Sommerabend® Ground cover KORmarec – pharmaROSA® NEONATAL rooted cutting
Groundcover production of Sommerabend® on own roots supports high-volume, uniform mass planting projects where rapid, dense surface coverage and clear cultivar identity are essential. This low, spreading shrub form lends itself to mechanised and block-planting systems, with tray-rooted pharmaROSA® NEONATAL material providing a reliable base for 1.5–2 L container routes and subsequent field or scheme installation. The vivid deep-red, single, cluster-flowered display with accessible stamens offers strong visual impact and pollinator interest for public-realm schemes and thematic collections. Own-root development naturally progresses from root establishment in year one, shoot and frame building in year two, and full ornamental expression from year three, supporting predictable scheduling. Its glossy dark-green foliage and spreading habit help deliver fast coverage and a consistent finished-product profile suitable for park and urban projects, while the good heat and moderate drought tolerance is well suited to exposed or south-facing sites and aligns with UK large-scale landscape and municipal planting practice in areas where reliable summer performance under warm, drying conditions is needed.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- Deep-red project groundcover 2 L – Uniform, dense, bush-trained 1.5–2 L plants offering fast coverage and low height, ideal for mass planting specifications – landscape contractor / municipal framework lots
- Pollinator strip rose mix – Cluster-flowered, single blooms with accessible stamens combined in linear schemes, produced from own-root trays into 2 L units – biodiversity-focused public-realm contracts
- Urban park edge modules – Heat-tolerant, spreading plants in 2 L pots for edging paths and lawns, leveraging fast, even groundcover from pharmaROSA® NEONATAL starts – city park departments via wholesalers
- Thematic red rose collection line – Deep-red, low shrub groundcover element in curated collections, grown in 2 L containers for coherent display blocks – show gardens and specialist rose collections
- Groundcover refurbishment kit – Own-root stock for renewing tired beds, with predictable height and spread and easy integration into existing 1.5–2 L lines – integrators serving estate and campus maintenance
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Groundcover and shrub rose, registered as KORmarec and traded as Sommerabend® Ground cover KORmarec; ARS exhibition name Sommerabend, positioned as a groundcover commercial type. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Wilhelm Kordes, W. Kordes’ Söhne, Germany, from ('The Fairy' × Rosa wichuriana seedling) × 'Robin Red Breast'; bred 1991, registered 1992, introduced 1995 via W. Kordes’ Söhne. |
| Awards and recognition |
ADR award Germany 1996; Belfast Best shrub rose 1998; RNRS Trial Garden Certificate of Merit groundcover 1994; Lyon Grande Rose du Siècle 1996, indicating strong trial performance. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Low, spreading habit 25–45 cm high and 55–105 cm spread, moderately thorny with moderately dense, glossy dark-green foliage; moderate self-cleaning meaning some manual tidying of spent blooms is still required. |
| Flower morphology |
Single, flat flowers with 5–12 petals in cluster-flowered inflorescences, large blooms around 2.75–3.95 inches, remontant with a plentiful second flush, supporting extended seasonal visual effect in plantings. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Deep red petals (RHS 46A outer, 46B inner) with a narrow whitish centre and exposed yellow stamens; colour lightens slightly in strong sun, shifting towards carmine–crimson as the centre becomes more pronounced. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very weak, barely perceptible fragrance with a delicate, soft character; the main sensory value lies in the vivid colour and open, pollinator-friendly flower form rather than in notable scent performance. |
| Hip characteristics |
Occasional small, spherical orange-red hips around 6–10 mm in diameter may form; hip set is modest, adding minor seasonal interest without significantly affecting flowering potential or maintenance. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately -21 to -18 °C (USDA 6b, RHS H7, Swedish zone 3); disease sensitive with very susceptible powdery mildew and black spot and moderate rust, requiring regular plant protection in production and projects. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Recommended for flowerbeds, parks, specimen use and urban green space; best directed to project mass planting via 1.5–2 L containers as uniform dense bushes, with high maintenance input for disease management in plantings. |
Sommerabend® Ground cover KORmarec, with fast, uniform coverage and vivid deep-red, pollinator-friendly blooms on long-lived own-root plants, offers predictable, renewable groundcover capacity for project programmes; we would welcome a discussion on schedules and volumes.
