ALASKA® – cream-white climbing rose - Kordes – pharmaROSA® NEONATAL
Climbing ALASKA® KORjoslio offers a reliable, winter-hardy vertical feature for nursery propagation beds and container grow-on, with pharmaROSA® NEONATAL own-root cuttings providing a uniform, professional base for trained 5–7 L climber production and wholesale-scale supply. The very double, cream-white blooms with a cut-rose profile support space-defining, exclusive finished items aimed at retail and reseller channels, while the good heat and moderate drought tolerance suits multi-regional UK distribution, including more exposed, wind-affected northern sites. Medium maintenance and disease levels are manageable within standard protection programmes, and own-root material underpins long-term stability, low replacement, and predictable capacity for thematic rose gardens and collection projects. The combination of premium silver quality rating, proven European awards, and strong vertical impact makes this cultivar a compelling option where distinctive habit and reliable remontant flowering are key category drivers. As own-root propagation base, pharmaROSA® NEONATAL supports the full development arc from establishment of roots in year one through framework shoot build-up in year two to full ornamental value and commercial presentation from year three, ensuring dependable performance for integrators and public-realm suppliers. With its space-efficient architecture, controlled spread, and tray-rooted handling advantages, ALASKA® integrates smoothly into nursery logistics and long-term planning for vertical rose assortments.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- 5–7 L trained pergola climber – Own-root plants grown on from NEONATAL trays and supplied as 5–7 L staked units with 3–5 canes, targeting pergolas and arches as exclusive vertical features – retail / reseller climber range.
- Wall-line climber series – Uniform own-root batches trained flat for walls and fences, offered in 5–7 L containers to simplify installation and ensure stable, cold-tolerant vertical structure – garden centre and DIY chain programs.
- Award-winner collection line – Highlight international medals within a branded “Awarded Climbers” sub-range, using own-root NEONATAL plants for long-lived collection beds and show gardens – specialist nurseries and mail-order partners.
- Project-grade climber stock – Forward-scheduled, homogeneous own-root production geared to public and institutional projects, supplied as pre-trained 5–7 L units ready for arches, pergolas and façade greening – public-realm and specifier channels.
- Mother-plant block modules – NEONATAL trays contracted as propagation base for internal mother-plant lines, focusing on long-term, regenerative own-root stock for ongoing cutting harvest – integrator and large-scale nursery systems.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Large-flowered climbing rose, registered as KORjoslio, marketed as Alaska® Klettermaxe® KORjoslio, with ARS exhibition name “Future”; positioned as an exclusive, space-defining vertical feature cultivar. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred in Germany in 2005 by Tim-Hermann Kordes from ‘Moonlight’ × unnamed seedling; introduced by W. Kordes’ Söhne in 2014, with EU PBR 2014 and USA plant patent from 2017. |
| Awards and recognition |
Highly awarded climber: Certificat de Mérite Bagatelle (2014), Gold Medals Kortrijk and La Tacita (Best Climber, 2016), 1st Prize Lyon and Baden bei Wien, plus Belfast Best Climber (2018). |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Climbing growth, around 180–280 cm high with 80–160 cm spread, moderately thorny, medium-dense, slightly glossy medium-green foliage; moderate self-cleaning with some manual deadheading required. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, large flowers (approx. 2.75–3.95 in), 40+ petals, high-centred, pointed-budded cut-rose style blooms, produced in clusters; remontant with a particularly abundant second flowering flush. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Cream-white base with soft pink veiling on buds and outer petals; newly opened blooms show a pale buttery centre, maturing to uniform creamy-white with excellent colour retention and only minimal fading over time. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Subtle, delicately sweet fragrance of mild intensity, primarily ornamental; very double flower form conceals stamens, making it less attractive to pollinators than simple or semi-double roses. |
| Hip characteristics |
Due to the very double blooms, hip set is limited; when formed, hips are small spherical orange-red fruits around 7–11 mm in diameter, appearing only occasionally and without major ornamental impact. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Good tolerance of heat and moderate drought; winter hardy to approximately −21 to −18 °C (H7, Swedish zone 3, USDA 6b); medium resistance to powdery mildew, black spot and rust under nursery conditions. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Recommended for pergolas, walls, fences, arches, specimen use and some cutting; medium maintenance with occasional plant protection; best marketed as a staked, trained climber in 5–7 L containers. |
ALASKA® KORjoslio combines award-backed vertical impact, cold-tolerant, medium-maintenance climbing growth and regenerative own-root reliability, offering predictable, long-lived climber stands—please contact us to align capacity, timings and specification for your programmes.
