QUICKSILVER – purple climbing rose – Kordes
With its pastel lavender blooms and romantic, cupped flowers, Quicksilver creates an instant storybook arbour feel, ideal for framing afternoon tea corners or cottage-style seating areas. This large-flowered climber is supplied as a well-rooted plant in a handy 2-litre container, so you can settle it into borders or large pots whenever convenient during the planting season, even where gardens face a fair amount of wind and rain under exposed conditions. Its sparsely thorned stems are easier to manage along a fence or rose arch, while dense dark-green foliage provides a lush backdrop all summer. Enjoy a reliable first flush followed by a generous remontant display that keeps the romance going into late season, the plant gradually building from establishing its root system in the first year, through stronger shoots in the second, to full ornamental value by the third in a natural development arc. The very double flowers hold their colour best in cooler spells, giving a misty, silvery-lilac glow that works beautifully with white, cream and soft pink partners in an English cottage garden scheme. Moderate fragrance with a gentle lavender-rose character adds to the sense of cosiness around patios, pergolas and family seating areas.
Usage options
| Target area | Reasoning |
|---|
| Family pergola or tea arbour |
Quicksilver’s large, cupped lavender blooms and remontant flowering create a romantic canopy ideal for afternoon tea or relaxed family seating. Dense foliage gives privacy and shade, while sparsely thorned canes are easier to train overhead – perfect for cottage-style homeowners and beginners. |
| Rose arch at a garden entrance |
The moderate height and 90–160 cm spread allow you to clothe a standard rose arch without overwhelming a small front garden. Repeating flushes of double flowers give a welcoming, storybook look from pathway level upwards, offering traditional charm for time-pressed urban garden owners. |
| Clothed fence in a family back garden |
Used along a boundary, Quicksilver provides a soft, floral screen with manageable vigour and sparsely thorned stems that are safer near play areas. Regular deadheading helps keep the long-blooming display tidy, making it suitable for families wanting a classic look with straightforward seasonal tasks. |
| Wall-trained feature near a terrace |
Trained flat against a warm wall, this climber’s dense foliage and very double blooms form a striking vertical feature close to seating, where its medium-strength lavender fragrance can be enjoyed. The colour reads as refined, pastel purple, fitting those who like subtle yet romantic garden tones. |
| Large container on a patio (40–50 litres+) |
In a 40–50 litre or larger pot with supports, Quicksilver can bring vertical interest to terraces or balconies. Container culture makes watering and disease monitoring simpler, while the own-root plant builds longevity in one place, suiting busy but style-conscious urban gardeners. |
| Part-shaded cottage border |
Quicksilver tolerates partial shade, so it can flower reliably on east- or north-facing structures where full sun is limited. The cooler aspect also helps maintain clearer flower colour, ideal for integrating with hedging, herbs and kitchen-garden planting for cottage-style plot enthusiasts. |
| Raised bed on heavier or poorly drained soil |
In areas with stubborn, moisture-holding ground, planting into a raised bed or improved trench helps protect the roots and supports long-term performance, particularly where gardens face wind and rain in exposed conditions, offering greater security and ornamental value for long-term rose keepers. |
| Romantic focal point in a traditional mixed border |
As a solitary climber on an obelisk or light framework, Quicksilver’s clustered, lavender-purple blooms and medium fragrance draw the eye and nose without taking excessive space. The softly shifting tones combine well with whites, mauves and silvers, appealing to lovers of classic, romantic garden design. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage Archway – Train Quicksilver over a simple timber arch with underplanting of white foxgloves and hardy geraniums for a dreamy entrance – suited to romantic, country-inspired homeowners.
- Tea Pergola – Cover a pergola above a bistro set, pairing with lavender and pale pink peonies for a scented tea corner – ideal for families who value leisurely outdoor afternoons.
- Pastel Fence – Soften a boundary fence with Quicksilver and repeat clumps of white verbena and soft grasses – for busy gardeners wanting a gentle, traditional backdrop.
- Container Column – Grow Quicksilver in a 50-litre pot with a slim obelisk, accompanied by trailing thyme and violas – perfect for small patios and balcony-style spaces.
- Kitchen-Garden Screen – Use Quicksilver on wires beside a vegetable plot, weaving in herbs and dwarf box for structure – appealing to those who love blending roses with a productive garden.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter | Data |
|---|
| Name and registration |
Quicksilver Climbing rose KORpucoblu; large-flowered climber with ARS exhibition name ‘Quick Silver’; registered cultivar KORpucoblu, in the commercial climbing rose group. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Tim-Hermann Kordes (Germany) from unnamed seedlings; bred 2004, registered 2015, introduced 2016 by W. Kordes’ Söhne Rosenschulen GmbH & Co. KG. |
| Awards and recognition |
Awarded a Certificate of Merit at the Australian National Rose Trials in 2022, highlighting its ornamental performance and garden value under independent trial conditions. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Climbing habit reaching around 180–300 cm high and 90–160 cm spread, with dense, slightly glossy dark green foliage and sparsely thorned shoots, suitable for arches and walls. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, cupped blooms with over 40 petals, large-flowered clusters on the stems; remontant habit with a plentiful second flush following the main early-summer flowering. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Delicate pastel lavender to silvery lilac; RHS 76C outer, 76A inner; colour clearer in cool weather, fading somewhat in heat; buds open from silvery-lilac to even, cool-toned purple. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Medium-strength, distinct lavender-rose fragrance, noticeable around seating areas without being overpowering; bred primarily as an ornamental climber rather than a perfumery variety. |
| Hip characteristics |
Very double flowers set hips only sparsely; occasional small ellipsoidal orange-red hips, typically 9–15 mm diameter, with limited impact on overall ornamental display. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Winter-hardy to about −26 to −23 °C (RHS H7, USDA 5b, Swedish zone 4); disease resistance generally low, needing attentive protection from black spot, mildew and rust. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best on pergolas, arches, fences and walls; plant 140–240 cm apart; prefers rich, drained soil, regular watering and integrated disease control, with periodic deadheading and training. |
Quicksilver Climbing rose KORpucoblu offers romantic lavender blooms, a remontant display and manageable, sparsely thorned growth on a durable own-root framework; a considered choice for long-term vertical interest in a classic family garden.
