Our Rose of the Month is a beautiful deep red (almost black-red) rose with a rather unlovely name, Lavaglut (KORlech), which in German means 'lava glow'. Lavaglut comes to us from the legendary house of W. Kordes in Germany, where it was bred in 1978 and introduced in 1979. A cross of Grüss an Bayern x unnamed seedling, this eye-catching and vigorous floribunda presents abundantly beautiful sprays of velvety red blooms set off perfectly by a dense thicket of glossy green foliage.

A winner of the Royal National Rose Society Trial Ground Certificate in 1980, Lavaglut is one of the most vibrant and popular of all the floribunda roses in commerce. It can also be found on the market under the synonyms of Lavaglow, Lava Glow, Lavaglo, Kordes Intrigue and Intrigue, but its AEN (approved exhibition name) is Lavaglut. Classified by the American Rose Society as a dark red (DR), it provides a splash of burgundy in the garden that is both rich and luxurious.

A rewarding rose to grow and show, Lavaglut offers the rosarian numerous advantages. A well-behaved plant, its growth habit is short, rounded, upright, sturdy and bushy, reaching a height of about three feet. It is a consistent performer, and reblooms very well. The hardy flowers, which average 24 to 30 petals per bloom, are extremely tolerant of rain or heat, and never seem to lose their rich red color.

Perhaps the only shortcoming of this fabulous floribunda is the fact that its fragrance is very mild. However, its many advantages far outweigh this one small drawback. Its prolific blooming, great substance and intense color have made it a perfect rose for the garden or hedge. Its lasting capabilities in the garden and in vases is nothing short of phenomenal, and as a bonus, the plant is extremely disease resistant.

For the exhibitors among us, Lavaglut is consistently a top performer on the show tables. It can be disbudded to achieve one bloom per stem, although the petite nature of the bloom size encourages disbudding for sprays. The sprays on Lavaglut are well formed and spaced, each creating an inflorescence that is pleasing to the eye.

Furthermore, this rose refrigerates beautifully. Top exhibitor Kitty Belendez states, “I can cut a spray of Lavaglut on a Monday, refrigerate it, and it comes out of the refrigerator for the show on Saturday just as fresh as when I put it in”. It goes to the show without dropping petals or fading, and is a big favorite of the judges and the public alike.

According to the reliable statistics on RoseShow.com, Lavaglut’s performance in the category of “Top Exhibition Floribunda Sprays” for the last few years has been stellar. In 2002 it was Number Three, in 2003 it was Number Five, in 2004 it was Number Two in the nation, in 2005 it tied for Number 3, and in 2006 it jumped back to Number Two. For those of us who are constantly in pursuit of the hottest new rose, it might well be remembered that newer is not always better. Lavaglut is a great example of an older variety that is still considered to be the best in its color class!

In conclusion, you’d have a hard time finding a better floribunda for the garden or the show table than our rose of the month! Lavaglut is widely available at most commercial nurseries, and I couldn’t recommend it more highly.

Photo of Lavaglut courtesy of Bob Bauer