Rose Sympathie

Among twentieth-century red Climbing roses, ‘Sympathie’ remains one of the most enduringly persuasive: a rose of strong architecture, saturated colour, and reliable repeat flowering. It unites the visual drama of large, velvety red flowers with the tougher constitution associated with the Kordesii line, which explains why it has remained widely planted long after many contemporaries slipped from cultivation. Gardeners value it not only for its rich summer display, but also for its capacity to clothe pergolas, walls, arches, and pillars with a vigorous yet relatively disciplined framework. For collectors and gardeners alike, it is a cultivar of real historical weight: not merely stunning, but influential, recognisable, and still horticulturally relevant.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Sympathie’ stands at the meeting point of two important post-war breeding aims, namely the production of Climbers with the flower quality of Modern shrub roses and the improved hardiness, vigour, and glossy foliage associated with the Kordesii strain. In the garden it presents as a vigorous deciduous climber with long, arching, prickly stems and a persistent tendency to branch freely, producing repeated clusters of large red flowers over a long season. Its continuing distinction lies in the balance it strikes. Many red climbers offer sumptuous bloom at the expense of constitution, or constitution at the expense of flower form; ‘Sympathie’ has remained admired because it gives serious garden performance together with unmistakably romantic floral effect. That is why it still appears in collections, European nursery catalogues, and reference works on repeat-flowering large climbers, and why it continues to be recommended as a benchmark red climber for temperate gardens.

FLOWERING

Rose ‘Sympathie’ is a repeat flowering, almost continuously through summer; the main flush is generous, after which the rose returns in successive flushes through summer and into early autumn in favourable conditions. The overall floral effect is not stiffly formal but abundant, luminous, and highly visible from a distance - particularly effective against pale masonry, timber treillage, or dark evergreen backgrounds.

Flower bud:

The buds of ‘Sympathie’ are large, broad based and pointed to elongated in shape, elegant in the manner of large-flowered roses. In colouring, the bud stage is generally dark blood-red, crimson-scarlet, or velvety deep red tones, already declaring the saturated character of the bloom to come. When the sepals open the bud relaxing into a broader, more cupped blossom, the opening is gradual and graceful. The sepals have dark green colour with a strong purple red tint.

Bloom:

THe flowers of ‘Sympathie’ prove why it is placed in Large Flowered Climbers class - they are large and prominent. ‘When open, the flowers are generally around 9 to 10 cm (3.5 - 4 inches) in diameter, though size varies with season, climate, and plant maturity. The colour is variously described as deep bright red, dark red, velvety dark red, crimson-scarlet, or deep scarlet-red; which combines into a general saturated, rich, velvety red with depth. As the flower ages, the bloom opens wider and more freely, so the early poise of the pointed bud gives way to a broader cup with a more visible centre. This movement from bud to open flower is part of the rose’s charm: it begins with large-flowered precision and matures into a fuller, more generous presentation. Colour stability of the flowers is widely praised, and although exact ageing tones vary with weather and climate, rapid scorching or a drastic collapse into muddy crimson are never observed on the flowers of this rose.

The blossoms are usually borne singly or in small clusters of 3 to 7 blooms together, which is horticulturally important: the plant reads not merely as a climber with large flowers, but as a climber with repeated drifts of large flowers. The flowers are double, more rarely semi double and upon opening have a large and broad, open cupped shape, with the age of the flower some very outer petals may curl outwards.

Petals:

The petal count is most often at approximately 20, or within a larger working range of 17 to 25 petals, which explains why some flowers are double while others might be semi-double. The blooms are amply petalled, but not packed to the congestion seen in many later climbers. The petals are velvety in effect, and their substance is thick and strong enough to resist rain better than many dark red roses; also due to such good texture they are resistant to sun and heat much better than many other red climbing roses.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of ‘Sympathie’ is light to moderate, not prominent or intense, with slight sweet tones; this is not a perfume-first rose like ‘Don Juan’, and is more suitable for creating stunning displays that is best appreciated from a distance than enjoyed with its aroma.

