SUSAN MASSU® – yellow-pink hybrid tea rose – Kordes
Along a breezy Cornish veranda or beside a Devon shingle path, SUSAN MASSU® offers quietly confident elegance in an easy-going hybrid tea form that copes well where coastal winds meet everyday family life and helps manage challenging soil and drainage on exposed plots. Large, lemon-and-salmon blooms on an upright framework bring reliable colour to smaller gardens, while its own-root constitution supports long-term resilience and graceful ageing. Plant once and enjoy the steady rhythm of growth – roots in the first season, fuller shoots in the second, then a truly developed display by the third – all with only moderate maintenance. Medium fragrance adds gentle refreshment to morning tea breaks, and the generous repeat flowering gives sustained value from a compact 2-litre container that settles naturally into your coastal-inspired veranda planting schemes.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| Sunny coastal veranda in large containers |
Its upright habit and dense foliage make SUSAN MASSU® ideal for 40–50 litre tubs on a sheltered veranda, giving height without overwhelming the space and providing calm, structured colour for coastal-style beginners |
| Shingle or gravel strip in a front garden |
Works well in free-draining, shingle-style beds where reflective light shows off the yellow and pink tones, while own-root vigour supports long-term anchoring and structure for busy family homeowners |
| Small mixed border as a scented focal point |
The large, high-centred blooms and medium, sweet fragrance create a classic cut-rose look that reads as a gentle focal point, without demanding expert pruning from hobby gardeners |
| Repeat-flowering accent near a seating area |
Remontant flowering and a strong second flush ensure colour returns steadily through the season, offering an ongoing backdrop to tea breaks and weekend gatherings for time-poor garden owners |
| Own-root long-term specimen in lawn or paving pocket |
Planted with room around it, the rose builds a sturdy framework on its own roots, helping it recover from weather or pruning mishaps and support many years of ornamental performance for cautious beginners |
| Clay-based family garden with improved drainage |
Once drainage is improved with grit or organic matter, its medium maintenance needs and reliable flowering make it a stable choice for typical suburban plots that struggle with heavy, wet soil for UK family gardeners |
| Wind-filtering accent along a low fence |
Placed in a staggered row, the upright growth and dense foliage lightly filter wind and frame views rather than forming a harsh barrier, suiting relaxed, seaside-inspired spaces for coastal veranda owners |
| Cutting patch for home bouquets |
Long, straight stems and high-centred, double blooms are well suited to vases, allowing regular picking without compromising the plant’s overall shape or health for home flower arrangers |
Styling ideas
- Seaside-terrace trio – Group SUSAN MASSU® in 50 litre tubs with blue Festuca and a low, white horned viola underplanting for a breezy, shingle-garden feel – for veranda owners seeking easy structure.
- Sunny-tea corner – Flank a small seating area with two roses in generous containers, adding a soft backdrop of fragrance and colour – for beginners wanting a gentle focal point.
- Shingle-border ribbon – Thread plants through a gravel strip with sea kale and compact culinary sage to echo coastal planting – for coastal-style lovers working with narrow beds.
- Lawn-island highlight – Use one rose as a central specimen in a small island bed, ringed with dwarf oregano for a low, scented edging – for hobby gardeners who favour simple layouts.
- Cutting-and-display row – Plant a short row along a path to supply stems for indoor vases while still reading as a neat garden feature – for home decorators who enjoy fresh bouquets.
Technical cultivar profile
| Parameter |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose; registered as KORad, marketed as SUSAN MASSU®. Belongs to the hybrid tea group with classic exhibition form suitable for both gardens and cutting. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred by Reimer Kordes, W. Kordes’ Söhne, Germany, from ‘Colour Wonder’ × ‘Liberty Bell’. Introduced and registered in 1970, reflecting traditional hybrid tea breeding lines. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright hybrid tea growing about 130–170 cm high and 75–105 cm wide, with dense, dark green, glossy foliage and moderate thorns providing a well-filled yet manageable frame. |
| Flower morphology |
Large, very double, high-centred blooms with more than 40 petals, mostly solitary on stems, in classic pointed-bud hybrid tea form and repeating with a plentiful second flush in season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Sunny yellow base with salmon-pink edging; lemon-yellow centre on opening, then buttery tones with broader pink margins, colours softening in strong sun yet remaining harmoniously blended. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Medium-strength, noticeably sweet scent typical of traditional hybrid teas, offering a pleasant but not overpowering fragrance suitable for seating areas and informal cutting gardens. |
| Hip characteristics |
Hip set is usually light due to the very double flowers; when present, bears small ovoid orange-red hips about 10–14 mm across, adding a delicate late-season detail. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to around –21 to –18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b, Swedish zone 3). Generally resistant to powdery mildew and black spot, with medium susceptibility to rust and moderate heat tolerance. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Suited to borders, specimen planting, scented gardens and cutting. Prefers a sunny site, moderate maintenance, and regular deadheading; plant 55–100 cm apart depending on design intent. |
SUSAN MASSU® offers classic, fragrant hybrid tea blooms, season-long repeat flowering and durable own-root growth, making it a reassuring choice for relaxed, coastal-influenced family gardens; you may like to give it a sheltered, sunny place.
