World-renowned rose breeder dies
Irish-born Sam McGredy carried on a four-generation tradition
International rose breeder Sam McGredy has died in Auckland. Born in Portadown, Northern Ireland, in 1932, McGredy was only 2 when his father died leaving him heir to the family rose nursery, established by his great-grandfather, the first Samuel McGredy, in 1880.
The nursery was requisitioned during World War II for the growing of vegetables and on his return from the United States at the end of the war, the schoolboy found “half-adozen scungy glasshouses filled with tomatoes and no one who knew anything about roses”.
At its peak under his stewardship, the nursery grew one million plants on 120ha and had 160 staff. From about 60,000 seedlings a year, two or three were chosen for release.
After several friends and business associates, both Catholic and Protestant, were murdered during the troubles in Northern Ireland, Sam decided to move to another country, preferably one where he wouldn’t be so reliant on greenhouses. He and his family arrived in New Zealand in 1972.
NZ-bred McGredy roses include Dublin Bay, Bantry Bay, Sexy Rexy, Paddy Stephens and Aotearoa.
The New Zealand Rose Society called McGredy an icon of roses in NZ and around the world.
The society says he helped establish Plant Variety Rights in NZ, which gave plant breeders of a wide variety of species the ability to protect new cultivars and make a return on their investment in developing them.
It says he had also encouraged and supported other Kiwi rose breeders.
He is survived by his wife, Jillian, his children and grandchildren.
McGredy was a big rugby fan and his funeral will be held at Eden Park on Monday.