LOLITA – apricot hybrid tea rose – KORlita; LitaKOR
Exclusive hybrid tea cultivar LOLITA (KORlita; LitaKOR) provides a dependable own-root foundation for premium container routes where flower quality and exhibition-grade form are central to your market offer. As a bush-trained, 3–5 cane framework hybrid tea with dense, dark green foliage, it translates efficiently from pharmaROSA® NEONATAL trays into 5–7 L premium containers, supporting high-value border, cut-flower and specimen positioning. The high-centred, solitary blooms with medium-strong peach fragrance and stable peach–apricot colour evolution underpin an elegant finished product profile for retail/reseller partners focused on flower form. Own-root production secures long-term renewal capacity and predictable stand behaviour under repeated cropping, while hardiness to H7 allows reliable scheduling even for exposed nursery sites, supporting northern UK programmes where winter resilience and wind tolerance are important. Development is progressive—Year 1 roots, Year 2 structural framework, Year 3 full ornamental expression—giving you a clear, plannable arc from propagation bed to exclusive finished product.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- Premium 5–7 L exhibition hybrid tea – Upright, bush-trained plants in 5–7 L containers highlighting high-centred, solitary blooms and ADR-backed reliability; positioned as an exclusive hybrid tea for retail / reseller premium benches.
- Apricot cut-and-border collection – A coordinated series of 5–7 L plants marketed for both border planting and home cutting, leveraging flower form, stem presentation and remontancy; designed for retail concepts focused on versatile, high-value roses.
- Thematic show-garden feature line – Curated batches for public and private show gardens, emphasising dense foliage, specimen habit and award history; supplied as premium containers for public-realm and institutional showcase projects.
- Hardy own-root stock plants – Longer-cycle own-root plants maintained in larger containers (up to 40–50 L) as on-site stock or mother material, exploiting hardiness and structural stability; targeted at nurseries and integrators managing multi-year programmes.
- Signature apricot colour block – Uniform 5–7 L production for merchandising in dedicated apricot/peach colour tables, using predictable colour fading and bush form to create strong retail impact; aimed at garden centres seeking structured, exclusive displays.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose LOLITA, registered as KORlita; LitaKOR, commercial type and group hybrid tea rose, ARS exhibition name Lolita, positioned as an exclusive finished product with verified authenticity and premium bronze internal rating. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Reimer Kordes at W. Kordes’ Söhne, Germany, from Colour Wonder × unknown seedling, bred before 1972 and introduced and registered in 1972, with initial distribution via Roy H. Rumsey Pty. Ltd. in Australia. |
| Awards and recognition |
Holds ADR-Sorte status from the German general rose trials awarded in 1973 and a Certificate of Merit from the New Zealand Rose Trials in 1974, supporting its credibility for professional, quality-focused production programmes. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Vigorous upright hybrid tea shrub reaching around 130–170 cm in height with 100–140 cm spread, moderately thorny shoots and dense, dark green, slightly glossy foliage; self-cleaning behaviour is not documented in current data. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, double, high-centred blooms on mostly solitary stems, with 26–39 petals and a pointed, cut-rose style bud form; remontant flowering habit with a generous second flush, suitable for both border and cutting purposes. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Medium-saturated peachy-orange blooms with a golden cast, coded ARS AB and RHS 24B outer, 23A inner; colour evolves from radiant peach-orange to golden peach, then to cream-yellow-based peach pastel before petal drop. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Well-scented cultivar with medium-strength, peach-like fragrance character, perceptible in garden and display contexts; double flowers with partially accessible stamens late in opening offer only limited pollinator interest in professional plantings. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set generally low due to the double flower form; where formed, hips are ellipsoid, orange-red, approximately 12–18 mm in diameter, adding modest late-season interest without significantly affecting flowering performance. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Shows moderate disease resistance with good resistance to powdery mildew and black spot and moderate sensitivity to rust; hardiness is rated around -21 to -18 °C, corresponding to RHS H7, Swedish zone 3 and USDA zone 6b. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Recommended for borders, cut-flower use and specimen planting, with medium maintenance needs and occasional plant protection; best released as bush-trained plants with 3–5 strong framework canes via a premium 5–7 L container route. |
LOLITA – apricot hybrid tea rose – KORlita; LitaKOR offers award-backed flower form, upright bush structure and own-root predictability for long-lived, homogeneous stands, making it a considered option for aligning capacity and schedules in premium programmes.
