MOONLIGHT ® – yellow climbing rose - Kordes
Let Moonlight® transform plain walls and pergolas into an effortlessly elegant vertical display, combining generous flowering with reassuringly straightforward maintenance for typical UK family gardens. Its remontant habit keeps fresh, cupped blooms appearing in waves from early summer, with warm yellow tones that gently soften yet hold their charm even in unsettled weather. Strong, reliable growth builds a balanced climber that anchors securely and copes well with exposed sites, while own‑root vigour supports long‑term longevity and easy regeneration if pruned back hard. In many gardens you will see roots establishing in year one, framework building in year two, and full ornamental presence in year three, creating a stable, low‑fuss structure that feels at home among cottage‑style perennials. Its fruity fragrance and award‑winning garden performance come together in a rose you can simply plant, guide along its support, and enjoy with minimal effort.
Usage options
| Target area | Reasoning |
|---|
| Front-garden wall or sunny house façade |
Ideal where you want a reliable, high-impact vertical feature without complex care. Strong climbing growth and own-root resilience support a long-lived framework, giving confidence that the investment will mature steadily over years for beginners. |
| Rose arch or arbour over a garden path |
Its repeat-flowering habit and generous clusters create a tunnel of colour through summer, with lemon-gold blooms and rich scent at head height. Guided along an arch, it quickly forms an inviting focal point that repays simple pruning with months of display for romantics. |
| Pergola in a classic cottage-style border |
The warm yellow flowers blend beautifully with blues, purples and soft grasses, giving a traditional cottage feel without demanding fine-tuned rose expertise. Medium foliage density lets light through to underplanting, suiting layered borders for stylist. |
| Screening between neighbouring properties |
Trained on trellis or wires, its 2–3 m height and moderate spread provide a soft visual screen while still fitting into an average-sized plot. The structured yet not over-vigorous habit makes it easier to keep within boundaries than more rampant climbers for neighbours. |
| Wind-exposed or coastal-leaning situations |
Sturdy, flexible canes and dependable flowering allow it to perform where wind and rain can mark less robust roses, supporting gardens that need plants to cope with blustery, changeable conditions without constant intervention for coastal. |
| Compact family gardens with limited planting depth |
Its narrow footprint and vertical habit free up ground space for play or seating, while still giving a striking rose presence. Where borders are shallow, simple training against fences or posts offers height, colour and fragrance without crowding the plot for families. |
| Large containers on patios and terraces |
When planted in a 40–50 litre container with a sturdy obelisk or trellis, it becomes a mobile feature for paved areas. Own-root stability and moderate maintenance needs make container culture feasible for those without deep borders for balconies. |
| Small group plantings along a boundary or walkway |
Spacing several plants along a fence or pergola line creates a continuous ribbon of flower and scent. Repeating the same cultivar simplifies pruning and care, while ensuring a unified look that matures steadily year by year for planners. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage Archway – Train Moonlight® over a rose arch with catmint and low lavender edging for a soft, traditional entrance – ideal for lovers of classic cottage style.
- Golden Pergola – Cover a timber pergola, underplanting with Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ and ornamental grasses to contrast fiery tones with warm yellow blooms – suited to bold, colour-focused gardeners.
- Sunny House Front – Fan-train along wires on a south-facing wall, with clipped box and pots of herbs for a neat yet romantic frontage – perfect for tidy, time-pressed homeowners.
- Patio Feature Pot – Place a single plant in a 50-litre container with an obelisk, surrounding the base with trailing thyme or violas – good for small-plot or paved-garden owners.
- Soft Boundary Screen – Repeat three to five plants along a fence, combining with phormium and evergreen shrubs for year-round structure – attractive to planners of coherent family gardens.
Technical cultivar profile
| Feature | Data |
|---|
| Name and registration |
Climbing rose, large-flowered climber; registered as KORklemol, marketed as Moonlight® Klettermaxe®, exhibition name Moonlight®, part of the Klettermaxe® climbing collection. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Tim-Hermann Kordes (Germany) in 1995 from complex seedling parentage including ‘Lichtkönigin Lucia’; introduced after 2006 by W. Kordes’ Söhne. |
| Awards and recognition |
Recognised in international rose trials: Tokyo Bronze Medal 2005, Belfast Gold Medal 2007, and The Hague International Rose Trials Bronze Certificate 2012. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Climbing habit reaching around 200–320 cm high and 70–120 cm spread, with medium-density, glossy mid-green foliage and moderate prickles, forming a flexible yet sturdy framework. |
| Flower morphology |
Semi-double, cupped blooms with 13–25 petals, borne in clusters, large-flowered (approximately 7–10 cm), repeating well with abundant second and subsequent flushes across the season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Warm golden-yellow base with subtle copper tones; buds deep yellow with orange hint, fading through pastel yellow to paler tones, sometimes with a gentle pinkish edge as flowers age. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Rich, fruity scent of strong intensity, noticeable and long-lasting in the garden, particularly around seating areas or paths where flowers can be enjoyed at close quarters. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set tends to be low; occasional small, spherical orange-red hips 8–12 mm can appear, but display value focuses mainly on continuous flowering rather than autumn fruiting. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately −26 to −23 °C (RHS H7, USDA 5b, Swedish Zone 4); heat-tolerant with watering in long dry spells; disease resistance medium with some susceptibility to powdery mildew. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun and well-drained soil; allow 100–180 cm between plants; provide support on walls, arches or pergolas; moderate maintenance, with deadheading and protection in very humid summers. |
MOONLIGHT ® offers long-lived vertical colour, repeat flowering and rich scent, with own-root resilience that settles reliably into family gardens, making it a thoughtful choice when planning your next climbing rose.
