LUSATIA ® – copper‑orange bedding floribunda rose - Kordes
Slip into a mood of gentle contentment with Lusatia, a compact floribunda whose warm copper-orange clusters glow softly even under grey skies and gentle rainfall. Its bushy, upright habit keeps borders looking effortlessly orderly, while the subtly fragrant, double blooms bring a quietly romantic note to Irish cottage-style beds and small Dublin front gardens. As an own-root rose it establishes into a reliably long‑lived shrub, regenerating well after pruning or weather damage and keeping its ornamental value season after season. In the first year it concentrates on roots, in the second on sturdy shoots, and by the third year it reaches its full character in your garden, rewarding even time-pressed beginners with an easy-care, graceful display.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Front-of-border cottage bed |
Lusatia’s 60–85 cm height and 40–60 cm spread make it ideal for a softly mounded front row, with dense mid‑green foliage hiding bare soil and edging paths in copper-orange. Own-root vigour means the clump slowly strengthens into an enduring feature without complex care, suiting beginners. |
| Low flowering hedge along paths or drives |
The compact, upright, bushy habit and cluster-flowering style allow you to plant at 35–45 cm intervals to create a neat, low hedge with repeating waves of colour. Medium maintenance and moderate disease resistance suit Irish conditions where you can manage a simple spray routine, appealing to the busy. |
| Statement specimen in a small city front garden |
Planted singly at about 75 cm from other shrubs, Lusatia forms a tidy, premium-looking mound with refined, copper-orange cupped blooms and subtly silky fragrance. Its long-term stability as an own-root rose means the display matures gracefully, ideal for enhancing kerb appeal for the homeowner. |
| Mass bedding for colour drifts |
With recommended densities of roughly 5 plants per m², Lusatia can fill awkward front lawns or narrow beds with coordinated colour, the clusters opening vivid orange‑red and fading to soft salmon-orange. This predictable, uniform effect simplifies design choices for the practical. |
| Large container on patio or terrace |
In a 40–50 litre pot with good drainage, Lusatia’s compact structure and dense foliage make an easy-care patio rose; own-root growth copes better with occasional neglect and recovers well after pruning. Regular watering in warm spells is the only real demand, suiting the urban. |
| Family play garden with informal planting |
The moderate prickliness and medium maintenance needs fit a family setting where children share the space, while the muted copper-orange tones blend calmly with lawn and perennials. The rose settles in steadily, becoming a long-lived, low-fuss backdrop appreciated by the family. |
| Mixed border with perennials and grasses |
Lusatia’s changing tones—from vivid orange-red buds to pale salmon-orange—add depth among bearded irises, lavender and low grasses. Its medium disease resistance and solid winter hardiness suit gardens facing cool summers and frequent showers, reassuring the hobby‑gardener. |
| Formal edging for paths and terraces |
The tidy, upright form and cluster-flowering habit create a structured border that still feels soft, with self-contained mounds requiring only straightforward pruning and occasional plant protection. Over years, the own-root base maintains shape and flower quality, rewarding the patient planner. |
Styling ideas
- Cottage‑path drift – Run Lusatia in a loose line along gravel paths, interplanted with English lavender to echo its warm tones – ideal for romantic cottage‑style gardeners.
- Terraced‑front focus – Use a single, well-grown plant in a 50 litre pot beside a door, underplanted with evergreen groundcover honeysuckle – perfect for compact Dublin front gardens.
- Salmon‑sunset bed – Combine with bearded irises and soft ornamental grasses so the copper-orange flowers fade into a sunset palette – suited to colour-conscious design lovers.
- Low‑hedge rhythm – Plant a repeating line along a driveway, allowing the upright bushes to form a gentle, structured ribbon of bloom – good for neat, organised homeowners.
- Family‑friendly island – Place a rounded group in the middle of a lawn, with easy mowing edges and simple care, to give reliable colour without clutter – helpful for time-poor families.
Technical cultivar profile
| Attribute |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Floribunda bedding rose, registered as KORforst750, marketed as Lusatia ® Bedding rose KORforst750; ARS exhibition name Lusatia; floribunda group, exhibition floribunda bush rose. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Tim-Hermann Kordes, W. Kordes’ Söhne, Germany, from ‘INTERflocu’ × Kordes seedling; breeding completed 2003, registered 2018 with US Plant Patent PP 29,264. |
| Awards and recognition |
No major competition, collector, or lifetime awards recorded to date; positioned as a premium silver merit garden rose for long-term, sustainable ornamental planting schemes. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Compact, bushy, upright shrub to about 60–85 cm tall and 40–60 cm wide; dense, slightly glossy mid-green foliage; moderately thorny stems; suited to bedding, edging and low hedges. |
| Flower morphology |
Medium-sized double blooms, roughly 4–7 cm, cupped and borne in clusters; 26–39 petals give a full, ornamental look; remontant habit with abundant second flush in suitable conditions. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Warm copper-orange with paler yellow centre; buds crimson-orange outside, golden orange inside; opens vivid orange-red, then softens to pale salmon-orange with yellow underglow before petal fall. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Mild, subtle scent described as soft and silky; fragrance gently noticeable on warm, still days rather than overpowering; primarily selected for colour and bedding performance over perfume strength. |
| Hip characteristics |
Fruiting not usually observed; occasional small spherical hips 6–10 mm may form, bright red RHS 40A; hips are incidental, the variety being grown mainly for its flowering display. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Medium resistance to powdery mildew, black spot and rust; hardy to about −21 to −18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b, Swedish zone 3); moderate heat tolerance, needs watering in extended drought. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in full sun with well-drained soil; spacing 35–75 cm based on use; 4.9–5.7 plants/m² for mass bedding; needs medium maintenance with occasional plant protection to sustain peak display. |
LUSATIA ® offers compact, long-lived copper-orange flowering, a gentle silky fragrance and dependable structure on its own roots, making it a considered choice for those planning a quietly enduring garden accent.
