Red Ribbons Groundcover KORtemma – pharmaROSA NEONATAL rooted cutting
With its vigorous, spreading habit and dense, glossy foliage, Red Ribbons delivers rapid ground coverage and visually coherent surfaces for project-driven rose plantings, while own-root stability supports homogeneous stands and low replacement in nursery workflows. The strongly remontant, semi-double, bright red clusters ensure extended ornamental impact in beds, slopes, parks and urban green spaces, aligning well with medium-maintenance, project mass-planting schemes handled at scale. Compact height and generous spread make it ideal for 1.5–2 L production, bench-efficient spacing and later transfer into larger landscape modules, including 40–50 litre units for structural edging and park use. Its documented hardiness (H7, USDA 4b) and good heat/drought tolerance enable reliable scheduling for UK-wide supply, supporting schemes in cooler regions where winter and wind exposure are significant. Own-root propagation allows predictable regeneration after pruning or stress, underpinning long-term stock beds and collection plantings within thematic rose gardens. The combination of fast canopy formation and good self-cleaning reduces aesthetic maintenance in finished sites, sustaining uniform presentation for professional clients. As tray-rooted pharmaROSA NEONATAL material, Red Ribbons is supplied at a uniform 3–6‑month stage, simplifying intake, storage and call-off for nursery networks focusing on landscape and public-realm projects. Professionally, this allows You to plan Year 1 for rooting and establishment, Year 2 for structural shoot build-up and Year 3 for full ornamental coverage and performance. Recognised in trials with gold-level distinctions, it supports a robust portfolio for wholesalers and integrators who need dependable groundcover roses, while its identifiable colour and form fit curated, collection-led rose gardens.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- Project 2L Groundcover Module – Uniform, dense, bush-trained plants in 1.5–2 L pots focusing on fast coverage and self-cleaning flower clusters for easy handling in project mass planting lines – target: landscape contractor / project wholesalers
- Embankment Stabiliser Block – Own-root plants grown on into robust liners for rapid establishment on slopes, using spreading habit and hardiness to deliver durable ground coverage – target: infrastructure landscape and civil-engineering planting schemes
- Urban Red Carpet Container – 40–50 litre containers with mature, spreading crowns providing instant red groundcover effect for plazas, entrances and urban beds – target: urban green-space managers and facilities contractors
- Thematic Garden Edge Strip – Carefully aligned rows of Red Ribbons forming low edging bands around rose collections, capitalising on uniformity and bright flower colour – target: show-garden operators and public-park rose collections
- Park Bed Mass-Plant Pack – Batch-synchronised, own-root units geared to project mass planting, combining hardiness and remontant flowering for long-season park displays – target: public-realm framework suppliers and integrator systems
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Groundcover rose cultivar Red Ribbons, registered as KORtemma, in the Ground cover commercial group; ARS approved exhibition name Red Ribbons, used widely in professional groundcover assortments. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Wilhelm Kordes III. (W. Kordes’ Söhne, Germany) from ‘Weisse Max Graf’ × ‘Walzertraum’; introduced and registered in 1990, initially distributed by Jackson & Perkins Co. in the USA. |
| Awards and recognition |
Awarded Gold Medal at Baden‑Baden in 1991 and RNRS Trial Ground Certificate in Great Britain in 1991, indicating strong performance in comparative professional trials for ornamental effect. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Low, spreading growth habit, 45–75 cm high with 120–200 cm spread; dense, dark green glossy foliage, moderate prickliness and good self-cleaning as most spent flowers drop naturally from clusters. |
| Flower morphology |
Semi-double, cluster-flowered blooms with 13–25 petals and small 0.5–1.5 inch flower size, flat in form; strongly remontant with abundant second flush, offering long decorative coverage in season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Bright, clear mid-red with slight scarlet tinge (ARS MR, RHS 45A–45B); buds glossy scarlet-red, colour deepens then may pale slightly in strong sun, with yellow stamens adding subtle contrast where visible. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
No noticeable fragrance, classed as scentless; semi-double form affords only limited pollinator access, so it is not considered a primary pollinator-supporting cultivar in professional plant mixes. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set expected to be sparse; when present, hips are small, globose, around 6–10 mm in diameter, coloured red close to RHS 46A, with limited visual impact in typical mass-planting applications. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Good heat and moderate drought tolerance with watering in prolonged dry periods; disease resistance medium overall, notably resistant to black spot, with H7, Swedish Zone 5 and USDA Zone 4b hardiness ratings. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Recommended for groundcover, slopes, beds, parks, edging and urban green; suited to uniform, dense, bush-trained finished products, medium maintenance with occasional plant protection and project mass-planting use. |
Red Ribbons Groundcover KORtemma combines fast lateral coverage, good self-cleaning and proven hardiness with the predictability and regenerative longevity of own-root NEONATAL material, making it a pragmatic choice to discuss capacity and scheduling for project portfolios.
