QUEEN OF ROSES® – salmon-orange hybrid tea rose – KORbico
Classic hybrid tea elegance meets reliable garden performance in QUEEN OF ROSES®, a salmon-orange rose bred by Kordes that fits beautifully into small British front gardens and family plots. Its upright, balanced habit forms a neat bush, ideal where you want structure without complicated pruning, while the very full, exhibition-quality blooms deliver a truly refined focal point in beds or as cut flowers. With good disease resistance, it supports low-care gardening even in wetter seasons with frequent rain and wind off the coast, demanding only basic watering and feeding. As an own-root rose it establishes steadily and offers a long, enduring life in the border, regenerating well from the base over time. Plant once and enjoy a dependable display that strengthens naturally – roots in the first year, more shoots in the second, then full ornamental value by the third, giving you lasting confidence in a compact family garden setting.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front garden focal point near the entrance |
The upright, compact bush carries large, very full, salmon-orange blooms at eye level, giving a smart, formal welcome beside a path or gate without overwhelming a small frontage. Its structured hybrid tea form keeps the planting looking intentional and tidy for homeowners. |
| Small rose bed in a family back garden |
Reliable repeat flowering and a long season of colour make it easy to achieve a satisfying rose bed with only simple seasonal feeding and light pruning, avoiding complex regimes while still rewarding you with classic blooms, ideal for beginners. |
| Mixed cottage-style border with perennials |
The moderate height and neat spread slot comfortably between cottage perennials, giving vertical accents without shading neighbours, while glossy dark foliage provides contrast to softer textures such as feverfew and grasses, suiting cottage-gardeners. |
| Feature rose for cutting and indoor display |
Large, exhibition-standard flowers with a pronounced high centre and long stems make this cultivar excellent for cutting, so a single bush can regularly supply vases of scented blooms for the house, appealing to scent- and style-conscious gardeners. |
| Low-maintenance family border in busy households |
ADR status and listed resistance to black spot, mildew and rust mean it stays healthy with minimal spraying, so even with limited time you can keep a small border looking presentable with simple watering and the occasional tidy, reassuring families. |
| Long-term structural planting in established gardens |
As an own-root plant it builds its framework in situ, regrowing from the base if damaged and avoiding graft-related decline, so it can hold its place in a mixed scheme for many years with only moderate care, suiting long-range-planning gardeners. |
| Exposed or breezy suburban plots |
The bushy, well-anchored growth habit and moderate height cope well with typical British breezes, even where gardens are open to the street, helping the plant remain upright and attractive despite blustery, rain-laden spells, reassuring coastal-edge owners. |
| Large decorative containers on patios or terraces |
In a generous 40–50 litre container with good drainage and regular watering, its upright habit and glossy foliage create a formal container specimen whose repeat blooms bring colour close to seating and doors, ideal for space-limited urban residents. |
Styling ideas
- Entrance Accent – pair QUEEN OF ROSES® with low lavender or neatly clipped box to frame a path or doorway, giving a composed, traditional welcome – ideal for style-focused front-garden owners
- Cottage Mix – weave it through drifts of feverfew, geraniums and soft grasses so the salmon-orange blooms rise from an airy tapestry – perfect for relaxed cottage-garden enthusiasts
- Cutting Corner – group three plants with easy perennials like catmint to create a small “florist” bed that reliably supplies stems for the house – suited to home decorators who love fresh flowers
- Patio Statement – grow a single plant in a 50 litre terracotta pot with trailing thyme at the rim for a structured yet soft terrace focal point – attractive for balcony and patio gardeners
- Formal Border – plant in a short row with even spacings and a backdrop of dark yew or privet to echo classic rose gardens in a smaller space – appealing to fans of traditional, ordered layouts
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose, registered as KORbico; marketed as Queen of Roses® Hybrid tea rose KORbico, also exhibited under the American Rose Society name Colour Wonder. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Reimer Kordes, W. Kordes’ Söhne, Germany, from ‘Kordes Perfecta’ × ‘Super Star’; bred 1964 and commercially introduced in 1965 as a high-quality hybrid tea rose. |
| Awards and recognition |
Holds the prestigious ADR 1964 rating for combined garden performance and health, and received the Belfast Gold Medal in 1966 as a show-quality rose with strong ornamental value. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright, bushy hybrid tea habit reaching about 85–115 cm high and 60–85 cm wide, with moderately dense, glossy dark green foliage and dense prickling along the shoots for sturdy support. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, very full, cup-shaped blooms with 40+ petals and a pronounced medium-high centre; mostly solitary on stems, with good repeat flowering and an especially abundant second flush in season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Warm salmon-orange flowers with silky sheen; buds bright orange-salmon, then softening through peachy pink with slight yellow tones, though colour retention is moderate and tones fade as blooms age. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Moderate, clearly perceptible fragrance with a fresh, fruity tea character; designed primarily as an ornamental and cut-flower rose rather than for pollinators, as the many petals enclose stamens. |
| Hip characteristics |
Produces few hips; when present they are small, 10–14 mm, ellipsoidal and orange-red, offering limited ornamental impact and generally not a defining feature of the cultivar in garden settings. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
RHS H7 rating, hardy approximately to −23 to −21 °C and USDA zone 6a; listed as resistant to powdery mildew, black spot and rust, supporting lower-input care in typical UK garden conditions. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Prefers a sunny position with well-prepared soil; spacing 40–75 cm depending on use, 4.2–4.8 plants per m² in mass plantings; suits borders, specimen planting and cutting, with low maintenance needs. |
QUEEN OF ROSES® Hybrid tea rose KORbico offers reliable repeat flowering, strong disease resistance and a long-lived own-root framework, making it a thoughtful choice for gardeners seeking lasting structure and colour.
