The petals are full and of a uniform blood-red hue. In bright light they take on a darker tone. - climber, climbing rose - medium-strength, well-scented rose - fresh, fruity character
– Striking ruby to burgundy red blooms
– Medium, fresh fruity fragrance for evenings
– Vigorous climber for walls, arches, pergolas
– Dense, glossy dark green foliage backdrop
– Reliable hardiness to approx. –26 °C Gné speisialta: Fáisceann torthaí dearga caora-snáthaide beagáinín tar éis bláthanna.
Low maintenance – Quality-conscious choice
pharmaROSA® ORIGINAL 2-litre own-root potted rose
19,40 €
5(6894)
ILLUSION® – red climbing rose – Kordes
If You dream of a romantic red climber that simply works in an Irish front garden, ILLUSION® offers a generous mix of colour, charm and reassurance. Its dark, glossy foliage and velvety carmine blooms create a rich cottage-garden effect over arches, pillars or fences, while the medium, fresh-fruity fragrance adds another layer of enjoyment each time You pass by. As an own-root pharmaROSA® ORIGINAL in a 2-litre pot, it is already well established, giving You a reliable start and forming its permanent framework gradually where You plant it, even in gardens that face frequent rain and heavy, moisture-retentive soils typical of our wetter climate. Over time this climber develops a dense screen of foliage, ideal for creating privacy or highlighting a feature wall without complex gardening solutions. With thoughtful positioning and simple, regular care, You can enjoy a long-lived structure that matures year by year, moving from root establishment to stronger top growth and finally to full decorative impact, so Your investment in this premium Kordes variety turns into lasting garden value.
Illusion® shows double, cup-shaped red blooms.
Illusion® climbing rose in full bloom, showing deep red, double flowers.
Use cases
Target area
Reason
Front-garden arch or pergola
Ideal where You want a classic red rose to greet visitors and frame your entrance; ILLUSION® builds a long-lived climbing framework that, with simple pruning and feeding, rewards You with romantic, velvety blooms for many seasons, especially appealing to beginners
Wall or fence cover in small family gardens
Suited to disguising a plain boundary or shed wall with dark green foliage and rich red flowers; the steady, upright climbing habit allows You to train strong canes along wires, forming an attractive living screen that suits busy homeowners
Country-cottage pillar or obelisk feature
Works beautifully as a vertical accent beside a path or seating area, where its ruby-to-burgundy colour shifts echo traditional cottage gardens; own-root plants rebuild and thicken naturally after pruning, supporting long-term use for relaxed rural gardeners
Partially shaded side passage or courtyard
Tolerant of partial shade, making it useful along north-east or north-west aspects where many roses struggle; with adequate feeding and airflow it will still flower reliably, providing height and interest for space-conscious urbanites
Statement specimen in a mixed rose border
As a solitary feature trained on a tall support, ILLUSION® adds vertical drama and a bold colour focus among perennials and shrubs; its cup-shaped, double flowers repeat through summer, offering structure and continuity valued by design-minded planners
Privacy screen near seating or dining areas
The dense, glossy foliage and moderate prickliness form a soft but effective visual barrier around patios or family sitting spaces; planted on own roots, the climber knits into a stable, enduring barrier that suits long-term oriented owners
Small group planting along a long fence run
Spacing a few plants 1.8–2.0 m apart allows You to clothe longer boundaries with coherent colour; over the first years the focus is on strengthening roots and framework, then on building flowering impact, a development arc reassuring for patient starters
Coastal or exposed rural boundary with support
Where gardens face prevailing winds and persistent damp conditions, sturdy canes tied to a strong trellis help ILLUSION® cope with blustery, rain-laden Atlantic weather while still forming a decorative screen, appreciated by practically minded coast-dwellers
Decorating ideas
Classic Cottage Entrance – Train ILLUSION® over a metal arch with lavender at the base for scent contrast and soft blue edging – ideal for romantic front-garden enthusiasts
Warm Red Courtyard – Grow it on a sunny courtyard wall with terracotta pots of rosemary and thyme below to echo Mediterranean tones – perfect for busy urban gardeners seeking impact
Vertical Colour Screen – Use along a pergola run with Geranium macrorrhizum weaving at ground level for fragrant underplanting – suited to families wanting privacy and easy structure
Evening Scent Nook – Frame a bench with two pillar-trained plants and soft white hydrangeas nearby to catch the last light – for homeowners who enjoy quiet evening corners
Country Hedge Accent – Interplant along a post-and-rail fence with Cornus kousa ‘Nicole’ to mix red blooms and dogwood bracts – appealing to rural gardeners who like naturalistic boundaries
Technical cultivar profile
Characteristic
Data
Name and registration
Registered as Illusion, marketed as ILLUSION® red climbing rose – Kordes; a Hybrid Kordesii large-flowered climber in the climbing rose group, approved exhibition name Illusion in ARS registers.
Origin and breeding
Bred by Reimer Kordes of W. Kordes’ Söhne, Germany; parentage unknown. Introduced and registered in 1961, representing early Hybrid Kordesii breeding focused on vigorous climbers with strong garden presence.
