I just received this rose today as part of my Chamblees order, and I have never before seen a bloom in person. New Flora is the agent for Kordes roses in North America, and on their website, they have three different photos of this rose, all of which look more pink to me.

Here is a link that might be useful: Savannah on New Flora's website

Thanks very much. I will take a look.

I found this preview of Peter Kukielski's book "Roses Without Chemicals: 150 Disease-Free Varieties That Will Change the Way You Grow Roses" with a Google search. One can read the page for Savannah, which also shows a pinker looking flower. He indicates that there is more apricot when the buds open and the color is softer and more pink as they expand. Temperature and other growing conditions may also influence the color.

Since there are no photos for Savannah on HMFRoses yet, hopefully someone with experience growing it will give more information.

Here is a link that might be useful: Roses Without Chemicals: 150 Disease-Free Varieties That Will Change the Way You Grow Roses

Thanks for the lead.

Savannah was one of the roses I planted last spring from Chamblee's. It didn't really take off until the end of the summer so I hope that meant it had grown a good root system. The few flowers were pink to my eye (I know the description is 'salmon pink,' but it just looked plain pink.) Sorry now that I didn't take any photos. I can tell you that the fragrance was to die for - strong old rose. Yum!
Oh, and it was disease free all season - I do not spray. Now just waiting to see how it winters over...it's a long time til spring here.
Anne

Of the 20-30 new roses we planted last year, Savannah was the our favorite. We obtained a one gallon pot from Chamblees in fall 2013 that had 2 rooted cuttings. At the time we ordered it, there were no photos of this rose on either the Chamblees site or HMF. We separted the 2 rooted cuttings and transplanted them into 5 gallon pots with good quality potting soil. The 2 plants grew quickly through the fall and into spring. We transplanted them into the garden in late spring 2014 and by the fall, they were around 3 feet high and across-in very late fall, one of the plants threw a 5 foot cane. The plant has a nice compact growth habit.

The foliage of this rose is glossy and attractive and was disease-free until late fall when we saw a touch of powdery mildew. The new foliage is a deep bronze. The flowers are salmon pink and are usually around 3-3.5 inches across. In the fall at least some of the flowers were at least 4 inches across. The flowers have a high petal count and are flat when fully opened and have a strong fragrance. There are still no photos of this rose on the HMF website, but there is now one on the Chamblee's website. We are impressed by this rose because of its compact growth habit, shiny disease-resistant foliage, and large, highly fragrant blossoms.

We have tried a number of new releases of Kordes from Chamblee's roses over the last few years and are really impressed with several, including Cream Veranda, Brilliant Veranda, Golden Fairy Tale, and Solero. In our latest order from Chamblee's, we purchased a good number of new Kordes roses recently: Beverly, Dark Desire, Fiji, First Crush, Rose of Hope, Sunbeam Veranda, Wedding Bells, Winter Sun, and Zaide. These are now in 5 gallon pots until late spring, when we will plant them out. We feel fortunate that we can purchase these newly-released Kordes roses from Chamblees at such a reasonable price ($9.95). We just wish the shipping costs were not so high, which are now between $4-$5 per plant from TX to CA.

Thanks very much you all for giving me more information about Savannah. Does anyone have a suggestion of a rose to pair it with? It is not far from three large shrubs of Peachy Oso Easy, one Ebb Tide (she is the problem), and a Chuckles. Its also not far from some Mme De La Roche Lambert, an old hybrid P that is a magenta pink. Its not in season much after June. I can move Chuckles, or the HP, but not the OSO Easies. I have white alyssum all around the bed. There is a Heritage several feet from it. I guess this is too much info. Other than the Peachies, I have no coral other than a baby Caramella in the bed anywhere. Thanks again. Mary

Here's another pic of Savannah, this one showing apricot centers with pale pink edges...

Here is a link that might be useful: Savannah

Could anyone please give update? Any photos?

I had the highest hopes for Savannah. This 'could,' be the beginning of its third year in my garden. It came as a gallon, own root from Chamblees two springs ago in 2015.

Its first year it grew and bloomed acceptably. The foliage is shiny, a deep green...very nice. It did get black spot. I estimate that about 25% of the leaves would have defoliated if I had not sprayed it faithfully, as I do all my BS susceptible roses.

Savannah is extremely thorny in my garden.

The flower is very nice at the exhibition stage, heavily petaled, and very fragrant. It does open very flat when fully extended, a trait I dislike in roses.

It survived to about 3" from the ground its first winter without protection. It was a mild winter.

Its second year, last year, 2016, it grew quite well, bloomed satisfactorily, but not abundantly. Black spot issues were identical to its first year's susceptibility rate. It reached 3' high by the end of 2016's growing season.

This past winter was mild, the same as the previous winter that Savannah went through in my garden. It looks today, to be dead to about 3" from the ground again. It got no protection this past winter either.

My course of action at this time is up in the air. If I nurture it this year to see how well it recovers and grows, I will definitely give it heavy winter protection this coming winter. Having to winterize it is no problem for me. I have about 15 cherished roses that must have winter protection or they die to the ground over winter each and every year, mild or severe.

The reason I did not winterize it for its first two winters was to find out how winter hardy it is.

Truthfully, the flower is really not outstandingly stunning, the color is not unique, just a very nice bloom at the exhibition stage, but its annoying progression to 'pancake,' flatness when fully open is a major fault to me.

Well, that's my report on Savannah's performance so far in my W. PA, zone 5/6 garden.