Reproductive parts:

Because the flowers are ordinarily double, the stamens are visually visible when the flowers fully open but they are not usually the principal ornamental event - the stamens and filaments quickly transition from golden yellow to brownish colour, therefore they do not add mush to the visual appeal of the flowers.

If the flowers are not deadheaded after the flowering the fruits (rose hips) tend to set. They do not have much ornamental or edible value; the hips are large, medium green in colour and glossy when young and ripening to bright orange red colour until the autumn; due to substantial size of the plant they get lost on the plant and normally do not add much of the ornamental feature to this cultivar.

PLANT

Rosa ‘Sympathie’ is generally placed among the modern Large Flowered Climbers and is also widely described as a Hybrid Kordesii, while the RHS lists it in the Climbing Hybrid Tea group. As a plant, it is a vigorous modern climbing rose, trained rather than self-clinging, and therefore best treated as a structural garden subject that relies on tying and guiding. The mature and well-established plants of this rose reach an ultimate height of about 250 to 400 cm (8.2 to 13.1 ft) and a spread of 150 to 250 cm (4.9 to 8.2 ft), while mature specimens in favourable continental conditions are sometimes grow much larger to 450 cm (14.8 ft).

The growth habit is vigorous, long-caned, and arching, but not as grossly sprawling as some large ramblers. It is therefore especially useful where a gardener wants strong vertical coverage with recurrent flowering. It is absolutely well suited for growing on large walls, pergolas, arches, obelisks, fences, and pillar supports. Plant it in full sun where possible, in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil; clay, loam, chalk, and sand are all workable if drainage and feeding are adequate. Near walls, the root zone should not be allowed to parch in the rain shadow, because dry soil will reduce later flowering and can aggravate disease pressure. In training, the canes should be spread and tied as near horizontal as practical, because this encourages floriferous laterals along their length. Make sure the support is strong enough to support the heavy canopy and flowers of this rose, as when mature it tends to form a large mass of canes and foliage.

Pruning recommended as for a regular repeat-flowering climbing rose: remove dead or diseased wood, keep and tie in the main framework canes, shorten flowered side shoots by roughly two-thirds, and from time to time remove an old congesting branch at the base to stimulate renewal. In severe climates, preserve as much mature framework as possible, because the best display comes from established structure rather than annual regrowth.

Foliage:

The foliage is one of Sympathie’s most attractive and healthy, it has a glossy, rich green to dark green colour and appearance, often strong or lustrous in texture, giving the plant a substantial visual presence even when not in flower. The leaves are not merely dark but leathery or thick, a trait often associated with Kordesii-derived roses and one that helps explain the cultivar’s historical reputation for durability, but they are not overly dense, so the plant presents a clean framework rather than a congested, airless mass. Against the velvety red flowers, this dark glossy foliage creates the classic red-climber contrast that has helped make the cultivar so long-lived in garden taste. THere is a normal quantity of the foliage present on the plants of this rose variety. The young foliage is dark green very strongly suffused with dark burgundy red, as the foliage matures the colour becomes dark green but still holds part of its initial burgundy red shading.

Leaflets:

The number of the leaflets on the plant of this rose is most often 5, with variance from 3 to 7, including the terminal leaflet. The leaflets of the ‘Sympathie’ of a typical of modern Large flowered climbers appearance: large, pinnate with ovate to broadly ovate shape, serrate margins, a glossy upper surface, and a somewhat firm, semi-leathery texture, the type of serration is large and double closer to the base of the leaflet and more single closer to the tips. In practical recognition terms, the foliage reads as broad, polished, and substantial; it is one of the features that makes the plant ornamental even between flushes.

Wood:

The wood is vigorous, sturdy, and capable of building a durable framework over time. The plant is strongly branched or freely branching, with long arching stems and firm, serviceable canes suited to standard climber training. Its sturdy branches and young shoots strongly suffused with a brown tint, a useful small detail that accords well with the robust, workmanlike character of the plant. Unlike softer, more lax climbers that can become untidy unless very carefully managed, ‘Sympathie’ tends to produce a framework that is energetic but manageable by the pruner. In youth it can be somewhat upright; with maturity and training, it achieves a more relaxed, arching habit that best displays its flowers.

