Adolf Horstmann is not a rose I can recommend.  I am not sure whether Adolf Horstmann doesn’t like the Western Australian climate (hot and dry), needs a bit more pampering than mine gets, or whether it is just that my bush is a dud.  Whatever the reason, my Adolf Horstmann is the most miserable of all my roses.  It is small (about 20cm tall) spindly and regularly sports dead wood and black spot.

In five years I had never seen a flower on it.  It is not that it hasn’t flowered – I periodically see a dead head or two – I had just not been blessed with their presence.

In the circumstances, you can imagine my surprise when, in the heat of summer, I saw three perfect blooms.  They were not sun burnt nor had they faded in the heat.  Go figure!!

Adolf Horstmann has rich yellow-orange (with some red flushes in warm weather), medium to large double flowers with a classic large flowered form.  They are slightly fragrant and long lasting in the vase.  These photos were take over several days.

My books advise that Adolf Horstmann has become popular with florists because of its long stems and lovely colour.  Maybe it performs well in the controlled environment of a green house.  It was released 34 years ago, so it must perform well in some circumstances.

The foliage is described as ‘copper tinted when young, maturing to a pleasing glossy green’ and the bush as ‘upright and of average height’.  But then again, the bush is described as ‘reasonably healthy and free flowering’.  Maybe, but not mine.

Adolf Horstmann  was named after a friend and colleague of the breeder, Reimer Kordes.