Ground cover; ShrubW. Kordes' SöhnePink

Knirps

ADR 2004 + Gold Baden-Baden + Silver Adelaide 1999; compact, 30 × 60 cm; rich pink; 'little tot' (German Knirps) — the name describes the silhouette exactly.

Kleinstrauchrose · Kordes Resistenzzucht

Variety profile Gardeners' photos

Variety profile

Flowering

Continuous, very profuse

Awards

ADR 2004

+ Gold Baden-Baden · Silver Adelaide 1999 · Cert. Orléans 2001

Winter hardiness

−29 °C

USDA zone 5a. All of Ukraine without winter protection.

Compare reference temperatures

Plant size

30 × 50–60 cm

Habit: Ultra-low ground cover — 2 times lower than its width; a 'cushion' shape
Dimensions: 30 cm × 50–60 cm — a compact 'cushion'
Support: No support needed; often grafted onto a standard for an 80 cm 'mini tree'
Shoots: Flexible, low, trailing in habit
Branching: Excellent, from the base in all directions

Flower

3–4 cm

Bud shape: Round, rich pink
Open flower: Semi-open cup-shaped, compact 3–4 cm — typical of landscape roses
Centre: Densely packed, in the same pink tone
Fullness: Double, ~40 petals — a lot for such a small flower
Flower carriage: Profuse clusters of 5–15 flowers — 'a solid pink carpet' from spring to the frosts

Fragrance

No scent

No scent — Kordes describes it as 'slight', HMF as 'none'; in practice no noticeable smell. The variety's strength is its visual abundance, not its scent.

Disease resistance

5 out of 5

5/5 — ADR-certified (2004); Kordes Resistenzzucht programme; the leaves recover by themselves after stress.

Sun

Full sun

Recovers by itself after stress.

Thorns

Few

thornlessfewmoderatemanyvery many

Few thorns — typical of modern Kordes landscape roses.

Foliage

Dark green, small, glossy, leathery; disease-resistant.

All characteristics in a table

Group: Ground cover; Shrub
Breeder: W. Kordes' Söhne, Germany
Bud shape: Round, rich pink
Open flower: Semi-open cup-shaped, compact 3–4 cm — typical of landscape roses
Centre: Densely packed, in the same pink tone
Colour: Rich pink ('deep pink'), even over the whole petal, without transitions or ombré; does not fade in the sun — an important commercial advantage
Fullness: Double, ~40 petals — a lot for such a small flower
Flower carriage: Profuse clusters of 5–15 flowers — 'a solid pink carpet' from spring to the frosts
Flowering: Continuous, very profuse
Fragrance: No scent — Kordes describes it as 'slight', HMF as 'none'; in practice no noticeable smell. The variety's strength is its visual abundance, not its scent.
Hips: Not documented — profuse flowering crowds out fruiting
Habit: Ultra-low ground cover — 2 times lower than its width; a 'cushion' shape
Branching: Excellent, from the base in all directions
Shoots: Flexible, low, trailing in habit
Thorns: Few thorns — typical of modern Kordes landscape roses.
Dimensions: 30 cm × 50–60 cm — a compact 'cushion'
Support: No support needed; often grafted onto a standard for an 80 cm 'mini tree'
Foliage: Dark green, small, glossy, leathery; disease-resistant
Resistance: 5/5 — ADR-certified (2004); Kordes Resistenzzucht programme; the leaves recover by themselves after stress
Variations of the variety: Code KORverlandus; working code KO 87/1583-01; parentage not published by Kordes; many trade names: County of Hampshire® (UK), Hot Pink Balconia® (DE balcony series), Little Chap™ / Little Chap Vigorosa (US/AU)

Colour scheme

Rich pink ('deep pink'), even over the whole petal, without transitions or ombré; does not fade in the sun — an important commercial advantage

Rose neighbours

Knock Outcherry pink

Astronomiasoft pink

Bonicasoft pink

Icebergpure white · contrast

Perennials to plant nearby

Lavenderlavender

Lamb's earsilver

Lady's mantlelime green

Ornamental grassesgolden ochre

Neighbouring roses

The 'trouble-free heroes' family — landscape and ground-cover roses:

Knock Out Astronomia Bonica Iceberg

Companion perennials

Low silvery-purple accents bring out the rich pink:

lavenderlamb's earlady's mantleornamental grasses

Availability worldwide

A classic Kordes landscape rose with many trade names:

🇩🇪 Germany: high · as Knirps / Hot Pink Balconia
🇬🇧 UK: high · as County of Hampshire
🇺🇸 USA/🇦🇺 Australia: high · as Little Chap
🇺🇦 Ukraine: moderate · through Kordes dealers

More about the variety

Hips: Not documented — profuse flowering crowds out fruiting
Variations of the variety: Code KORverlandus; working code KO 87/1583-01; parentage not published by Kordes; many trade names: County of Hampshire® (UK), Hot Pink Balconia® (DE balcony series), Little Chap™ / Little Chap Vigorosa (US/AU)

How to grow

Where to plant. City borders, balcony containers, mini standards (80 cm), the front of mixed borders, lawn edges; ideal on a standard — a 'mini tree' with a round pink crown. Often used in commercial plantings thanks to its 5/5 health.

Climate. To −29 °C — all of Ukraine without winter protection; exceptional winter hardiness for a landscape rose.

Care. Minimal — pruning in autumn or spring; does not need seasonal disease prevention (ADR-certificate); the leaves recover by themselves after stress.

About the name

Name. 'Knirps' — German for 'little tot', 'toddler', 'tiny one'. The name describes the variety's silhouette exactly: height 30 cm, 2 times lower than its width of 60 cm — a solid low 'cushion'. One of the most 'childlike' name choices in the Kordes catalogue — alongside the more formal 'Märchenrosen', 'Vigorosa' and 'Parfuma' series.

Breeding. Bred at W. Kordes' Söhne (Sparrieshoop, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany), 1987 (working code KO 87/1583-01), market introduction 1997. Code KORverlandus. Parentage not published (a Kordes trade secret). Part of the wide range of Kordes ground-cover roses of the 1990s, bred in the Resistenzzucht programme (breeding for disease resistance).

Significance. ADR 2004 (Allgemeine Deutsche Rosenneuheitenprüfung — the German benchmark for resistance and quality). Also: Gold Medal Baden-Baden, Silver Medal Australian National Rose Trials Adelaide 1999, Certificate of Merit Orléans 2001. One of Kordes' best-selling ground-cover varieties. Recommended for containers, borders, mini standards. Many trade names in different countries: County of Hampshire® (UK), Hot Pink Balconia® (German balcony series), Little Chap™ / Little Chap Vigorosa (US/AU) — all the same KORverlandus. Often confused with Sweet Knirps® (KORzalicha, Kordes 2014, a soft pink polyantha) and Rugelda® (KORruge, Kordes 1989, a yellow-red rugosa hybrid) — these are different Kordes varieties.

Frequently asked questions about Knirps

Does Knirps need winter protection?

The cultivar’s reference temperature is −29 °C (USDA zone 5a). Overwintering depends on the conditions. All of Ukraine without winter protection.

How many times a season does Knirps flower?

Continuous, very profuse.

How big does Knirps grow?

About 30 cm tall, 50–60 cm wide.

Which diseases affect Knirps?

Overall resistance: 5 out of 5. ADR-certified; low susceptibility to black spot and powdery mildew.

How much sun does Knirps need?

Sun; full sun; recovers by itself after stress.

What does Knirps smell like?