Herkules ® MärchenRosen® KORherkul – pharmaROSA® NEONATAL rooted cutting for professional production
With its Romantic nostalgia aesthetic, premium flower form and lavender colour nuance, Herkules ® MärchenRosen® KORherkul offers professional growers a distinctive shrub rose for high-value, exclusive containers. The dense, dark foliage, bushy framework and 3–5-cane bush-trained release form support uniform premium container production in 5–7 L, aligned to retail and reseller channels focused on flower quality and form. Own-root NEONATAL material gives a renewable, long-lived base that supports predictable development: roots consolidated in year one, structural shoots in year two, and full ornamental value from year three onwards. The variety’s remontant, very double flowers with strong, fruity fragrance are well suited to thematic rose collections and show gardens, while its hardiness profile supports planning for Scottish and northern English schemes where winter and wind resilience is required.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- Premium MärchenRosen® 5–7 L bush – own-root, 3–5 cane, bush-trained plants in 5–7 L containers highlighting lavender rosette blooms and fragrance, positioned as an exclusive nostalgia rose SKU – retail and reseller garden centres.
- Romantic show-garden collection unit – grouped Herkules ® containers for show gardens or thematic Romantic borders, leveraging award background and colour effect, supplied as uniform NEONATAL-based batches – public-realm and project specifiers.
- Landscape specimen 40–50 L shrub – stepped-up own-root stock finished in 40–50 L containers for immediate landscape impact where fragrance and flower form are priorities – landscape contractors and premium project wholesalers.
- Collector’s signature rose line – branded, premium-gold quality Herkules ® units emphasising medals and MärchenRosen® heritage, offered as limited collector assortments – specialist rose nurseries and mail-order partners.
- Colour-and-fragrance bench concept – synchronised 5–7 L batches forming a lavender-scented Romantic display bench, building on remontant flowering and strong fragrance – larger retail chains and integrator-led networks.
Technical cultivar profile
| Name and registration |
Shrub rose from the MärchenRosen® collection; Romantic nostalgia type. Registered as KORherkul, marketed as Herkules ® MärchenRosen® KORherkul, ARS exhibition name Herkules. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by W. Kordes & Sons in Germany (breeding year 2000), with parentage not provided. Introduced 2007 by W. Kordes' Söhne, with registration recorded in 2000. |
| Awards and recognition |
Internationally recognised Romantic shrub, including Gold Medal at Kortrijk 2009, Bronze Medal in Tokyo 2008, and Bronze Medal at IGS-Wilhelmsburg 2013 for overall garden performance. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy, medium-tall shrub 100–150 cm high and 50–80 cm spread, moderately thorny. Dense, slightly glossy dark green foliage; forms a strong framework suitable for 3–5 cane bush training. |
| Flower morphology |
Very double, rosette-shaped blooms with 40+ petals, large-flowered (around 2.75–3.95 inches). Flowers borne in corymbose clusters, with a remontant habit and notably abundant second flush. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Cream to pastel lavender with silvery bloom; RHS 76C outer, 73D inner. Colour lightens as flowers open, developing a cool silver-lilac veil; soft, uniform lavender effect at full bloom, moderate colour retention. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strongly scented garden rose with a fresh, fruity character. Very double blooms largely enclose stamens, so ornamental value is prioritised over pollinator access; fragrance supports premium positioning. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set is generally low due to very double flowers; occasionally produces small red, ellipsoidal hips about 8–13 mm in diameter, with limited visual impact on overall plant effect. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately -21 to -18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b, Swedish zone 3). Disease sensitivity: moderate to powdery mildew and black spot, very sensitive to rust; requires regular monitoring and treatments. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suited to flower beds, parks, specimen use, urban green spaces and limited cut. High maintenance: plan regular pest and disease control. Recommended as bush-trained premium container, target 5–7 L pots. |
Herkules ® MärchenRosen® KORherkul combines award-backed Romantic blooms, strong fragrance and hardy shrub performance on an own-root base that supports long-lived, predictable stands; please contact us to coordinate volumes and scheduling for your programmes.
