WEKPALTLEZ – rust-brown bedding floribunda rose – pharmaROSA® NEONATAL propagation material
Reliable propagation performance, compact bush habit and floribunda flowering make WEKPALTLEZ a practical choice for nursery networks seeking predictable own-root production. The variety combines resistant foliage and self-cleaning clusters with a distinctive rust-brown colour tone and a medium, fruity-spicy fragrance, supporting low-maintenance border and park schemes under typical British conditions, including cooler northern and Scottish sites with solid winter and wind tolerance. As a pharmaROSA® NEONATAL tray-rooted cutting, it fits standard container lines in 2–3 L pots and can be routed into collection or thematic rose gardens where long-term own-root stand stability matters; roots build in year one, framework in year two and full ornamental value is reached in year three.
Usage options
Finished-product ideas
- 2–3 L floribunda border line – Compact, bush-trained plants in standard 2–3 L containers highlighting the rust-brown colour and repeat flowering for reliable border use – retail / reseller border programmes
- Park and scheme series pack – Own-root, disease-resistant plants positioned as low-intervention park roses, supplied in uniform 2–3 L for fast planting to support reliable garden performance – public-realm and contractor tenders
- Thematic collection feature – Curated WEKPALTLEZ blocks within floribunda or colour-themed collections, emphasising the distinctive smoky tone and stable own-root stands – show gardens and collection-focused nurseries
- Large decorative container shrub – Up-potted from 2–3 L to 40–50 litre containers for entrances and terraces, using the bushy, self-cleaning habit and fragrance as premium visual and sensory features – institutional and hospitality projects
- Fragrant mixed-shrub concept – Integrated into mixed lines as a medium-height, fruity-spicy fragrant element, leveraging own-root regeneration for long-term performance – garden-centre premium shrub benches
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bedding rose from the Bedding rose collection, registered as WEKpaltlez and traded as Hot Cocoa / WEKPALTLEZ – rust-brown bedding floribunda rose - Carruth, ARS exhibition category floribunda; shrub rose. |
| Origin and breeding |
Raised by Tom Carruth at Weeks Wholesale Rose Grower Inc from (Playboy × Altissimo) × ‘Livin’ Easy’, bred and registered in the United States in 2002 and introduced commercially in 2003 via Weeks Wholesale Rose Grower, Inc. |
| Awards and recognition |
Recognised in the United States as an All-America Rose Selections (AARS) winner in 2003, underpinning its reputation as a reliable, high-performing floribunda for broader landscape and garden use. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Bushy, compact shrub reaching approximately 110–150 cm in height with a 100–140 cm spread, moderately thorny and densely foliated with glossy, dark green leaves, forming a full, well-branched framework for bedding or border use. |
| Flower morphology |
Medium-sized, 1.5–2.75 inch, double flowers with 26–39 petals, cup-shaped and cluster-flowered, repeating well with an abundant second flush, and generally self-cleaning as spent blooms drop naturally to maintain a tidy appearance. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Smoky rust-brown base with orange-red sheen, chocolate-brown opening petals over rusty orange undersides, shifting towards paler orange in high heat; ARS colour code r, RHS 174A outer and 165A inner petal surfaces, with generally durable colour. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Medium-strength, noticeably fragrant blooms with a fruity, spicy character, offering a clear olfactory presence in borders or containers without overwhelming surrounding plantings or nearby seating and access routes. |
| Hip characteristics |
Produces moderately abundant spherical hips around 6–10 mm in diameter, vivid red in colour and adding a secondary ornamental season where fruit set is permitted in landscape or collection plantings. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Resistant to powdery mildew, black spot and rust, with hardy performance down to approximately -21 to -18 °C, corresponding to RHS H7, Swedish zone 3 and USDA zone 6b, and good tolerance of heat and moderate drought in maintained plantings. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suitable for borders, parks, cut-flower use and specimen shrubs; best routed as bush-trained, compact plants via standard container production in 2–3 L pots, with low maintenance needs and generally minimal disease intervention in professional systems. |
WEKPALTLEZ offers compact floribunda structure, reliable disease resistance and distinctive rust-brown colour on long-lived own roots, giving predictable, regenerative stands for border and park production; please contact us to align on volumes and scheduling.
