W. Kordes’ Söhne was founded on 1^st October 1887 and has been a family business ever since. The business started with trade in plants before Wilhelm Kordes, of the 2^nd generation, fell in love with roses around 1910 and began breeding the first new rose varieties. Wilhelm‘s brother Hermann Kordes was the salesman and together they formed the strong foundation of the family business. Since then, breeding has been continuously improved and adapted to the needs of customers. The breeding started with garden rose varieties and became more and more specialised over the years.

Today, W. Kordes’ Söhne is one of the most renowned and innovative breeders of cut roses, garden roses and pot roses. A network of agents and licence holders in over 30 countries ensures the worldwide distribution and presence of Kordes roses around the globe. Kordes garden roses can be found in private gardens, public parks and other green spaces, making Kordes Roses a well-known brand for consumers.

Today Tim-Hermann Kordes, of the 4^th generation, Wilhelm-Alexander Kordes and John Vincent Kordes of the 5^th generation, are on the company’s board of directors.

All of Kordes Roses breeding takes place at the headquarters in Sparrieshoop in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany. The climate of the region enables selection of the best roses for all growing areas and purposes.

In the 1960s, the first steps were taken in the targeted breeding of cut roses. Kordes were the first to greatly improve vase life and make it possible to grow roses further away from the consumer markets. Today, Kordes is a reliable partner for growers and offers well-tested varieties in all growing regions of the world.

The first selection of all cut roses takes place in the greenhouse, with very low energy input, at Sparrieshoop. After about two years of breeding and selection, the positively selected varieties are sent to the most important growing regions for further testing under the regional climate conditions. The main cultivation areas are in East Africa and South America in the highlands around the equator. These highlands lie between 1,600 metres and 3,400 metres above sea level. Cultivation at this altitude allows the roses to develop the most beautiful colours with good characteristics for consumers.

Of course, there is also a market for locally grown roses, such as in the Netherlands, and Kordes also develops varieties for this type of market. This type of product is very different from those from the equatorial region, as they can be transported in water and the harvesting stage is more open.

As a breeder of new varieties, Kordes has to take care of all parties in the cut rose value chain. The cut rose varieties must fulfil all requirements from the consumer to the grower, such as;
– Vase life and opening in the vase
– Stem length and head size of the roses
– Pack rates in the boxes and transportability
– Production figures and resistance to pests and diseases

The most important thing, of course, is the beauty and color of the roses. All the varieties go through these test criteria and it takes several years before a new variety is launched on the market. As a guideline, it takes approximately five to seven years, from crossing to introduction, before the first commercial planting by a grower takes place.