LEMON FIZZ® – yellow landscape shrub rose – Kordes
Bring a touch of cottage-garden sunshine to your Irish front garden with LEMON FIZZ®, a modern shrub rose that glows in every soft spell of daylight. Its semi-double blooms open wide, full of golden pollen, inviting bees and hoverflies even when the weather is unsettled and summers are short yet reliably mild. The dense, bushy habit creates an instant hedge-like effect, ideal for edging paths or softening a terrace, while the good self-cleaning keeps things looking neat without constant deadheading – perfect when you prefer to simply enjoy the gentle rhythm of flowers rather than fuss over them. In a large 40–50 litre container or directly in the soil, it gradually settles, with roots in the first year, stronger shoots in the second, and full ornamental value by the third, promising long-lived, easy-going garden colour.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Cottage-style flower bed by the front door |
The vibrant, deep yellow semi-double blooms give that instant “girly” cottage feel, while the upright, bushy habit fills gaps quickly in small front gardens. Open flowers provide easy nectar for bees and hoverflies, suiting nature-oriented, fragrance-loving buyers. |
| Low informal hedge along a path or drive |
Height around 85–120 cm and dense foliage make this rose ideal for a low informal hedge that still lets light through. Use 55 cm spacing for a near-continuous line of colour, relying on its self-cleaning habit to reduce deadheading for busy urban garden owners. |
| Feature shrub in a mixed border |
The persistent, non-fading yellow colour stands out among perennials and grasses, acting as a bright anchor point in a mixed border. Recommended as a specimen at about 100 cm spacing, it offers long-season interest to hobby gardeners seeking reliable flowering. |
| Large patio pot or terrace container |
In a 40–50 litre container with good drainage, this rose offers a strong hit of colour on patios and balconies, especially where soil is heavy or space is limited. Semi-double flowers keep attracting pollinators at eye level, ideal for beginners watching nature up close. |
| Urban green space or front-of-house strip |
As a landscaping shrub, it copes well with compact, everyday city planting strips and repeating along railings or low walls. Simple, regular care is usually limited to feeding, watering and plant protection, which suits homeowners wanting straightforward maintenance. |
| Mass planting in small family gardens |
For mass planting at about 2.4 plants/m², Lemon Fizz forms a cheerful, unified carpet of yellow that reads clearly from a distance, even in soft Irish light. The repeated flushes of bloom create a familiar, long-lasting presence appreciated by family gardeners. |
| Rainy, Atlantic-influenced gardens |
In exposed Irish sites you still enjoy bright, long-lasting blooms and a tidy self-cleaning habit, even when short summers bring more drizzle than heat, a reassuring choice where summers are cool, changeable and packed into a brief, bright window for beginners. |
| Pollinator-friendly corridor near veg beds |
The semi-double, open flowers with accessible stamens are highly attractive to bees, supporting pollinator movement around kitchen gardens. Plant as edging near veg beds with about 65 cm spacing to create a nectar-rich corridor for nature-oriented, fragrance-loving buyers. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage-Glow – Combine Lemon Fizz with soft pink Verbena hastata ‘Pink Spires’ for a romantic, “girly” cottage border – ideal for homeowners softening a Dublin terraced-house frontage.
- Sunny-Edge – Line a narrow path with Lemon Fizz and low evergreen St John’s-wort for year-round structure and summer colour – perfect for busy urban gardeners wanting neat, low hedging.
- Pot-of-Gold – Plant one shrub in a 40–50 litre terracotta pot with trailing thyme at the rim – suited to balcony and patio owners looking for compact impact and easy care.
- Meadow-Ribbon – Thread small groups of Lemon Fizz through ornamental grasses for a loose, meadowy feel – attractive to nature-focused gardeners who love movement and pollinator activity.
- Family-Focus – Place three shrubs in a triangle near a seating area, underplant with spring bulbs for early interest – great for family gardens where children can watch visiting bees.
Technical cultivar profile
| Property |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Modern shrub (landscape) rose; registered as KORfizzlem, marketed as Lemon Fizz® NektarGarten®; ARS exhibition name Lemon Fizz; shrub class, own-root 2-litre container form. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Tim-Hermann Kordes at W. Kordes’ Söhne from unnamed seedlings; introduced 2014 in the USA by Newflora LLC; protected under US Plant Patent PP 24 195. |
| Awards and recognition |
Holds ADR German State-Approved Rose status (2015); awarded silver medal at Monza rose trial and 3rd prize at Baden‑bei‑Wien; recognised by American Garden Rose Selections. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright, bushy shrub with dense, medium to dark green slightly glossy foliage; height about 85–120 cm, spread 70–95 cm; moderately thorny canes, good self-cleaning of spent blooms. |
| Flower morphology |
Semi-double, flat clustered flowers, ARS medium size 4–7 cm; roughly 13–25 petals; remontant with a strong second flush and continuing flowering across the main season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Closed buds intense lemon-yellow; freshly opened flowers brilliant sunshine-yellow with golden centres; colour holds well, little fading; RHS 11A–12A, persistent deep yellow with orange-tinged stamens. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
No noticeable fragrance; bred primarily for colour effect, landscape value and pollinator access rather than scent; suited where visual brightness and nectar availability are the priority. |
| Hip characteristics |
Occasional small hips appear, 5–7 mm, spherical, orange-red RHS 40A; modest wildlife interest without significantly reducing the plant’s main decorative flowering display. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Very susceptible to powdery mildew, black spot and rust, so regular plant protection is needed; hardy to about −32 to −29 °C (USDA 4b, H7), tolerates heat with watering in dry spells. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Use in beds, edging, low hedges, containers and parks; spacing 65 cm for groups, 55 cm for hedges, 100 cm for specimens; prefers well-drained soil, regular feeding and vigilant disease control. |
LEMON FIZZ® offers bright, long-lasting yellow colour, pollinator-friendly open blooms and durable own-root growth for Irish family gardens; a thoughtful choice if you value reliable impact with straightforward care.
