We were looking for Rosa x kordesii for a black spot research study to understand if it may be the source/share the same black spot resistance gene that is in many of the Explorer series of roses. It was very hard to find R. x kordesii in the US. A friend from CA was very kind and shared a couple cuttings and then also through Kim Rupert I was able to learn about Peter Schneider from Freedom Gardens. Peter helps create the Combined Rose List. There are many older and rare roses (~1200 varieties) in his and his wife Susan’s garden. They propagate some and have plants ready that are ready to sell on their website and can do custom propagation and/or send unrooted cuttings. Peter is open to people reaching out to him to see if they have the rose one is interested in in their collection. The whole 1200 variety collection is not listed on the website.
Here is the link to information about their garden and some of the roses propagated and ready. Freedom Gardens
I’m glad the suggestion worked out. I post on the gardenweb and hope people don’t get tired of my suggesting FreedomGardens as a source of rare roses. He also has many from the now defunct ODNR Garden of Roses of Legend and Romance in Wooster. I believe R. Kordesii was one of its holdings.
Hi David!
Looking forward to the results of your research!
If I remember well, the explorer series have not necessary all rosa kordesii as there ancestors, but they do have Max Graf as their ancestor somewhere… Could it be that Svejda obtained another rose, simular to rosa kordesii, but not “the” rosa kordesii? I think Max Graf might had some more offsprings, and one of these might have been used by Svejda. Not entirely sure. I should read her notes again but that is what I more or less remember from reading them.
Therefore I believe it would be interesting to obtain rosa Max Graf as well.
I have ‘Max Graf’ fortunately and we are using it in the study too. I got it years ago from Pickering in Canada and have been able to keep plants going of it since through various moves. It is a little tender dying down to the ground in harsh winters. It is described as near sterile and R. x kordesii as being a very rare event. People love to embellish stories :0). It has some routine fertility and that is how Svedja was able to get her G12. I have a nice op seedling of ‘Max Graf’ that is tetraploid and highly fertile coded 3K20. I suspect the neighboring ‘John Davis’ is the dad based on the features. I have a couple pics of 3K20 attached.
My ambition is to have a small pool or waterfall in the garden, which would look fantastic, especially on hot summer days. Maybe if we think about it a little more, we’ll be able to make it a reality.
I ordered from him 2 springs ago, and assumed I could do the same. That was not the case. He advised:
“I am only shipping in the fall, and only taking orders for shipping of in-stock roses beginning in July. Custom propagation orders can be placed at any time. Strategically, best plan would be to wait and see if [such and such rose]* is available in July, and consider placing a custom order if it isn’t.”
*edited for merit.
Further: "
There are about 1350 different roses in my collection now. I don’t custom propagate patented roses, and won’t do ones that I consider to be easily available elsewhere. That leaves over 1000 roses. I don’t try to list them all on my webpage, but do have my nursery code with them in Combined Rose List."
I hope this helps anyone. I am grateful to get a Roadrunner rose from them. Otherwise, not possible. It is so cute. Not quite Nigel Hawthorn size, but almost as small.