Prickles:

This is not a smooth or nearly smooth climber. ‘Sympathie’ is a prickly plant, Large Flowered climbing roses normally have prickly stems among the normal characteristics of the group. The main woody canes of this rose are covered with large prickles of pyramidal shape, only some are slightly curved downward; the young prickles have brownish-red colour maturing to gray brown. The lateral branches of this rose typically bear fewer prickles that are also substantially smaller in size.

Small prickles:

The main canes and the laterals from the main canes of rose variety ‘Sympathie’ typically do not have smaller prickles under normal growing conditions.

Disease resistance and stress tolerance:

Disease performance is one of the qualities that gave ‘Sympathie’ its reputation, but it should be described with nuance. Historically, the cultivar did sufficiently well in German no-spray assessment to receive ADR recognition in 1966, and later commentary associates that award with better-than-average black spot resistance and particularly strong resistance to powdery mildew for its era. Kordes’ own catalogue continues to rate it as a healthy climber, and as well as other gardeners rate it as a rose of high health, rarely troubled by disease under reasonable cultivation. At the same time, modern gardeners should not misread this as immunity: it may be susceptible to black spot, rust, dieback, and powdery mildew, which is an important reminder that site, climate, and maintenance still matter. In other words, ‘Sympathie’ is best considered as healthier than many red climbers, not as a contemporary no-care landscape rose.

Cold resistance, however, is genuinely strong, especially for its class. The RHS rates it H6, and in terms of USDA it is rated as recommended for Zone 6b through 9b. It is frost-hardy, and many gardeners rate it among the most low-temperature-tolerant roses. Even so, severe winter frost can damage canes, and in colder continental gardens it remains prudent to protect the base and, where feasible, the framework.

With respect to drought and poor soil, best performance this rose shows in fertile, moisture-stable ground; dry wall-side conditions reduce bloom and can increase stress, and while plants grafted on Rosa canina may tolerate brief drought somewhat better, this is not a rose for neglect in starved, desiccated soil. In terms of salt tolerance it should not be assumed to be notably salt tolerant in exposed maritime positions.

No explicit breeder statement explaining the naming of ‘Sympathie’ was ever disclosed. The name itself is plainly the German word ‘Sympathie’, meaning sympathy, fondness, liking, or affinity, and it is exactly the sort of emotionally resonant trade name that mid-century rose catalogues frequently favoured.

The principal documented formal distinction for ‘Sympathie’ is its ADR recognition, granted in 1966 by the Allgemeine Deutsche Rosenneuheitenprüfung. In the official ADR chronicle it appears among the former ADR roses, and ‘Sympathie’ was removed from the current ADR list in 2007 during a later revision of the assortment.

In 199 it earned Best Climber Spray or Specimen (CRS) award at Rosexpo Montreal Show.

And it was awarded with Classic Shrub Rose (ARS) at Fair Friends of the Rose Show in 2000.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘Sympathie' originated in Germany by Reimer Kordes of W. Kordes’ Söhne and introduced in 1964. It was received by a deliberate crossing of the seed parent Shrub rose variety ’Wilhelm Hansmann’ with the pollen parent Large Flowered Climber rose ’Don Juan’. That parentage is horticulturally convincing, because it explains the cultivar’s blend of Kordesii-derived toughness and glossy foliage with the larger-flowered richness expected from the great Italian climber ‘Don Juan’. Kordes historical material lists ‘Sympathie’ among the firm’s widely known roses of the period, which is entirely consistent with the cultivar’s later prominence in European gardens and nursery trade. Its ADR recognition followed shortly thereafter, in 1966, confirming that it was not merely commercially attractive but judged worthy under formal trial conditions.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

To understand ‘Sympathie’ properly, one must place it within the post-war development of repeat-flowering climbers. Large-Flowered Climbers were bred to provide the vertical scale of old climbing roses with the recurrent bloom, richer colours, and improved flower form of modern bush roses. At the same time, the Kordes breeding programme was drawing heavily on Rosa kordesii, a line celebrated for glossy foliage, sturdiness, disease resistance, and winter hardiness. ‘Sympathie’ belongs to the moment when those two streams met convincingly. It is not a rambler in the classical sense, though some retail catalogues use the word loosely; it is a modern climber with repeated flowering and flowers much larger and more formal than those of true ramblers. Historical and nursery commentary repeatedly treats it as one of the classic red climbers of Europe, It represents a successful answer to a long-standing breeding problem - how to make a red climber that is romantic, recurrent, and garden-worthy in colder and less forgiving climates.

