The ‘Peace’ rose – celebrating 90 years
A young Francis Meilland with the ‘Peace’ rose. Copyright: Meilland family
Each year on April 29th, National Peace Rose Day honors a well-known and fruitful garden rose. The large light yellow to cream-colored flowers of the Peace rose have slightly flushed crimson, pink petal edges. It is a hybrid tea rose that is hardy, vigorous, and highly resistant to disease. The French horticulturist and rose breeder, Francis Meilland, developed the first Peace Rose in 1935 and recorded what he later called “the first pollen-charged brush stroke” that led to the birth of the world’s most popular rose, ‘Peace’. It was not very sturdy in the beginning and there was nothing about it to attract attention. But over the next four years the Frenchman, who had been aiming for a copper colored rose with disease resistant foliage and winter hardiness, watched the seedling in the field. Gradually he began to appreciate its unique qualities.
When Meilland foresaw the German invasion of France in 1939 he sent cuttings to his friends in Italy, Turkey, Germany, and the United States, to protect the rose. It is believed these cuttings were sent to the United States on the last plane available before the German invasion. Each country that received a cutting gave the rose a different name. It was called “Madame A. Meilland” in honor of the breeder’s mother in France. Italy named the rose Gioia, meaning Joy. In Germany, the name of the rose was Gloria Dei, for glory to God. The United States named the rose “Peace,” and the national flower of the United States is the rose.
Rose growers from all over Europe have lunch at Francis Meilland’s house.
In France, Francis had christened the rose ‘Madame A. Meilland’, after his mother, Claudia, who had died a few years previously in her 40s. In Italy it was being marketed as ‘Gioia’ – Joy. In Germany his friends were selling it under the name of ‘Gloria Dei’ – Glory of God.
Pyle was a marketing genius. The rose still had no name in America, but he persuaded the American Rose Society to organize a christening at the Pacific Rose Society’s Exhibition in Pasadena, California on Sunday 29 April 1945.
‘Peace’
As the Second World War ended in Europe, the trade name “Peace” was publicly announced on April 29, 1945, by the Conrad Pyle Co. in the United States. The American film actress, Jinx Falkenburg, christened the rose ‘Peace’ and two doves were released into the Californian sky.
A perfect example of the ‘Peace’ rose in all its glory. Copyright: Meilland family
Later in 1945, Peace roses were given to each delegate at the inaugural meeting of the United Nations, in San Francisco, with a note that read: “We hope the Peace rose will influence men’s thoughts for everlasting world peace.”