Caramella (aka Caramel Fairy Tale) is a member of the Kordes’ Fairy Tale rose series.  Fairy Tale Roses are Kordes’ answer to David Austin. The plants carry heavily double blooms on vigorous, easy-to-care-for shrubs, with great disease resistance. Betty Cuthbert, last week’s Rose of the Week, is part of the series, as is Pomponella.

What I love most about Caramella’s blooms are their porcelain-like appearance.  The colour is absolutely striking.  As the name suggests, Caramella’s blooms are described as caramel/apricot  though my blooms are more burnt caramel or copper in the centre with pink flushes on the outer petals.  I have also seen the colour described as warm blends of copper, apricot, gold and cream.  It is certainly a very pleasing blend, making this rose ideal for mixed shrub or perennial gardens.

The colour can, reportedly, be very weather dependent so we are advised to be flexible about colour expectations.

The blooms are large and very full (41+ petals), appearing in small clusters.  Caramella blooms in flushes throughout the season.  There is, virtually, no fragrance.

Caramella is a very strong growing shrub with a slightly spreading habit.   It has very pretty foliage with reddish tinges.  It is disease-free.

I have read on a few forums that it has a tendency to act like a small climber in that it produces long, rather lax, canes.  I haven’t noticed this tendency.

Caramella was bred by Kordes (Germany) and released in Australia in 2002.