The colors of ‘Westerland’ are those of a sunset – lovely apricot-orange with a touch of pink. The perfumed blooms are generally more than three inches wide, double, ruffled, with 20 petals that are slightly serrated.
Officially classified as a shrub rose ‘Westerland’ is often sold as a climber. In our mild climate it grows easily to an eight to ten foot-tall shrub, though it is at its best and most beautiful when used as a climber or pillar rose growing to 15 feet tall. It is covered with large, dark, soft green foliage on a vigorous plant. It seems to be continually in bloom, with a short repeat cycle.
Developed by Kordes in Germany in 1969 from a cross of ‘Friedrich Worlein’ X ‘Circus’, it won the Anerkannte Deutsche Rose award in 1974 and the UK’s Royal National Rose Society Certificate of Merit in 1993. A sport of this rose is ‘Autumn Sunset’; it has all the same virtues of ‘Westerland’ with lighter coloring, more yellow than apricot.
Both roses are stunning, especially when planted adjacent to purple leaved or flowered plants. Light up your garden with this lovely flowering sunset!
By Nanette Londeree, Master Rosarian
Edited for the website by N Londeree, October 2021