SPEELWARK® – apricot-yellow hybrid tea rose – Kordes
Step out after the rain and let Speelwark® frame your front path with colour, elegance and a softly peachy fragrance that hangs in the humid air, even where wind and wet weather regularly test garden plants near the coast. This compact, upright hybrid tea holds its large, exhibition-quality blooms proudly above glossy, dark-green foliage, giving you a smart, “girly” London-terrace look with minimal effort. Own-root planting means long-term stability, steady regrowth after harder pruning, and a shrub that matures gracefully rather than tiring with age. In a typical family garden it slides easily into beds, borders or a 40–50 litre container, with medium maintenance suited to beginners who want reliable romance rather than weekend chores. With its generously sized, long-stemmed flowers and strong scent, you can cut stems freely for the house while the bush readies its remontant rebloom outside, building from a root-focused first season to fuller top growth in year two and its full ornamental presence by year three.
Usage options
| Target area | Reasoning |
|---|
| Front garden focal point |
The bushy, upright shape and large apricot-yellow blooms create an instant “wow” beside a front door or along a short London terrace path, giving structure and romance with only medium routine care – ideal for the busy homeowner. |
| Cutting and exhibition bed |
Speelwark® was bred as a hybrid tea with XL, solitary flowers and long, straight stems, making it excellent for cutting, vases and hobby exhibiting while still functioning as an attractive garden shrub – perfect for the aspiring showgoer. |
| Rain‑tolerant, wind‑exposed planting |
Moderate disease resistance, firm petals and dense foliage help it hold its display where coastal winds, frequent showers and splashing from pavements would spoil more delicate roses, supporting resilient design for the urban gardener. |
| Medium‑maintenance family border |
With moderate vigour, 70–95 cm height and no need for complicated pruning, it slots easily into mixed borders, asking only basic feeding, watering and occasional protection, which suits the time‑pressed beginner. |
| Rainwater‑fed large container |
Its compact spread (35–50 cm) makes it ideal for a 40–50 litre pot where good drainage and stored rainwater can be combined, giving you sustainable, patio‑level colour that is easy to tend for the eco‑minded balcony‑owner. |
| Long‑term own‑root investment |
Grown on its own roots, Speelwark® avoids rootstock suckers, recovers well after harder pruning and ages evenly, so the shrub remains attractive and productive for many years, appealing to the value‑focused planner. |
| Scent‑led seating area |
The strong, clearly defined fragrance with peachy and citrusy notes is ideal beside a bench or near an open window, where repeated flushes keep the air scented through summer, delighting the perfume‑loving relaxer. |
| Structured, small‑space design |
Regular spacing at 40–65 cm allows neat rows, low hedging or geometric layouts; remontant flowering and tidy stature build year on year, from root establishment to fuller bloom, rewarding the design‑conscious town‑dweller. |
Styling ideas
- Soft-terrace – Line a short front path with Speelwark® and airy Stipa tenuissima for movement and apricot plumes – for townhouse owners wanting gentle formality.
- Cutting-corner – Plant a trio at 65 cm spacing with lavender or nepeta in front, giving easy‑to‑reach stems and a scented understorey – for hobby florists and vase enthusiasts.
- Container-focus – Use a single plant in a 40–50 litre pot underplanted with thyme, creating a compact, fragrant feature by the doorstep – for balcony and small‑patio gardeners.
- Evening-scent – Pair with dusky Hemerocallis hybrids near a seating area, where warm colours and strong perfume intensify in low light – for after‑work unwinding outdoors.
- Structured-border – Repeat‑plant Speelwark® along a low hedge line, backed by Syringa ‘Dark Purple’ for spring drama and summer roses – for planners who like clear garden architecture.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter | Data |
|---|
| Name and registration |
Speelwark® hybrid tea rose, registered as KORwarpeel; ARS exhibition name Speelwark, belonging to the Hybrid Tea group and marketed for both garden and cut‑flower use. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by W. Kordes & Sons from ‘Portrait’ × ‘Funkuhr’, registered in 1998 and introduced in 1999 by W. Kordes’ Söhne in Germany as a high‑quality hybrid tea selection. |
| Awards and recognition |
Silver Medal at Potsdam International Rose Competition 2001, Certificate of Merit at Belfast Rose Trials 2001, and Certificate Award at Adelaide National Rose Trial Garden 2008. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy, upright shrub reaching about 70–95 cm in height and 35–50 cm spread, with dense, glossy dark‑green foliage and moderate prickliness, forming a tidy, medium‑vigour garden rose. |
| Flower morphology |
Large XL, double, cup‑shaped blooms with roughly 26–39 petals, typically borne singly on stems, remontant with plentiful second flowering, designed for both border display and cutting. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Warm peach‑yellow buds open to soft peach‑yellow with pink edges, then fade through apricot and peach‑cream to powder pink, sometimes with salmon‑pink outer petals; colour retention is relatively poor in strong sun. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, clearly perceptible perfume combining a peach‑like primary note with a light citrusy background; suitable for fragrance‑focused gardens despite only partial attractiveness to pollinating insects. |
| Hip characteristics |
Produces moderate numbers of small, spherical orange‑red hips about 8–12 mm across, adding late‑season interest and subtly extending ornamental value into autumn and early winter. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Rated H7, hardy to around −26 to −23 °C and USDA zone 5b, with moderate tolerance of heat and disease, requiring regular watering in dry spells and occasional fungicidal protection in humid summers. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with well‑drained soil, planted 30–65 cm apart depending on use; suitable for borders, specimens, hedging effect or large pots, with medium maintenance and standard rose feeding. |
Speelwark® Hybrid tea rose KORwarpeel combines strong fragrance, superb cutting blooms and compact structure in a durable own-root form; consider it if you want long-lived elegance from a single, reliable shrub.
