PURPLE MIA – pale lilac bedding floribunda rose – KORkultop
Developed as pharmaROSA® NEONATAL own-root propagation material, PURPLE MIA offers a bedding solution that aligns well with nursery networks seeking a predictable, compact floribunda for standard container production and reliable retail turnover. Its bushy, upright habit and moderately dense, mid-green, glossy foliage support homogeneous stands in 2–3 L containers, while own-root longevity helps maintain renewable stock blocks and cultivars collections for thematic rose gardens. With bed, border and container versatility, this cultivar’s low maintenance need and good disease resistance reduce intervention and labour, supporting stable margins in integrated supply chains. The colour holds as a misty, light-lilac flowering display with a silvery tinge, giving finished plants a distinctive, reliable visual identity for collection ranges. Winter hardiness down to H7 enables production for northern and more exposed UK projects, supporting schemes where reliable cold tolerance is essential. Own-root material builds from roots in year one, structural shoots in year two and full ornamental value by year three, supporting predictable planning in capacity and scheduling for public-realm and institutional programmes, even under conditions where humidity and fungal pressure are regular concerns.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- 2–3 L Retail Bedding Rose – Core SKU in a standard 2–3 L container line, using compact, bush-trained plants with good disease resistance to deliver reliable garden performance as a bedding floribunda – target: retail / reseller.
- Themed Lilac Collection Pot – Curated 2–3 L pot within a colour-focused collection, leveraging the distinctive misty light-lilac blooms and upright habit to anchor mauve and lilac assortments – target: specialist garden centres.
- Municipal Bed Contract Line – Contract-grown batches from NEONATAL cuttings for bed and border projects, exploiting hardiness and low maintenance demands to support durable schemes with predictable quality – target: public-realm suppliers.
- Fragrance Feature Container – Step-up production into 40–50 L containers, combining the sweet violet fragrance and remontant flowering for focal containers in entrances and display beds – target: landscape distributors.
- Exhibition and Collection Plant – Own-root 2–3 L plants positioned for thematic rose gardens and show collections, using the recognised “Blue Bajou” exhibition name and stable colour effect for catalogueable identity – target: show-garden organisers.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bedding rose, registered as KORkultop, currently marketed as PURPLE MIA – pale lilac bedding floribunda rose; ARS exhibition name Blue Bajou, bed rose commercial grouping. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by W. Kordes & Sons in Germany (breeding year 1992), introduced and initially distributed by W. Kordes’ Söhne in 1993; parentage is unknown, developed as a floribunda bedding rose. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy, upright growth with 65–95 cm height and 50–75 cm spread, moderately dense, glossy mid-green foliage, moderately thorny shoots; suited to compact, bush-trained production in standard containers. |
| Flower morphology |
Medium-sized, double (26–39 petals), cupped, cluster-flowered blooms; remontant habit with plentiful second flowering, providing sustained ornamental effect across the season in bedding and container use. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Light-lilac, misty mid-toned purple with silvery tinge; buds greyish-lilac, newly opened flowers lavender-lilac with silvery sheen, then even powdery mauve before fading to greyish-mauve with silvery-lilac edges. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Medium-strength, clearly noticeable sweet violet fragrance character; double blooms limit stamen access, so pollinator attraction is present only to a limited extent under garden and landscape conditions. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set is generally limited by the double flower form; occasionally produces small, ellipsoidal orange-red hips around 10–14 mm in diameter, adding only minor seasonal interest where present. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Rated resistant to powdery mildew, black spot and rust; hardy to approximately -26 to -23 °C (H7, Swedish Zone 4, USDA 5b), suitable for colder climates and exposed sites with appropriate cultural care. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Recommended for bed, border and container use; best routed through standard container production targeting 2–3 L pots, with low maintenance requirements and generally minimal intervention in professional systems. |
PURPLE MIA offers compact bedding flexibility, reliable disease resistance and notable cold hardiness on an own-root, regenerative base that supports predictable, long-lived stands; we would be pleased to discuss schedules and volumes that match your production plans.