Rosa Simsalabim - Floribunda Rose

The floribunda rose Simsalabim® ('KORnekcraz') never produces two roses that are exactly alike. Its five petals combine white, pink and cherry red in stripes, splashes and blotches around a clearly visible centre of stamens. This distinctive, abundant flowering, which attracts pollinating insects, gives borders plenty of personality. Having won numerous awards in international competitions and being highly disease-resistant, it can be grown without treatments. An excellent choice for an eco-friendly and original garden!

Created in Germany in 2012 by Thomas Proll for W. Kordes’ Söhne, then introduced under its current name 'KORnekcraz' in 2023, this rose is also known as 'Marburg800' and KO 12/4473-03. It belongs to the group of bush roses with clustered flowers, or floribundas, with each branched stem bearing five to seven flowers. Kordes has included it in its NectarGarden® collection, which brings together floriferous roses with healthy foliage and open flowers offering pollen and nectar to insects. The plant forms a dense, well-branched and distinctly upright bush, reaching 80 cm in height and 50 cm in width. The ovoid flower buds open into single corollas, initially slightly cupped and then almost flat, measuring 6 to 7 cm across. Their broadly oval petals, slightly wavy and notched at the edges, combine creamy white and pale pink with cherry-red or purplish-red stripes, the pattern varying from one flower to the next. Each rose lasts for ten to twelve days and gives off a light fragrance with sweet notes. Flowering is renewed from June to October, or even until November in mild climates. If not deadheaded, the faded flowers may produce numerous small rose hips. The deciduous foliage, which falls in autumn, consists of leaves measuring nearly 10 cm, divided into three to nine oval leaflets with toothed edges and pointed tips. Dark green and highly glossy, they remain decorative until late in the season. The stems bear a moderate number of prickles, often three to six per internode; orange-red when young, they reach nearly 1.5 cm.
Its very good disease resistance earned it the ADR award in 2023, following three years of assessment in several German gardens. It shows particularly excellent resistance to black spot and good resistance to powdery mildew and rust.
Its impressive list of awards also includes a gold award at the Rochfords trials in 2024, a certificate at the Bagatelle International Competition for Landscape Roses in 2025, the Piaget Rose Trophy in Monaco in 2026, followed by the Golden Rose of The Hague 2026, accompanied by a gold medal in the floribunda category and a certificate of recommendation. This rose was named 'Marburg800' to mark the 800th anniversary of the German town of Marburg; 800 specimens were offered at the time, and several were planted in its public spaces and botanical garden.

In a sunny border, this Simsalabim variety can be combined with other roses from the NectarGarden® collection: the pure white of 'Escimo', the pink of 'Topolina' and the magenta of 'Lupo'. A Perovskia 'Blue Spire' will introduce a lavender-blue counterpoint, while the silvery foliage of wormwood 'Powis Castle' will link the different shades and temper the roses' vibrancy. Together, they create a natural border, colourful without excess, which remains decorative throughout the summer. This very hardy rose, requiring little care, will thrive in sun or partial shade, in any soil that is not too dry in summer. It will delight all gardeners, beginners and experienced alike.