Choosing planting

ADR hardy roses, hardy and disease-resistant

A demanding label for easy roses

Contents

Modified the Wednesday, 6 August 2025 by Ingrid B. 3 min. Difficulty: Beginner

If you have a bit of an interest in roses, you have certainly heard of ADR roses and the ADR Label (Anerkannte Deutsche Rose).

This label, German as you might have guessed, is the most demanding certificate in the world regarding roses. It guarantees the great vigour and excellent resistance of certain rose varieties, but that’s not all…

Difficulty

Obtaining the label: a long and highly selective process

The ADR label is awarded by the German Rose Society after a series of rigorous tests lasting between 3 and 4 years, conducted in 11 trial gardens with different climates.

During this probationary period, the roses are grown “hardy” without any preventive or curative treatment. They will be put to the test and evaluated on 15 criteria, including disease resistance, vigour, hardiness, as well as floriferous character, flower durability, fragrance… Examined by a panel of expert rosarians, only the most deserving roses (the score must be at least 80/100) earn the right to display the label. The success rate is, moreover, quite low, as it hovers around 11%

ADR roses, the advantages

While roses are renowned for their flowers, they are also known for the frequency of their diseases. Never sick, resistant to cold, roses that have received the ADR label will therefore be a priority choice, even a solution for:

perfectionists who love to grow always perfect roses,
gardeners who wish to avoid worrying about the care of their plants,
gardens in difficult climates (cold, damp…),
public landscaping, managed without plant protection products,
beginners, who are taking their first steps into the world of roses.

Some ADR rose varieties

With new varieties labelled each year, the range of ADR Roses is broad and constantly evolving. Whether you are looking for a ground cover rose, a bush rose, a landscape rose, or a climbing rose, you are sure to find a variety suited to your garden and tastes.

Among our favourites are:

Rosa 'Fée des neiges' (Iceberg) - Shrub Rose

A classic variety that is always highly appreciated for its bright white flowers. Vigorous and very resistant, it also has the advantage of offering a long, almost inexhaustible flowering period. Use: flowering hedges, borders. This variety is also available as a climbing rose.

Blütezeit July to November
Height at maturity 1,30 m

Rosa x floribunda Pomponella Korpompan

Charming, this rose from Kordes' Féérique series features small, fragrant, round, double flowers about 4 cm in diameter. It forms a small bush but can also be trained as a ground cover. Remarkably long flowering!

Blütezeit July to November
Height at maturity 60 cm

Rosa Anatasia - Hybrid Tea Rose

Modern and with large flowers, this Tea hybrid stands out for its large, double, turbinate, and delightfully fragrant blooms. Generous and very floriferous, it is also perfect for creating bouquets.

Blütezeit July to November
Height at maturity 1 m

Rosa Prince Jardinier

Perpetual and multiple award-winning, this rose is distinguished by the size of its flowers. Measuring up to 14 cm and counting up to 80 petals, they open elegantly. Its delicate colour is complemented by a powerful, sweet, and sugary fragrance. An exceptional variety!

Blütezeit July to November
Height at maturity 1 m

Rosa 'Perennial Blue' - Climbing Rose

A mini climbing rose, perpetual, with lovely small double flowers in lavender pink punctuated with golden stamens. Perfect in pots or small gardens, it is highly valued for covering trellises and pergolas.

Blütezeit July to November
Height at maturity 2 m

Rosa Decorosiers Opalia 'Noaschnee'

Low maintenance and very resistant, this rose from the decorosier range is also very floriferous. It displays bouquets of semi-double, pure white flowers enhanced by a golden heart. Very versatile, it is an ideal variety for flowering a bank or adorning a border. Also available as a climbing rose.