The qualities and success of ‘Sympathie’ has driven it use in rose breeding: it appears in the parentage of later roses such as ‘Ulmer Münster’, in the background of ‘Laguna’, and in patented Kordes breeding lines descended from a cross of ‘La Sevillana’ × ‘Sympathie’, and many others.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

‘Sympathie’ endures because it offers a rare horticultural equilibrium. Its flowers are richly coloured, large, and freely produced, yet the plant behind them is not delicate or capricious. It is vigorous without being wholly unruly, fragrant without depending on fragrance alone, and hardy enough to remain useful well beyond the mildest rose-growing districts. It remains one of the most convincing red climbers for a substantial support where classic flower effect, recurrent bloom, and a proven historical reputation are all desired in the same cultivar. This rose incorporated the following unique combination of characteristics:

  vigorous large-flowered climbing habit with long, arching, strongly branching canes suited to walls, pillars, arches, and pergolas;

  large, pointed-budded to cupped blooms in velvety deep red to crimson-scarlet tones, usually around 9–10 cm in diameter and borne in clusters;

  glossy dark green foliage of strong substance, contributing to the rose’s ornamental quality and historic garden reputation;

  repeat flowering through summer and into autumn, rather than a single seasonal display;

  notable frost hardiness and historically respected disease performance for a red climber of its generation.

The propagation methods suitable for the rose cultivar ‘Sympathie’ include in commercial practice by budding; while for home propagation recommended hardwood cuttings in autumn, softwood cuttings under glass in spring or summer, or chip budding in summer.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTS

Compared with its seed parent ‘Wilhelm Hansmann’, ‘Sympathie’ is the larger-flowered and more recurrently useful garden climber. ‘Wilhelm Hansmann’ is itself a vigorous dark red Hybrid Kordesii with leathery dark green foliage, ovoid buds, clustered blooms, and notable vigour, but its flowers are smaller, averaging about 6.4 cm (2.5 in), and its repeat is described only as occasional later in the season. ‘Sympathie’ appears to inherit from it the Kordesii gloss, vigour, and hardiness, then amplifies the floral scale and recurrent display.

Compared with the pollen parent ‘Don Juan’, rose ‘Sympathie’ is typically a little less sumptuous in the individual bloom, with fewer petals and a broader cluster effect, but it appears stronger in Kordesii-derived constitution and architectural garden performance. ‘Don Juan’ offers very large, full, strongly scented flowers with 30 to 35 petals and a more overtly Hybrid Tea floral richness; ‘Sympathie’ moderates that inheritance into a more practical large-flowered climber whose blooms are slightly looser, often clustered, and wed to a tougher, glossier, more cold-accommodating plant.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

Among readily available modern comparators, ’Santana’ is one of the closest commercially available roses in general garden effect: both are red Large-Flowered Climbers, both flower repeatedly, and both are useful on walls, pillars, and other moderate supports. The differences are nonetheless clear. ‘Santana’ is usually shorter and more compact, with height of about 250 cm (8.2 ft), whereas ‘Sympathie’ commonly reaches 300 cm (9.8 ft) or more and can be appreciably taller in favourable conditions. ‘Santana’ generally is semi-double to double, deep red, and distinctly fragrant, while ‘Sympathie’ carries a darker, more velvety, more classically Kordesii-derived red and often presents a slightly looser cup with a lighter or more variable perfume. In plant character, ‘Santana’ is often the tidier choice for smaller structures or for gardeners wanting a shorter pillar rose; ‘Sympathie’ is the better choice where a more substantial framework, more historical depth of character, and a tougher old-school red climber presence are wanted.

USDA 6

USDA Zone 6 - hardiness guide