CRIMSON GLORY – deep red climbing rose - Kordes
This classic crimson climber offers a blend of romantic colour, fragrant blooms and reassuringly reliable performance that suits typical Irish family gardens, even where soils stay heavy after rain and need careful drainage in winter. You get a premium, remontant exhibition-type flower without complicated care – plant it once, tie in the strong, bushy stems and enjoy year-after-year flowering on an own-root plant that matures steadily. In its first year it focuses on roots, in the second on stronger shoots, and by the third it reveals full ornamental value, settling as a long-lived, healthy feature on an arch, pergola or sunny wall. Large, velvety blooms make superb cut flowers, while its dependable disease resistance keeps upkeep and spraying needs pleasantly low for busy beginners.
Use cases
| Target area |
Reason |
| Front-garden rose arch by the entrance |
Ideal if you want an inviting entrance feature with showy, velvety deep-red blooms and a powerful scent that greets visitors, yet still keeps maintenance simple for a tidy, welcoming look – perfect for busy homeowners |
| Sunny pergola in a family back garden |
Trains well over a pergola, combining strong, upright shoots with repeat flowering so the structure fills gradually, giving shade, colour and fragrance without demanding complex pruning – ideal for relaxed family gardens |
| Small group of 1–3 climbers on a south-facing wall |
Works well as a compact group where one or more plants can be spaced along a sunny wall, creating a long-lived, own-root framework that rebounds reliably after tough winters – reassuring for cautious beginners |
| Romantic seating corner with scented backdrop |
Its extremely strong, classic rose fragrance and generous second flush make it perfect behind a bench or seating area, offering evening scent and rich colour with modest care – just right for garden romantics |
| Cottage-style mixed border with perennials |
The bushy, upright habit slots comfortably into mixed borders beside perennials, bringing height and deep-red accents while disease resistance keeps foliage presentable among other plants – useful for informal cottage gardeners |
| Cutting patch for home flower arrangements |
Large, double, exhibition-type blooms on long stems provide reliable, richly coloured cut flowers, so you can pick armfuls for the house over a long season – attractive for home flower arrangers |
| Coastal or exposed garden with wind-tunnel corners |
Sturdy growth and good overall resilience mean it copes well where Atlantic breezes and rain meet heavier soils, provided drainage is improved around the planting hole – reassuring for coastal gardeners |
| Low-input family garden with limited time for care |
Low maintenance requirements and strong resistance to common fungal diseases keep spraying and troubleshooting to a minimum, while own-root growth supports a stable, long-lived planting – ideal for time-poor beginners |
Decorating ideas
- FRONT-DOOR SHOWPIECE – Train Crimson Glory over a simple metal arch and underplant with lavender and rosemary for scent at different heights – ideal for homeowners who want instant kerb appeal.
- COTTAGE BORDER CLIMBER – Let it rise at the back of a mixed border with garden pinks and white verbena weaving through the base – perfect for lovers of relaxed rural cottage style.
- SCENTED SEATING NOOK – Position a pergola-clad Crimson Glory beside a small patio set, with pots of hydrangea nearby to soften the corners – suited to small gardens where space must work hard.
- CUT-FLOWER CORNER – Grow it on a sturdy obelisk in a sunny bed and mix with tall verbena and airy grasses, giving a steady supply of long-stemmed blooms – great for creative home florists.
- URBAN COURTYARD CLIMBER – Plant one in a 40–50 litre container with a trellis and companion it with compact herbs to add softness and scent – ideal for city gardeners with limited ground soil.
Technical cultivar profile
| Property |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Crimson Glory Climbing rose Kordes is a large-flowered climbing rose, exhibition hybrid tea type, sold as a pharmaROSA ORIGINAL 2-litre own-root plant for general garden use. |
| Origin and breeding |
Hybrid of ‘Catherine Kordes’ × ‘W. E. Chaplin’, bred by Wilhelm J. H. Kordes II (W. Kordes’ Söhne, Germany), first distributed by Jackson & Perkins (USA), introduced in 1935. |
| Awards and recognitions |
Royal National Rose Society Gold Medal (1936), plus the American Rose Society James Alexander Gamble Fragrance Medal (1961) for outstanding, exceptionally strong fragrance. |
| Growth and structure |
Bushy, upright climbing habit with densely thorned shoots, height around 90–160 cm and spread about 70–120 cm, bearing moderately dense, dark green, slightly glossy foliage. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, double, cupped blooms with 26–39 petals, mainly borne singly on stems, remontant with a generous second flowering that extends ornamental impact through the season. |
| Colour and phenology |
Velvety deep-red flowers; buds dark burgundy, opening crimson-red with subtle black shading, darkening and sometimes developing a bluish cast in strong sun, richer red in cool weather. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Extremely strong, garden-filling perfume with a sweet-spicy, classic rose character, well suited to planting near paths, doors or seating where the scent can be fully appreciated. |
| Rose hip characteristics |
Hip set is usually light due to double flowers; where present, small spherical red hips about 8–12 mm may form, adding modest late-season interest without seeding problems. |
| Resistance and hardiness |
Hardy to about −26 to −23 °C (H7, USDA 5b), with good resistance to powdery mildew, black spot and rust, and moderate heat tolerance if given regular water in dry spells. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Prefers a sunny position with improved drainage; space 125–220 cm depending on use, tie in new shoots, deadhead spent blooms, and use at least a 40–50 litre container for pot culture. |
CRIMSON GLORY – deep red climbing rose - Kordes offers rich fragrance, reliable repeat flowering and long-lived own-root growth for arches or pergolas, making it a confident, low-fuss choice if you would like a classic scented climber.
