FLAME DANCE – red climbing rose – Kordes
If You would like a romantic climbing rose that simply works in everyday Irish gardens, FLAME DANCE offers reliable height, vivid colour and pollinator interest without demanding expert skills. Its semi-double, scarlet blooms open wide to reveal golden stamens, bringing a softly spicy fragrance and a welcoming landing place for bees. As a vigorous climber, it will quickly dress fences, arches and house walls in deep red, creating a classic cottage-garden feel that suits both rural plots and compact front gardens exposed to moist air and wind-driven rain. Planted as a 2‑litre own-root rose, the plant settles in steadily – roots in year one, stronger shoots in year two and full garden impact by about year three – so You can plan ahead, knowing it will form a long-lived, stable framework of mid-green, healthy foliage with minimal fuss. Choose a bright, sunny spot, ensure good drainage even on heavier soils, and this dependable structure rose will reward You season after season with a bold “flame dance” of colour.
Use cases
| Target area |
Reason |
| House-front wall or garage wall |
Strong, upward growth and dense branching make FLAME DANCE ideal for clothing a plain house-front or garage wall with living structure. Once trained on horizontal wires, it forms a long-lived framework that You can rely on for many years, even in sites often hit by wind-driven Atlantic rain, ideal for the time-poor homeowner |
| Entrance arch or garden gate |
The vivid deep-red flowers create an immediate focal point over a gate or arch, giving a welcoming, romantic feel from late spring onwards. Semi-double blooms repeat through the season, so Your entrance keeps its charm without constant replanting or complicated combinations, perfect for the busy beginner |
| Pergola or seating area backdrop |
This tall climber quickly covers a pergola, providing privacy and a colourful backdrop to seating areas. The spicy-sweet fragrance is especially enjoyable at head height, while the own-root habit supports a robust, regenerating framework that copes well with long-term pruning, suiting comfort-focused families |
| Fence line in a family back garden |
FLAME DANCE forms a dense, mid-green screen along fences, with glossy foliage and clusters of rich red blooms that look tidy even in smaller gardens. With simple tying-in and annual pruning, it offers many years of colour and boundary definition without complex care, reassuring the practical gardener |
| Compact urban front garden |
Where ground space is tight, this climber grows up rather than out, allowing You to enjoy generous flowers and colour without losing valuable paving or lawn. Its narrow footprint and strong presence are ideal for city terraces and semi‑detached fronts, supporting style-conscious urbanites |
| Pollinator-friendly cottage border |
The semi-double, open blooms expose stamens that bees can easily reach, and the repeated flowering provides a steady nectar source across the summer. Trained on a fence behind perennials, it gives height, colour and wildlife value in the same footprint, appealing to nature-loving beginners |
| Large container on patio or balcony |
When planted in a generous 40–50 litre container with a sturdy trellis, FLAME DANCE becomes a vertical accent for patios or balconies. The own-root plant knits the compost well, building a stable, long-lived specimen with showy flowers and fragrance, attractive to space-conscious owners |
| Small grouping with other shrubs |
Used as a single tall accent among hydrangeas, lavender or cottage shrubs, this rose ties the planting together with its rich red colour and moderate repeat flowering. Over a few seasons it matures into a permanent structure that anchors the whole bed, reassuring long-term planning gardeners |
Decorating ideas
- Red cottage arch – Train FLAME DANCE over a metal arch, underplant with lavender and catmint for soft blues and scent, perfect for romantic cottage-garden enthusiasts
- Warm-toned fence – Combine this red climber along a timber fence with threadleaf coreopsis and ornamental grasses for a sunny, low-fuss blend, suited to busy family gardeners
- Pollinator pergola – Let the rose scramble over a pergola and partner it with hemp-agrimony and other bee plants nearby for a wildlife-friendly seating area, ideal for nature-focused households
- Formal front statement – Fan-train FLAME DANCE against a rendered front wall and edge the bed with small box or low hebe for a clean, structured look, great for neat urban entrances
- Rivers of red – On a long fence, repeat this climber in intervals and fill the foreground with obedient plant and white perennials for a flowing red-and-white theme, appealing to design-conscious homeowners
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Large-flowered climbing rose, registered as KORflata. Marketed as FLAME DANCE – red climbing rose – Kordes. American Rose Society exhibition name: Flammentanz. Own-root, container-grown stock for garden use. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Wilhelm J. H. Kordes II (W. Kordes’ Söhne, Germany). Parentage: Rosa eglanteria L × Rosa kordesii H Wulff. Introduced in 1955 as an ornamental climbing rose for garden and landscape use. |
| Awards and recognitions |
Holds the ADR distinction (1952), indicating proven ornamental value and garden performance in independent German trials, particularly regarding flowering effect and general robustness in temperate climates. |
| Growth and structure |
Strong, climbing habit reaching about 240–400 cm high and 100–200 cm wide. Produces dense, well-branched canes with plentiful thorns and mid-green, slightly glossy foliage that forms a substantial, long-term framework. |
| Flower morphology |
Semi-double, cup-shaped clusters with approximately 13–25 petals per bloom. Medium-sized flowers (around 4–7 cm) borne in trusses on the canes. Remontant, with a strong first flush followed by lighter repeat flowering later in the season. |
| Colour and phenology |
Vivid, rich red colouring with a velvety impression. Buds dark carmine red, opening to scarlet and maturing to deep cherry-red with slight edge darkening. Colour holds well through the bloom’s life with moderate overall fading tendency. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Medium-strength, pleasantly spicy-sweet fragrance noticeable at close range, especially when trained near paths or seating. Semi-double flowers with exposed stamens are attractive to pollinators, supporting bees and other beneficial insects. |
| Rose hip characteristics |
Rosehip formation is generally minimal under garden conditions. When present, hips are egg-shaped, around 18–26 mm in diameter, coloured orange-red and adding a modest seasonal accent in late summer or autumn. |
| Resistance and hardiness |
Very hardy, tolerating approximately −29 to −26 °C (USDA zone 5a, RHS H7, Swedish zone 4). Heat tolerance is good with adequate watering, but foliage is sensitive to black spot and may also show powdery mildew and rust without protection. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with free-draining soil; avoid waterlogging on heavy clays. Requires regular disease-prevention care. Space 140–225 cm depending on use. Suitable for fences, walls, arches, pergolas, park plantings and occasional cut flowers. |
FLAME DANCE brings vivid red flowers, strong climbing height and a long-lived, own-root framework that regenerates reliably over time, making it a confident choice if You want a bold, enduring climber with straightforward care.
