RAYMOND CHENAULT – red climber rose – Kordes
Climber production of Raymond Chenault offers professional growers a masculine-named, exhibition-grade hybrid Kordesii with dense, glossy dark-green foliage and a vigorous creeping habit that readily covers pergolas, walls and fences as a vertical feature in thematic and collection plantings. Semi-double, large, clustered blooms in a stable, non-bluing red tone support an exclusive, space-defining positioning, while the medium, spicy-berry fragrance broadens its appeal for show gardens and curated ranges. As pharmaROSA® NEONATAL own-root material, tray-rooted cuttings provide a predictable, regenerating base for trained climber product lines, with homogeneous stands that suit UK nursery networks, including sites where winter and wind exposure are significant factors in long-term performance. With hardiness down to H7 and moderate disease resistance, it supports dependable wholesale scheduling into trained, staked 5–7 L units, and the typical Year 1 roots, Year 2 shoots, Year 3 full ornamental value development arc aligns well with planning exhibition-quality stock at scale.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- Exhibition Climber 5–7 L – staked, trained Raymond Chenault in 5–7 L pots with 3–5 canes, using its vigorous creeping habit and non-bluing red flowers to deliver a clear vertical feature unit – retail and reseller climber programmes
- Pergola Pair Feature – matched pairs grown on from own-root cuttings into uniform, medium-maintenance climbers, supplied staked for immediate pergola or arch installation – design-led garden centres and landscapers
- Collection Hybrid Kordesii Line – labelled hybrid Kordesii collection items showing dense glossy foliage and verified cultivar authenticity, supporting thematic rose collections – specialist nurseries and rose gardens
- Premium Wall Screen 40–50 L – larger trained specimens in 40–50 litre containers, exploiting height, foliage density and moderate disease resistance to form instant red flowering screens – landscape contractors and public projects
- Show-Garden Display Units – time-scheduled plants from own-root stock to hit strong flowering with semi-double, vivid red clusters and spicy-berry fragrance for seasonal displays – horticultural shows, trial and demonstration gardens
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Climbing rose from the Raymond Chenault line, in the climber / hybrid Kordesii group; current trade name Raymond Chenault Climbing rose Kordes, ARS exhibition name Raymond Chenault, unregistered cultivar. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Reimer Kordes at W. Kordes’ Söhne, Germany, from Rosa kordesii × ‘Montezuma’; breeding completed 1958, introduced 1960, reflecting classic mid-twentieth-century climber breeding objectives. |
| Awards and recognition |
Awarded Royal National Rose Society Trial Ground Certificate in the United Kingdom in 1961 and “Bonnes Roses de Jardins et des Parcs” certificate at The Hague in 1965, confirming its garden and park performance credentials. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Vigorous creeping climber reaching about 260–440 cm high with 180–320 cm spread; moderately thorny, with dense, dark green, glossy foliage giving strong coverage for vertical structures and structural planting lines. |
| Flower morphology |
Semi-double, large flowers (approximately 2.75–3.95 inches), borne in large clusters on flat blooms with around 13–25 petals; remontant flowering with a generous second flush, supporting extended seasonal ornamental presence. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Deep, rich clear red blooms (ARS MR, RHS 53A outer, 53B inner) from dark ruby buds; colour deepens slightly without bluing and holds well in sunlight, maintaining vivid red display over the flowering cycle. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Medium-strength fragrance with spicy, berry-like character, sufficiently marked to add sensory interest without complicating siting decisions; fragrance complements the strong red colour and exhibition planting uses. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set generally sparse due to semi-double flower form; where present, hips are ellipsoidal, glossy red, about 12–18 mm in diameter, offering occasional additional seasonal interest without heavy fruit load. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to roughly -21 to -18 °C, RHS H7, USDA 6b, Swedish Zone 3; black spot resistance rated resistant, with moderate susceptibility to powdery mildew and rust, supporting medium maintenance regimes. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Recommended for pergolas, fences and walls as a trained climber; medium maintenance with occasional pest and disease control, ideally marketed as staked, trained plants following the trained climber finished-product route. |
Raymond Chenault combines vigorous climbing structure, stable vivid red flowering and proven hardiness in a predictable own-root format that supports long-lived, regenerating vertical feature stock; we invite you to discuss scheduling and capacity for your programmes.
