WAKANA – greenish-white hybrid tea rose – Kimura
Step into a quietly luxurious front garden with WAKANA, where each bud opens from a fresh lime hue to a refined greenish-white, echoing the calm of new spring growth. Bred in Japan as an exhibition-quality hybrid tea, it brings a composed, upright habit that suits narrow beds and small London forecourts perfectly, even where rainfall and wind test other roses. Its dense, dark foliage frames the ball-shaped blooms, offering a clean, contemporary look that pairs beautifully with gravel, brick and rainwater-collecting surfaces. As an own-root rose in our 2-litre container, it is designed to establish steadily and live for many years, with reliable regrowth from the base if stems are damaged. In your terraced-house setting or compact family plot, the medium height and modest spread make it easy to place, whether as a single focal point or in a short row by the path. With moderate disease resistance, good heat tolerance and straightforward care needs, it fits busy weeks when you prefer to enjoy the flowers rather than fuss over them. Planted once in well-prepared, free-draining soil or a generously sized 40–50 litre container, it will reward patient gardeners as roots settle in year one, top growth fills out in year two, and by year three the full ornamental value and balanced form become part of your everyday view. Its softly coloured, long-stemmed flowers also lend themselves to simple indoor arrangements, bringing the same sense of equilibrium and balance that defines this distinctive, green-toned hybrid tea.
Usage options
| Target area |
Reasoning |
| London terraced-house front garden |
The upright, medium-sized habit fits narrow beds between bay windows, railings and pavements, while the calm greenish-white blooms complement brick and stone for a composed, low-clutter frontage, ideal for the busy urban garden owner. |
| Rainwater-friendly gravel or permeable driveway edge |
WAKANA partners well with gravel and permeable surfaces, its moderate spread and fibrous roots working alongside good drainage where heavy downpours and strong winds challenge other roses, especially valuable for the sustainability-focused homeowner. |
| Feature rose in a 40–50 litre container |
Planted in a large, peat-free container, WAKANA’s own-root form supports long-term use on balconies and patios, with dependable regrowth from the base if top growth is pruned back, reassuring for the long-term container gardener. |
| Cutting patch or small cutting bed |
The hybrid tea form with long, straight stems and ball-shaped blooms is ideal for informal indoor arrangements, giving you exhibition-bred flower quality at home without specialist skills, attractive for the home flower arranger. |
| Calm, “girly” front garden scheme |
The opalescent greenish-white flowers bring a soft, pastel tone that pairs gently with pinks and mauves, creating a feminine yet grown-up look that stays elegant through summer, perfect for the style-conscious front-garden owner. |
| Sunny mixed border in a small family garden |
At around 85–120 cm tall, WAKANA slots neatly among perennials without overwhelming them, repeating its flushes over the season to give ongoing interest in modest spaces, appealing to the family gardener with limited room. |
| Low-input rose bed on challenging soil |
With good tolerance of heat and moderate disease resistance, it copes reliably where summers are warm and humidity encourages fungal problems, provided drainage is improved on heavy clay, supporting the practical, time-poor gardener. |
| Long-lived focal point near entrance or path |
As an own-root rose, WAKANA builds a durable framework over the years, with steady, structural presence that can be refreshed by pruning without fear of losing the grafted top, reassuring for the beginner seeking lasting structure. |
Styling ideas
- Soft-contrast trio – Combine WAKANA with Nepeta x faassenii and pale pink perennials for a gently blurred, romantic edge to a front path – ideal for the homeowner seeking a subtly “girly” welcome.
- Green-and-white calm – Set WAKANA against dark evergreen shrubs and white gravel to emphasise its opalescent blooms – suited to urban gardeners who prefer a clean, minimalist entrance.
- Container spotlight – Plant one WAKANA in a 40–50 litre terracotta pot with trailing thyme at the rim – perfect for balcony or courtyard owners wanting an easy, long-lived focal rose.
- Rainwise frontage – Thread WAKANA through a permeable, gravel-based front garden with low grasses so rain can soak away while flowers remain composed – helpful for city households managing run-off from roofs and drives.
- Cutting corner – Dedicate a sunny corner to three WAKANA plants bordered by Scabiosa caucasica for simple home bouquets – attractive to hobby florists who like reliable stems without complex care.
Technical cultivar profile
| Characteristic |
Data |
| Name and registration |
Hybrid tea rose ‘Wakana’, part of the Rosa Orientis® collection; commercial type hybrid tea rose for garden and cutting use, registered cultivar name Wakana, current trade name Wakana Rosa Orientis® Wakana. |
| Origin and breeding |
Bred in Japan by Takunori Kimura from ‘Tineke’ × ‘Princesse de Monaco’; introduced in 2006 by Keihan Gardening Co., Ltd., reflecting modern exhibition breeding adapted for garden performance. |
| Growth and structural characteristics |
Upright hybrid tea, typically 85–120 cm tall and 50–70 cm wide, with dense, slightly glossy dark green foliage and moderate thorns; weak self-cleaning so spent blooms may require removal for best appearance. |
| Flower morphology |
Medium-sized, double, ball to pompon-shaped blooms with 26–39 petals, usually solitary on stems; remontant with abundant second flush, providing multiple cutting-quality flowers over the season. |
| Colour data and phenology |
Opalescent greenish-white flowers; buds light yellowish-green, opening lime-edged then cream, later pale greenish-white with silvery-white edges; colour intensifies to lime tones in cooler weather, moderate overall colour retention. |
| Fragrance and aroma |
Very weak tea-like scent, often barely noticeable in the garden or vase; chosen more for visual serenity and refined colour effect than for strong perfume, suiting understated planting schemes. |
| Hip characteristics |
Rose hips form only occasionally due to double flowers; when present they are ellipsoidal, orange-red, about 12–18 mm diameter, adding modest late-season interest without prolific self-seeding. |
| Resistance and winter hardiness |
Hardy to approximately −21 to −18 °C (RHS H7, USDA 6b); shows resistance to powdery mildew and black spot, moderate rust susceptibility; tolerates heat well but benefits from watering in prolonged droughts. |
| Horticultural recommendations |
Best in sunny sites with free-draining, improved soil; plant 50–60 cm apart or 100 cm for solitary specimens; suitable for beds, hedging, large containers and cutting, with medium maintenance and occasional disease checks. |
WAKANA offers long-stemmed, exhibition-bred blooms in a calm greenish-white palette on a durable own-root plant that settles in for years of balanced structure and reliable flowering, a considerate choice if you prefer steady beauty with modest care.
