The Peace rose
THE hybrid tea rose Peace is a worldleader, with an amazing history. Its flowers are light yellow to cream, with pink flushes at the petal edges. It is hardy, vigorous and relatively resistant to most diseases.
Originally with the name ‘Madame A. Meilland’, it was developed in France between 1935 and 1939 by rose breeder Francis Meilland. He realised that Germany was about to invade France so, to protect his new rose, he sent cuttings to friends in Italy, Turkey and the USA (in this case on, it is said, the last plane out of France before the German invasion).
When the war ended, the rose was renamed Peace, and it immediately became a best-seller. At the inaugural meeting of the United Nations in the USA in October 1945, the roses were given to the delegations, each with a note that read: ‘We hope the Peace rose will influence men’s thoughts for everlasting world peace.’ It is estimated that, in the 75 years since, around 300 million Peace roses have been sold worldwide.
In 1992, leading rose-grower Peter Beales wrote a comprehensive book called Roses. In it, he states that the Peace rose is ‘…without doubt, the finest hybrid tea ever raised, and it will remain a standard variety forever’.