So far mine is showing a lot of difficulty with late frosts.

Savannah survived late spring frosts with no damage, unlike nearby Sunshine Daydream ( yellow shrub) and Easter Basket ( a shrublike floribunda also yellow).

My impression from the first season is that this rose is a heat-lover. A tiny plant from Chamblees grow up to four feet in its first season, is fairly bushy and well-foliated top to bottom. I am in zone 8A, coastal SE Virginia down by the NC line. It is absolutely covered with buds so the first flush should be amazing.

I was disappointed with the amount of blackspot of this one and hope to see it develop some resistance. I can live with 25% leaf loss, esp., on a rose this vigorous. Anyway I don't judge a first-season rose.

I love the form, color, and fragrance of this rose. Love it, love it, love it!

I planted two bare-root Savannah’s in Zone 6, Boston area. I have not grown roses, except for miniature ones. I ordered two from J & P. I think they arrived later then the optimum planting time for bare-root shrubs/roses but I am not an expert nor novice gardener. I don’t think mine will bloom until late summer (if they bloom at all). Any advice on the best method for caring would be appreciated. I planted with compost (store purchased), garden soil, perilite, and my native soil which has clay. Also, am interested on advice for amending soil for a new bed. I pulled up the grass and shifted the soil around but it’s heavy. I am going to buy loam because I am building a retaining wall to lessen the slope and increase the soil depth. I have a lot of ledge and large rocks in my yard. A level square/oval bed would be a dream of mine. People add rocks and I want the opposite. lol

Also, I have conflicting height and spacing information. Hence, the reason I googled this rose and came across these comments/questions.

Has anyone noticed that Savannah Sunbelt is noted on different sites with different heights? I cannot pinpoint the average height. What is the average? I've see 3 ft and I've seen up to 7 ft.

Here in my USDA zone 9 area, with a very long growing season (still picking roses into early December), this rose will grow to around 6 feet high x 5.5 feet wide as an own root plant. I am not sure that I would even want to try it as a grafted plant, as it would probably grow even larger.

I obtained five Savannah (own root approx. 3 year-old) this spring and they have been doing well. They are certainly heat lovers. The blooms are 4”-4.5” across in spring and 3” in summer. They are definitely pink, with a salmon undertone, not orange. Comparing with all other rose varieties, they showed the potential of staying quite compact in this zone, about 2.5’ tall x 2’ wide Right now.

Day 1

Day 3 with sharifa asma and nahema

They are growing this rose at the Birmingham botanical garden this year. It is very healthy and blooming well.

Have it & it's one of my all-time favorites. I live in zone 9 in Ca. and purchased it because it does well in the heat of summer, but it does equally well in the winter. In cooler temps it is deep pink and very fragrant. As the weather heats up it turns a softer pink with slightly apricot tones. It blooms like crazy in the summer but is the most fragrant in the cooler more humid temperatures of our winter. It is also very disease & pest resistant. I had a severe problem with chili thrips, this was the last bush to be affected. If I could only have one rose bush this would be it... Thankfully I don't have to choose, I have 30.

Mine is from K &M on fortuniana rootstock, it's 4 x 3 in its 2nd year.

I have Savannah on order (own root) for a new addition to my garden this year!
I'm looking forward to trying it.

Steven

I've grown Savannah for 4 years. The first year, I grew it in a pot, and it grew well, bloomed well, and had lovely fragrant flowers. After putting it in the garden, it does not want to grow more than a foot or so tall, despite serious coddling. It does put out flowers all season. The first blooms are of course the best. I'll probably remove it this year, maybe put it back into a pot.

Interestingly, I went to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden last year, which is one state away (a big state, and a very different climate), and in the test garden, their Savannah was very tall - BenT says it is 15 feet tall x 7 feet wide and "nearly bloomless".

It makes me wonder if Savannah just grows very differently in different climates. It might need a richer soil than I have. Or more moisture, or more humidity, or warmer night temperatures, or...

I have Savannah grafted on Multiflora from Palatine. Mine is a giant. I keep cutting it back. Mine is very light peachy pink and has good repeat. It is very pastel-colored. The scent to me is baby powder/fruity and strong.

I planted one over the summer in the ground and it is probably eight-foot-tall now

I have only been a serious “rosarian” for three years but it has quickly tuned into an obsession! I only purchase Kordes roses because of their fragrance and beauty_ also pre- Covid 19, Lowe’s sold them . Unfortunately, 4 of my Summer Romance contracted RRD and had to be destroyed 😔. I bought these from Lowe’s, but my neighbor’s Knock Out roses had RRD and I suspect the wind transferred the mite to my roses.

As to the Kordes Savannah, I purchased three Kordes rose bushes at Lowe’s, and although they were ticketed as Plum Perfect, the roses on the bushes were pink. I finally decided that they were mis-

labeled. I’m not sure how I arrived at the conclusion that they were Kordes Savannah, probably from comparison of pictures on line.

My Savannah’s have been constant and prolific bloomers for the last two years and their fragrance is divine. They are definitely pink and I see no apricot tones on mine. I have attached two photos. If these aren’t Savannah, I would appreciate a heads up.

Also attached a photo of a Summer Romance bush in full bloom.

GASP!!!! What a glorious bush and gorgeous blooms!!!! SWOON!!!!

Lovely! It’s a Savannah sunbelt. I bought two plants from Lowe’s about 8 months ago and they were labeled as SS. Mine get an apricot tone in the middle as the flower matures. We have mild summers here, maybe that’s why.