BONANZA ® – yellow-red park rose - Kordes
With its upright habit and rich foliage, BONANZA ® brings a sense of balance to compact, rainwater-wise front gardens, coping well with exposed, breezy sites and heavier soils in a typical urban setting. Big, cup-shaped blooms open in bright yellow with red edges, creating a lively contrast against dark, glossy leaves from early summer into autumn, so your small family plot feels generously planted without complex care. This ADR-awarded shrub has dependable overall resilience, with good heat tolerance and satisfactory garden health when given basic airflow and hygiene, and its strong self-cleaning habit means fewer deadheading rounds for time-pressed city gardeners. As an own-root rose, it offers reassuring longevity, regenerating from its base if winter or pruning take it hard back, and avoiding the problems of suckering rootstocks over the years. In a 40–50 litre container or as a low hedge, its moderate maintenance demands fit neatly into busy routines, while its adaptable shrub structure works in mixed planting with perennials and grasses. You can expect a gentle development: roots establishing in the first season, bolder new growth and flowers in the second, and a fully settled, reliable presence by the third year.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front garden focal shrub |
The upright, medium–tall framework and dense, glossy foliage create a clear focal point beside a doorway or bay window without overwhelming a narrow plot. Self-cleaning flowers reduce tidying, while own-root growth rebuilds after harder pruning, suiting the busy urban gardener. |
| Low flowering hedge along a path |
Planted at 50 cm intervals, BONANZA ® forms a colourful, informal hedge with repeat waves of yellow-red clusters guiding visitors to the front door. The shrub’s structure is easy to keep in shape with light annual trimming, ideal for the low-maintenance homeowner. |
| Mixed perennial bed with shrubs |
The bold bicolour flowers pair well with lady’s mantle, honesty and bellflowers, giving long-season interest above a green understorey. Reliable height and spread make planning straightforward, while own-root durability supports long-term schemes for the sustainability-minded gardener. |
| Large container on terrace or balcony |
In a 40–50 litre, free-draining pot, BONANZA ® offers shrub-like presence where borders are limited. Good heat tolerance suits sheltered patios, and the plant’s self-renewing own-root system copes well with periodic repotting, convenient for the space-conscious city dweller. |
| Rainwater-focused urban planting |
Suited to slightly heavier, moisture-retentive soils if drainage is sensibly improved, this shrub rose works alongside permeable paving and rain-garden style borders by tolerating wetter spells followed by dry periods. It fits simple, robust schemes for the climate-aware planter. |
| Family garden backdrop for play areas |
The generous height creates a soft backdrop behind lawns or play zones, while moderate prickliness discourages through-traffic without being aggressively thorny. Its dependable regrowth after stronger pruning lets you reshape it around family needs, reassuring the young-family household. |
| Seasonal colour anchor in clay-based soils |
Once established, the strong shrub framework and repeat flowering provide colour stability in beds where clay makes other perennials short-lived. Own-root resilience supports recovery from winter waterlogging episodes when drainage is improved, appealing to the clay-garden beginner. |
| Specimen rose for modest maintenance schemes |
Placed as a single specimen at about 90 cm spacing from neighbours, BONANZA ® delivers park-style presence with only moderate feeding and occasional plant protection. The ADR background reflects its sound garden performance, making it reassuring for the time-poor newcomer. |
Styling ideas
- Golden-Edge Welcome – Line a short front path with BONANZA ® and Alchemilla mollis, letting lime-green froth soften the yellow-red blooms – ideal for homeowners wanting a cheerful, low-fuss entrance.
- Brick-and-Glow – Against London brick, combine this rose with tall honesty and nettle-leaved bellflower to echo purple seedpods and blue spires – suited to terrace gardeners after classic yet easy structure.
- Rain-Garden Ribbon – Thread BONANZA ® through a narrow rain-collecting border with grasses and groundcovers, using permeable gravel paths to manage runoff – perfect for eco-conscious city plots.
- Balcony Shrub-Pot – Grow a single plant in a 50 litre container, underplanted with trailing nepeta and thyme, for a compact, upright feature – good for balcony owners seeking colour without complex pruning.
- Family-Friendly Screen – Create a soft visual screen at the back of a small lawn, mixing BONANZA ® with hardy perennials to blur boundaries – attractive for families needing a gentle, manageable backdrop.
Technical cultivar profile
| Property |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Bonanza ® – yellow-red park rose; registered as KORmarie, shrub rose group, park-shrub commercial type; ARS exhibition name Bonanza, part of the Park - shrub rose collection. |
| Origin and breeding |
Raised by Reimer Kordes (Wilhelm Kordes’ Söhne), Germany, from Seedling × ‘Arthur Bell’; introduced and registered in 1983 by W. Kordes’ Söhne as a robust landscape shrub. |
| Awards and recognition |
Holds the ADR award granted in 1984, signalling proven garden performance under German trial conditions, including ornamental value, repeat bloom and practical resistance in unsprayed test fields. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright shrub reaching about 110–180 cm in height and 60–100 cm spread; moderately thorny stems carry dense, dark green, glossy foliage that forms a full, park-style shrub silhouette in borders. |
| Flower morphology |
Double, cup-shaped blooms, typically 26–39 petals, large-flowered and borne in clusters; remontant with a generous second flush, showing good self-cleaning as most spent blooms fall away naturally. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Vivid amber-yellow base with crimson-red edges (RHS 14A outer, 46B inner); buds orange-red; contrast softens to brick orange and pale gold as flowers age, with colour holding well in full bloom. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Fragrance is very weak and barely noticeable, so the variety is chosen primarily for visual impact and structural presence rather than scent, fitting sites where strong perfume is not desired or required. |
| Hip characteristics |
Only limited hip set is expected due to the full double form; when present, hips are spherical, bright red, about 10–16 mm in diameter, adding occasional discreet seasonal interest in late season. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Rated to around -21 to -18 °C (USDA 6b, RHS H7); heat and moderate drought tolerant with watering in extended dry spells; disease resistance medium, with some susceptibility to black spot in humid years. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in sunny positions at 55 cm for mass planting or 50 cm for hedges; about 90 cm as a specimen. Moderate maintenance with occasional plant protection; prefers reasonable drainage and regular feeding. |
BONANZA ® – yellow-red park rose - Kordes offers reliable colour, self-renewing shrub structure and long-term own-root durability, making it a thoughtful choice for gardeners seeking lasting impact with manageable care.
