flowers where a subtle fragrance is preferred. |
| Hip characteristics |
Rose-hip set generally scant; occasional small ellipsoidal hips 10–14 mm across, orange-red (RHS 40A), of minor ornamental relevance and not usually a design feature. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Rated H7, hardy to approximately –26 to –23 °C (USDA 5b); black spot and rust resistant, moderate powdery mildew tolerance, good heat tolerance with regular watering. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with fertile, well-drained soil; plant 50–60 cm apart in hedges, 2.8–3.2 plants/m² in mass plantings; low maintenance, routine pruning and feeding advised. |
LA PERLA ® offers refined, long-lasting creamy blooms on a healthy, hardy shrub, combining easy care with the regenerative security of an own-root plant, making it a thoughtful choice for a romantic family garden.
