Rosa Royal Red - Climbing Rose

The climbing rose Royal Red® is characterised by large double roses in a deep velvety red, whose colour remains stable in intense sunlight. They appear in successive waves throughout the summer and have a light fragrance. Moderately vigorous, it will cover a narrow trellis, fence, pillar or small arch. Its dark green foliage sets off the red of its flowers, and its excellent hardiness makes it suitable for growing in most regions.

Royal Red® belongs to the Rosaceae family. It is a deciduous, rambling shrub: its long shoots bear foliage that falls before winter. Like all modern garden roses, it is the result of complex horticultural crosses. This German creation by W. Kordes’ Söhne was introduced in 2025 in the Climbing Max® collection, which brings together climbers with modest growth. Its main stems stand upright and branch well, then arch slightly under the weight of the flowers. They do not attach themselves naturally: tie them to a trellis, wires or a framework. By training them in a fan shape or almost horizontally, you encourage the development of floriferous lateral shoots along the whole height. The plant reaches 2 to 2.50 m in height and nearly 70 cm in spread, making it well suited to small spaces. Over the years, the main stems thicken and form a framework that simply needs to be renewed gradually, without cutting back all the branches. The compound leaves, made up of oval, toothed leaflets, form dense, dark green and slightly glossy foliage. The buds open into elegant roses measuring 8 to 10 cm in diameter, with numerous dark red petals that do not fade or wilt in the sun, a valuable quality for this colour. The first flowering begins in June, followed by new waves of flowers until the beginning of autumn if faded flowers are removed. The flowers withstand rain well and can be cut for a bouquet. Very hardy and comfortable during hot summers provided it does not lack water, this rose nevertheless requires regular monitoring of its foliage. Its breeder reports marked susceptibility to black spot, despite low susceptibility to powdery mildew and slight susceptibility to rust. An airy position, watering at the base and removing affected leaves greatly reduce the pressure from these diseases.

This climber is well proportioned for flowering against a low wall, fence, terrace pillar or small arch. It can be paired with clematis ‘Justa’, Phlox paniculata ‘David’, Aster lateriflorus ‘Lady in Black’ and Geranium pratense ‘Laura’. Lavender blue, white and bronze foliage combine well with its velvety red. All these plants appreciate fertile, well-drained soil that is kept slightly moist. In a large container, the hardy geranium can fill the base of the rose, to which a good volume of soil should be allotted.