W. Kordes' Söhne

W. Kordes' Söhne is a family business specializing in growing roses in small Offenseth- Sparrieshoop in the district of Pinneberg, in Schleswig -Holstein. It is one of the most Rose farms worldwide and has spawned a large number of known varieties of roses. The company has about 150 employees and annually sells more than two million rose plants in the retail and wholesale business worldwide. 50,000 new cut roses crossings and some 30,000 Garden Rose crosses are annually tested, obtaining of which, after a test period of eight or ten years, only four to six varieties to market.

History

Wilhelm Kordes I. ( born December 10, 1865 in Elmshorn, † August 20, 1935 ) founded on October 1, 1887 in Elmshorn his " art and market-gardening " and soon specialized in the breeding of roses for parklands. Soon after, he bought in small Offenseth- Sparrieshoop country and moved its operation.

The Wilhelm Kordes I. bred varieties of roses are tall, strong leafy and robust. He could rugosa by a cross of the original in East Asia -based R. Wichurana and based in Japan R. R. breed kordesii which withstand even the harsh climate in the north due to their robustness. From her later rose varieties such as Dortmund and Heidelberg were developed.

Wilhelm Kordes II (* March 30, 1891 in Elmshorn, † 11 November 1976) and his brother Hermann ( 1893-1963 ) named the rose-growing companies in " Wilhelm Kordes' Söhne" around and made ​​it world famous. Wilhelm Kordes II, varieties such as " Dortmund " and " Crimson Glory " created, considered the foremost rose growers of the 20th century. He was interned One after the First World War on the Isle of and employed there with the genetics of Mendel. The resulting knowledge he tried to put into growing roses and thereby further expand. In general, he strove to breed hardy varieties as possible.

From 1920 he concentrated on the cultivation of roses and left the management of his brother Hermann. Mid-1930s the company had grown to a considerable size. Its probably the greatest commercial success was the Rose Crimson Glory, which was created in 1935 by the junction of several varieties.

Wilhelm Kordes II was also very involved in the introduction of ADR approval ( General German Rose New test), which was founded in 1950 by the rose growers in the covenant German nurseries.

In 1955, his son Reimer Kordes led (* February 19, 1922; † February 3, 1997 ), the company, since 1977, his son Wilhelm Kordes III. (* 1953), together with Bernd Helms- Kordes ( born July 27, 1948 † August 27, 2013 ) and Tim H. Kordes (* 1965).

Varieties

The variety " Snow White" was crowned the 1983 World Rose. " Aprikola " won in 2005 the title of the "Golden Rose of The Hague ".

The following table shows a selection of the best known cultivated by the company rose varieties is included.