Dark Moments – park shrub rose rooted cutting for professional production
Remontant flowering and clustered medium blooms with a distinctive deep rust-brown colour make Dark Moments a striking option for nursery propagation beds and standard container production, while its disease-resistant foliage and H7-rated winter hardiness support reliable field or container stands even in cooler, exposed parts of the country where wind and cold are regular factors. As an own-root pharmaROSA® NEONATAL cutting, it offers a compact, bush-trained habit that is easy to line out, pot on into 2–3 L units, and later shift into larger presentation pots or 40–50 litre landscape containers if required. The medium, moderately self-cleaning double flowers with a clearly perceptible, pleasantly spicy fragrance underpin a “reliable garden performance” retail promise, while the shrub’s dense, glossy dark green foliage and balanced spread allow You to build homogeneous, low-replacement blocks. In professional terms, the own-root base supports the familiar development rhythm—roots consolidating in year one, more structural shoots in year two, and full ornamental value by year three—providing predictable capacity planning across nursery and reseller supply chains.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- 2–3 L park shrub core line – Remontant flowering, low maintenance shrubs produced via the recommended standard container route, ideal as a “reliable garden performance” SKU in the main red–brown shrub section – garden-centre and supermarket reseller networks.
- 40–50 L specimen park container – Selected, bushy plants shifted from 2–3 L into 40–50 litre tubs to showcase the dense foliage and distinctive brown-red blooms as specimen items – public-realm suppliers, landscape contractors and show-garden partners.
- Thematic “Dark Moments” colour feature – Own-root 2–3 L material grouped as a dark-toned thematic collection, leveraging the unusual deep rust-brown colour and compact shrub habit – specialist nurseries and mail-order rose catalogues.
- Low-intervention amenity shrub block – Batches grown on for contract supply, emphasising disease resistance, low maintenance and hardy shrub structure to support long-lived park and bed plantings – municipal and institutional procurement frameworks.
- Dual-use shrub and cut-stem trial line – Standard 2–3 L shrubs positioned as landscape plants with optional niche cut use, exploiting the remontant, clustered blooms without changing the core production model – integrator systems and flexible wholesale assortments.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Registered as SIMdamo, traded as Dark Moments – park shrub rose SIMdamo; shrub group, park rose commercial type, exhibition category shrub rose and cut flower, verified authenticity with premium bronze rating. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Nola M. Simpson in New Zealand, 1991, from a cross of ‘Kirsty Jayne’ × unknown seedling; registered 1991 and introduced 1992, initial distribution by Ford Roses, New Zealand. |
| Awards and recognition |
not provided |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy, spreading shrub reaching about 100–160 cm in height and spread, moderately thorny shoots and dense, glossy dark green foliage, forming a broad, park-suitable outline under standard maintenance. |
| Flower morphology |
Medium-sized, double flowers with approximately 26–39 petals, flat form in clustered inflorescences; remontant with abundant second flowering, providing continuous ornamental effect under normal garden or park conditions. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Deep reddish-brown base with rust-brown tint; buds dark mahogany-brown; newly opened blooms chocolate-brown, later softening to caramel-brown with coppery sheen; moderate colour retention and slight lightening in strong sun. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Medium-strength, clearly perceptible fragrance with a pleasantly spicy character; primarily ornamental rather than functional, adding sensory value in close-view plantings and retail presentation environments. |
| Hip characteristics |
Rose hips form only sparingly due to double, continuously produced flowers; when present, they are small, ellipsoid, red hips approximately 7–12 mm in diameter, with limited visual impact on overall presentation. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Classed as disease-resistant, with resistance noted for powdery mildew, black spot and rust; hardiness approximately -21 to -18 °C, RHS H7, corresponding to USDA zone 6b and Swedish zone 3; moderate heat and drought tolerance. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Recommended for flower beds, parks and specimen use; low maintenance requirements and generally little intervention needed; supplied bush-trained and compact, best routed through standard container production in 2–3 litre pots. |
Dark Moments offers remontant, distinctive brown-red flowering on a hardy, bushy shrub; as own-root pharmaROSA® NEONATAL material it provides predictable, regenerating long-term stands, making it a practical option to discuss for future capacity and scheduling.
