KATHLEEN HARROP – pale pink climbing rose – pharmaROSA® NEONATAL
Climbing producers looking for a historic yet commercially viable cultivar gain a reliable own-root base with KATHLEEN HARROP for trained, staked vertical features on pergolas, walls, fences and arches. The moderate-vigour, trailing habit and manageable 180–280 cm height allow consistent 5–7 L trained climber finished-product lines with 3–5 well-established canes. Its strong, far-scented, spicy-bourbon fragrance, pale-pink historic character and sparsely thorned shoots support premium, space-defining retail and reseller concepts where handling quality matters. Disease resistant foliage (H7, to –26 °C) contributes to stable, low-intervention crops that suit UK nursery networks and public-realm supply, with dependable garden performance even in colder, exposed regions, supporting multi-year display and reduced after-sales issues. Own-root material underpins long-term longevity and regeneration in stock beds and collection plantings, with a natural progression from Year 1 roots to Year 2 framework shoots and full ornamental value from Year 3 onwards, aligning cleanly with seasonal planning and contract-led production cycles.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- Historic Arch Climber 5–7 L – Own-root NEONATAL material finished as a staked, 3–5-cane trained climber in 5–7 L pots, highlighting its 1919 heritage and vertical feature habit for premium retail arches and entrances – target audience/channel: retail / reseller
- Fragrance Showcase Pergola Rose – Trained climber finished product focused on strong, far-scented spicy fragrance and pale-pink blooms, ideal for pergolas and seating areas in curated vertical garden feature ranges – target audience/channel: design-led nurseries
- Low-Maintenance Wall Climber Line – Disease-resistant, low-intervention trained climber for walls and fences, supplied in uniform 5–7 L containers from own-root stock to minimise aftercare issues in public and semi-public schemes – target audience/channel: public-realm suppliers
- Collector’s Historic Climber Selection – Part of a labelled historic climbing assortment, finished from NEONATAL cuttings into consistent 5–7 L trained forms to support thematic and collection benches – target audience/channel: rose specialists
- Vertical Feature Retail Trio – Coordinated vertical garden feature set using KATHLEEN HARROP as the pale-pink, sparsely thorned option, grown on as a trained climber for pergolas, arches and fences – target audience/channel: premium retailers
Technical cultivar profile
| Name and registration |
Historic large-flowered climbing rose marketed as KATHLEEN HARROP – pale pink climbing rose – Dickson; unregistered cultivar, current exhibition and trade use under this accepted name. |
| Origin and breeding |
Sport of ‘Zéphirine Drouhin’, bred by Alexander Dickson II, Dickson Nurseries, Newtownards, Northern Ireland; selected and introduced in the United Kingdom in 1919 for climbing and vertical uses. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Trailing, moderately vigorous climber, around 180–280 cm high with a 100–170 cm spread; moderately dense, slightly glossy dark green foliage and sparsely thorned canes ease training and handling on supports. |
| Flower morphology |
Semi-double, cup-shaped medium blooms (about 1.5–2.75 in) borne in clusters; 13–25 petals with remontant flowering that produces a generous second flush given appropriate cultural conditions. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Delicate pale-pink flowers, ARS code lp, RHS 65C outer and 65D inner; buds thin pastel pink with a silvery outer, colour lightening towards creamy-pink in strong sun, holding better in cooler conditions. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Strong, far-scented fragrance with a spicy, Bourbon-style aromatic profile; semi-double form offers partial pollinator access, giving moderate attraction rather than intense insect activity in plantings. |
| Hip characteristics |
Occasional small spherical hips, about 8–12 mm in diameter, orange-red at maturity; ornamental effect is modest and hips are not generally a primary feature in vertical design or production planning. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Good overall health with documented resistance to powdery mildew, black spot and rust; winter hardy to approximately –26 to –23 °C (RHS H7, Swedish zone 4, USDA 5b), suited to cold UK and similar climates. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best used as a climbing rose on pergolas, arches, walls and fences; prefers regular watering in heat, weak self-cleaning so benefits from deadheading, but overall maintenance demand remains low in practice. |
KATHLEEN HARROP offers an own-root, fragrant, disease-resistant historic climber with sparsely thorned, easy-to-train canes that build predictable, long-lived vertical feature stock, making it a sound candidate for aligned capacity and scheduling discussions.