Rose Sommergold

Modern yellow climbing rose introduced by the German breeder Noack. It produces rich lemon-yellow, full blooms on vigorous, upright canes, and repeats flowering from early summer through autumn. Gardeners value ‘Sommergold’ for its continuous bloom, strong lemony fragrance, and glossy green foliage, but it may be susceptible to black spot, rust and powdery mildew. It is a winter-hardy rose and grows best in full sun with well-drained, humus-rich soil.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

FLOWERING

This rose flowers prolifically and repeatedly: the clusters appear almost continuously from late spring into fall in flushes. Flowers on this rose are born singly or in small clusters of 2 to 5 blooms together on strong laterals.

The flowers of ‘Sommergold’ are large, the diameter of the open flowers is about 8 - 10 cm (3.2 - 4 inches). The petal count of the flowers is high, of about 36 - 45 per flower, the flowers are very double. The flowers start as classically shaped high-centered, typical rather for Hybrid Teas and gradually opening to nicely shaped cupped flowers with outer petals curl out slightly.

The colour of the ‘Sommergold’ lives up to its name, it is very cheerful and clear golden-yellow when flowers are opening, and the colour remains bright when the flowers fully open, it does not fade quickly, only the edges of the outer petals become warm light yellow.

Fragrance:

The bloom aroma of rose variety ‘Sommergold’ is intense and fresh with prominent citrus / lemon character.

PLANT

The rose variety ‘Sommergold’ is classified as a Large flowered climber. It forms a tall, vigorous and well branched climber. The growth habit is strongly upright and robust, the mature and well-established plants reach about 250 - 300 cm (8’2” - 9’8”) in height and of about 100 - 150 cm (3’2” - 5’). The canes of this rose are sturdy with moderate numbers of straight pyramidal prickles. The plants of this rose require support and not holding the shape of the plant well when such support is not provided; it can be trained on a wall or trellis, tied to a pillar or a column where its golden-yellow flowers against dark foliage make its best impression.

It is recommended to plant ‘Sommergold’ in a sunny, sheltered location. It performs best in full sun and fertile, humus-rich soil that is moist yet well-drained. A soil mix with garden loam amended with compost or aged manure is ideal. It tolerates a range of soil types (clay, loam, sand) and pH, but does poorly in waterlogged conditions. As a repeatedly-flowering climber, ‘Sommergold’ benefits from careful annual pruning. In late winter/early spring, remove dead or weak canes and open the center. Unlike hybrid teas, climbers should not be cut back extremely short. Instead, leave the main canes long and tie them horizontally. Moderate pruning each year will encourage a constant supply of younger, stronger blooming cane. Training shoots horizontally and pruning lightly every year yields the best displays.

‘Sommergold’ is an excellent choice for serious gardeners in temperate climates seeking a yellow-flowering climber. Its strengths are continuous abundant blooms and strong citrus scent from early summer into fall, combined with sturdy growth. For success, plant in rich, moisture-retentive soil with full sun and good drainage. Provide a robust support and train new canes horizontally to maximize flowering. In very cold areas (similar to USDA zone 5 or colder), add extra winter mulch, and in very hot climates consider afternoon shade to prevent leaf burn.

Foliage:

The foliage of this rose is deciduous, there is a normal quantity of the foliage on the plants of this rose variety. The foliage is medium sized, the number of leaflets on normal mid-stem leaves varies from 5 to 7, including the terminal leaflet. The colour of the juvenile foliage on the upper side is medium green and the mature foliage has from medium green to dark-green colour of the foliage. The surface texture of the leaflets is leathery, semi-glossy. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is medium and single.

Disease resistance and hardiness:

Trials and observations indicate generally good foliage health of the rose variety ‘Sommergold’, but moderate susceptibility to common rose diseases. The RHS cultivation notes caution that ‘Sommergold’ may be susceptible to rose black spot, rust and powdery mildew. Its ADR award implies only occasional spraying was needed during trials.

‘Sommergold’ is hardy in temperate climates. It is rated RHS H6 (hardy to –20 °C), corresponding roughly to USDA zone 5. In cold regions (roughly to USDA zones 4–5), apply winter protection by mulching heavily around the crown. It has no known special heat-tolerance traits, but for hot-summer regions partial afternoon shade can prevent leaf scorch.

The cultivar name ‘Sommergold®’ (German for “summer gold”) reflects its bright yellow blooms. In nursery catalogs, it may appear simply as “Kletterrose Sommergold” or “Yellow Climber Sommergold”. The plant has no other common names.

This rose earned the German ADR award in 2016 for outstanding garden performance.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

The rose variety ‘Noa51071’ / ‘Sommergold’ was bred by Erwin and Jürgen Noack of Noack Rosen in Germany. The breeder’s records give origin “Noack 2012”, and it was introduced to commerce in 2013. The parentage of this rose is not publicly disclosed; no pedigree is listed in literature or patents.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

‘Noa51071’ / ‘Sommergold’, a yellow climbing rose cultivar bred in the early 2010s. Sommergold’s ADR certificate indicates exceptional health and garden performance. Its combination of long flowering and fragrance makes it horticulturally significant as an ornamental climber.

USDA 5