The Rose ‘Peace’, perhaps the most famous rose of all, is revered for its perfection of bloom, as well as the courage and perseverance which finally led to its introduction in 1945, over five years after being shipped to freedom out of France in 1939.

Also Known As: ‘Beke’, Fredsrosen’, ‘Gioia’, ‘Gloria Dei’, ‘Mme A. Meilland’, ‘Mme Antoine Meilland’
Introduced: 1945, Francis Meilland, France
Class: Hybrid Tea
Zones: 4-9
Parentage: (’George Dickson’ x ‘Souvenir de Claudius Pernet’) x (’Joanna Hill’ x ‘Chas. P. Kilham’) x’MargaretMcGredy’
Color: Blended yellow, 40-45 petals.
Size: 4 -5 feet, upright
Fragrance: Light, fruity
Strengths: Historical rose
Perfectly formed Hybrid Tea blooms
Weaknesses: New plants offered for sale now seem to be more susceptible to blackspot.

Peace’s blooms are it’s finest hour, prompting the Duke of Windsor,even though surely preoccupied with World War II at the time, to state that, “It is most certainly the most beautiful rose in the world.” And beautiful blooms they are, 45 petals of pale yellow tinged with pink, forming a classic, 5-6 inch hybrid tea bloom. Blooms have a fruity scent, and last well as cut flowers.

The rose Peace features thick canes covered with shiny, green foliage. In recent years, blackspot has become more prevalent on this rose, perhaps due to over-production to keep up with demand. Attempt to buy from reputable dealers.

Francis Meilland, at the age of 23, hybridized a rose in 1935, known at the time only as #3-35-40. In 1939, as war began to envelope Europe, shipments of the budwood were sent out of France, including one shipment to America in the last diplomatic pouch out of Paris. For over five years, communication was difficult, and the Meilland’s had no knowledge of whether their rose had actually survived. Survive it did, and it was offered under three separate names, Gloria Dei (Germany), Gioia (Italy), and Mme. A. Meilland, in memory of the hybridizer’s mother.

Conrad Pyle, to commemorate the end of World War II, christened the rose ‘Peace.’ The rose was introduced formally the day Berlin fell on April 29, 1945. A shining example of the ability of humans to persevere even in the worst of circumstances and a signal of the beginning of a new era, to plant Peace in your garden is to plant a legacy of remembrance and history.

“This is the Peace rose, which was christened by the Pacific Rose Society exhibition in Pasadena on the day Berlin fell. We hope the ‘Peace’ rose will influence men’s thoughts for everlasting world Peace.”
-Provided to forty nine delegations of the United Nations with a single bloom. 1945.

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