Oh, no, Anne, looking at web sites and catalogs is what keeps me sane in the winter, lol! Palatine's is a favorite place to look because they're such a wonderful nursery and I know they only grow really hardy ones.

Don't know anything about Florentina but it looks lovely!

Oh, that's beautiful!

Thanks for the great pictures of Florentina and honest estimations of growth patterns, newroses! If a climber gets to 8-10 feet here in zone 5 we're usually pretty happy, though I know that isn't necessarily expected from your estimate based on warmer zones. For what it's worth, annececilia I planted Florentina here in zone 5 Nebraska based on exactly those Palatine pictures, plus my highly enthusiastic experiences with Kordes roses in general (and Palatine roses in specific). I disbud all my roses in the first season so I can't comment on the blooms, but the foliage has been glossy and disease free as reported, and has grown to a respectable height for a new rose in the first year.

I'd say go for it, though expecting much fragrance sounds like a long shot. I can't think of any true climber that's fragrant for me, except for some Austins that sort of climb (like Teasing Georgia). Mostly climbers I grow for the blooms, particularly since I want them growing out of nose height anyway.

Cynthia

I do appreciate the further information on Florentina. It is good to know that the canes are easily trainable which makes it a good candidate for my fence in full sun. I was hoping that there would be *some* fragrance as Palatine's description says "fragrant rose" - I'd even settle for it being faint, not expecting the fragrance of an old rose or even an Austin. Well, I guess I will just have to give it a try. Disease free is another desirable quality in my no-spray garden, so thank you Cynthia for your experience.
I'll let you all know down the road how it does for me!

We try to be honest about the fragrance and not promise what we don't think is present. I spend a lot of time evaluating fragrance in roses. You are right it seems there are not many fragrant climbers. I think Kordes Golden Gate has moderate spicy fragrance. Another Kordes with very good fragrance and very good cold hardiness is Laguna. There are repeated very good reports on cold hardiness in the Midwest. it is an ADR winner with really great disease resistance.
Chris

Peter Kukielski says Florentina (Kordes) is a beautiful nostalgic red climber, but has zero fragrance. Hope that helps.

I'm not normally a huge fan of red roses, but that is absolutely beautiful- fragrance or not!

Not a hint of fragrance for me near Disneyland in CA but the plant is easy to work with and does not get too large and flowers well from a young age. I like the shape of the flowers and the red holds its color well until the flowers are almost done. The flowers hold their shape and don't shatter right away in wind.

Nice blooms! Remind me of another Kordes red: Out of Rosenheim. Wonder whether the two are related by blood.

Wow Florentina is lovely. Guess I just started my Palatine list for next fall...

I have Out of Rosenheim and Laguna, and both grow exceptionally well here in south central Kansas. We've had a lot of rain this year, and both are super clean. The blooms did not shatter in the wind and rain, either. I have piles of petals laying around my Austin roses, but not these.

Farmerduck, I had to laugh at your "related by blood". I plant mother and child roses near one another, and I was showing a few to a visitor one day. I started explaining how one was the mother to several others, calling them daughters. The visitor (a non plant freak..) wanted to know how I knew they were daughters, not sons. Hmm. Guess I should say "progeny". I do keep related plants near one another, and keep track of lineage, and try to guess what features carry on in the line. So, if Florentina is related to a great rose I grow, I am making room for it!

Florentina is a wonderful rose, it was just released in Australia this year, such a lovely rose, can tolerate Australia's dry hea, the blooms last two weeks in summer which is fantastic. and the red color doesn't fade. That's red color I want, pure and bright red, love love this rose.

Here is a fragrance report on my first bloom on a Florentina planted last year (own-root, quart-sized pot from Northland Rosarium). While not strong, the scent was detectable and pleasant (I'm not sophisticated enough to describe the scent in detail). The Star website for Kordes roses (www.kordes.us) says the plant doesn't have any scent, but I would describe the scent on my plant's first bloom as light.