Awards and recognitions
Recognised in American Rose Society exhibition circles, receiving Classic Shrub Rose Awards in 2000 and 2005, reflecting enduring show-bench appeal and consistent bloom form under competitive judging.
Growth and structure
Vigorous climbing habit reaching about 220–340 cm in height and 140–220 cm spread. Produces dense, dark green, glossy foliage and moderately thorny canes, suitable for training on arches, pillars, pergolas or wires.
Flower morphology
Medium-sized, double, cup-shaped blooms with 26–39 petals, produced mostly in clusters. Repeat-flowering through the season, with a less abundant second flush; buds open from garnet red to velvety cup-shaped flowers.
Colour and phenology
Overall effect is a rich blood-red to carmine bloom that deepens then softens towards burgundy with faint purple tones. Moderate colour fading; petals darken in strong light, sometimes with a subtle blackened edge on full bloom.
Fragrance and aroma
Fresh, fruity fragrance of medium strength, noticeable at close range and around seating areas. Primarily ornamental, with double flowers that limit pollen access and therefore offer only modest attraction for visiting pollinators.
Rose hip characteristics
Occasional ellipsoidal red hips, about 9–15 mm in diameter, forming after successful pollination. Best considered a minor ornamental feature rather than a primary decorative or wildlife highlight in the garden.
Resistance and hardiness
Very hardy, tolerating approximately −26 to −23 °C (H7, USDA 5b, Swedish zone 4). However, highly susceptible to powdery mildew, black spot and rust, so benefits from regular preventative treatments and good airflow.
Horticultural recommendations
Best on supports such as pergolas, walls, fences, pillars or as a specimen. Space 165–270 cm depending on use; needs attentive disease management, balanced feeding and pruning to maintain healthy foliage and strong flowering.
ILLUSION® suits gardeners wanting a long-lived red climbing feature with fragrance and dense screening, while own-root vigour helps it recover and mature steadily over time, making it a thoughtful choice if You are planning a lasting planting.
Detailed product attributes
Product Identification Data
Product Name:
ILLUSION® – red climbing rose - Kordes
Product Type:
pharmaROSA® ORIGINAL - 2-litre own-root potted rose
Flower Colour:
The petals are full and of a uniform blood-red hue. In bright light they take on a darker tone.
Closed Bud:
Dark garnet red with a matte surface; its shade is barely distinguishable from the open petals.
Freshly Opened Flower:
The outer petals are vivid ruby red, the inner petals are a slightly darker, velvety crimson.
Full Bloom:
The colour is a deepening carmine red, occasionally with a subtle blackening at the edges.
Pre-Fading Flower:
The red tone gradually mellows into maroon, with a pale crimson overlay.
Colour Fading Description:
As the bloom opens, the ruby-red hue deepens to carmine, then before flowering out it mutes to burgundy with a faint purple overlay; the overall effect shows moderate fading.
Pollinator Attraction:
Double-flowered (40+ petals) blooms, where the flower form obscures stamen accessibility, provide only limited attraction to pollinators.
Pollinator-Friendly Rating:
Its double flowers attract pollinators only to a limited extent, so it is primarily an ornamental variety.
Maintenance Requirements:
Maintenance requirement high; due to poor disease resistance it requires regular plant‑protection treatments and increased attention.
Our product is a rose grown with unique pharmaROSA® cultivation technology!
2 litre, own-root, potted rose.
With shoots appropriate to the season.
With roots thoroughly interwoven through the growing medium.
Quality in line with the requirements of the E.N.A. (European Nurserystock Association).
In unique packaging that prevents damage.
Can be planted during frost-free periods.
True-to-type rose plant with an individual identifier.
The pharmaROSA® own-root potted rose is a well-rooted plant that supports reliable establishment when planted and cared for properly, so it can be planted whenever the soil is not frozen.
Stock: several varieties and several stages of development in a short stock section.Shoot system: intensive growth of fresh basal shoots on a young plant.Root system: presentation of the strong root system interwoven through the growing medium with the pot removed.Balance: mature plant where the development of the root system and the shoots is in harmony.
Information about the videos
The video series is not a “seasonal showcase”, but makes the essence of pharmaROSA® own-root production tangible: how the plant is built, what the root system is like and how the shoots renew themselves. The footage was therefore taken at different times, showing plants at different stages of development, so mixed leaf coverage or differing growth stages may appear in the videos. This is not a “sample” of the batch delivered, but an illustration of how the technology works. The current condition of the rose available to order — typical of the given period and similar to what you can expect to receive in the parcel — is shown at the top of the product page.
Pages for private customers Garden roses for the family garden, with minimal care → ORIGINAL® Premium garden roses – instant impact, a truly showpiece garden → EXTRA® Pages for professionals and private customers Roses for public spaces – large areas, sustainable maintenance → NATURAL® Roses for projects – hedge and row planting, fast implementation → RAPID® For professional partners only Production – propagation material for garden roses, wholesale → NEONATAL®
Company details
PharmaRosa Ltd. Company registration number: 01-09-717479 VAT number: 13075314-2-43 Plant health registration no.: HU130721 Bank account (IBAN): HU85117631891388688400000000 BIC (SWIFT): OTPVHUHB Bank name: OTP Bank Nyrt.
