Hybrid Tea; classic hybrid tea; the gold standard of the twentieth centuryFrancis Meilland; Meilland InternationalYellow

Peace

The most famous and most commercially successful rose of the twentieth century; WFRS Hall of Fame 1976 (the first ever selected!); AARS 1946 + ADR 1947 + Portland Gold 1944 + ARS Gold 1947 + UK RNRS Gold 1947 + Golden Rose of The Hague 1965 + RHS AGM 1993; over 100 million bushes sold by 1992; 🇺🇳 at the UN founding conference in San Francisco in 1945, every delegate was given a Peace rose; introduced on 29 April 1945 — the day Berlin fell.

WFRS Hall of Fame 1976 — first ever inductee · 100+ million bushes sold · 4 names in different countries

Variety profile Gardeners' photos

Variety profile

Flowering

Repeat, in flushes

Repeat flowering from June to October, with pronounced waves. Months are approximate, for the climate of Ukraine.

Legacy

WFRS HoF 1976

FIRST inductee · 8+ major awards

Winter hardiness

−26 °C

USDA zone 5b. All of Ukraine without cover.

Compare reference temperatures

Plant size

120–200 × 90 cm

Habit: Powerful upright — a typical HT of the 1940s
Dimensions: 120–200 cm high × up to 90 cm wide — a powerful HT for solo planting
Support: Not needed — self-supporting; a climbing form of Peace exists, Cl. (1949, from a sport)
Shoots: Strong, straight, thick — good for cutting on long stems
Branching: Well branched with strong stems

Flower

≈ 14 cm

40–43 petals — very full (41+) petals.

Bud shape: Round conical, lemon yellow with prominent pink edges
Open flower: Very full classic HT: ~40–43 petals, 14 cm, slow "open-transformation" from a dense cone shape to a flat, rosette-like shape
Centre: Densely packed, opening slowly to reveal the stamens
Fullness: 40–43 petals — very full (41+)
Flower carriage: Mostly singly on long stems — the reference HT form for cutting

Fragrance

Moderate; tea-fruity

Moderate tea-fruity — pleasant, not overpowering.

Disease resistance

4 out of 5

Black spotsusceptible

High for its time, 4/5: 80 years of commercial success worldwide confirm its practical robustness; moderate susceptibility to blackspot.

Sun

Full sun

The colour is brighter in cool weather.

Thorns

Moderate

thornlessfewmoderatemanyvery many

Medium number of prickles — typical of 1940s HTs.

Foliage

Dark green, glossy — the typical "healthy" look.

All characteristics in a table

Group: Hybrid Tea; classic hybrid tea; the gold standard of the twentieth century
Breeder: Francis Meilland; Meilland International, France
Bud shape: Round conical, lemon yellow with prominent pink edges
Open flower: Very full classic HT: ~40–43 petals, 14 cm, slow "open-transformation" from a dense cone shape to a flat, rosette-like shape
Centre: Densely packed, opening slowly to reveal the stamens
Colour: Lemon yellow with crimson-pink petal edges — the main feature. The colour changes as the flower ages: young blooms are yellower with a thin pink line; old blooms have a wider, brighter pink edge. In cool weather the pink is richer
Fullness: 40–43 petals — very full (41+)
Flower carriage: Mostly singly on long stems — the reference HT form for cutting
Flowering: Repeat flowering from June to October, with pronounced waves
Fragrance: Moderate tea-fruity — pleasant, not overpowering
Hips: Noticeable round hips; they ripen well in autumn
Habit: Powerful upright — a typical HT of the 1940s
Branching: Well branched with strong stems
Shoots: Strong, straight, thick — good for cutting on long stems
Thorns: Medium number of prickles — typical of 1940s HTs.
Dimensions: 120–200 cm high × up to 90 cm wide — a powerful HT for solo planting
Support: Not needed — self-supporting; a climbing form of Peace exists, Cl. (1949, from a sport)
Foliage: Dark green, glossy — the typical "healthy" look
Resistance: High for its time, 4/5: 80 years of commercial success worldwide confirm its practical robustness; moderate susceptibility to blackspot
Variations of the variety: 4 names in different countries: 🇫🇷 Mme A. Meilland, 🇩🇪🇮🇹 Gloria Dei ("Glory of God"), 🇮🇹 Gioia ("Joy"), 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇸🇪🇳🇴 Peace. Code MEIcouronne (or MEIlle in older sources). US Patent No. PP 591 (15 June 1943) — one of the earliest rose patents in the USA. Sport: Climbing Peace, 1949

Colour scheme

Lemon yellow with crimson-pink petal edges — the main feature. The colour changes as the flower ages: young blooms are yellower with a thin pink line; old blooms have a wider, brighter pink edge. In cool weather the pink is richer

Rose neighbours

Orient Expressyellow-pink bicolour

Double Delightcreamy red bicolour

Candlelightwarm yellow

Blue for Yousmoky purple · contrast

Perennials to plant nearby

Neighbouring roses

WFRS Hall of Fame and Meilland classics create a 'golden collection':

Orient Express Double Delight Candlelight Blue for You

Companion perennials

A classic companion palette for HT roses:

lavenderwoundwortgypsophilacatmint

Availability worldwide

⭐⭐⭐ Global classic No. 1:

🇫🇷 France: very high · homeland of Meilland
🇺🇸 USA: very high · via Conard-Pyle
🇪🇺 Europe: very high · standard HT
🇺🇦 Ukraine: very high · all the major nurseries

More about the variety

Hips: Noticeable round hips; they ripen well in autumn
Variations of the variety: 4 names in different countries: 🇫🇷 Mme A. Meilland, 🇩🇪🇮🇹 Gloria Dei ("Glory of God"), 🇮🇹 Gioia ("Joy"), 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇸🇪🇳🇴 Peace. Code MEIcouronne (or MEIlle in older sources). US Patent No. PP 591 (15 June 1943) — one of the earliest rose patents in the USA. Sport: Climbing Peace, 1949

How to grow

Where to plant. As a central solo accent in classic HT borders; as a twentieth-century "memorial" in the garden; as a reference cutting rose for classic bouquets. Lovely in "peaceful" corners of the garden — a symbol of victory and renewal.

Climate. All of Ukraine without cover (USDA 5b, to −26 °C); copes well with summer heat. One of the most resilient classic HTs.

Care. Full sun, a well-ventilated spot; moderate disease prevention; feed 3 times per season; prune by ⅓ in spring; for cutting — a reference long-stemmed HT that keeps well in a vase.

About the name

Name. "Peace" — "peace". The name was given by Conard-Pyle (Pennsylvania, USA) and publicly announced on 29 April 1945 — the day Berlin fell. Field Marshal Alan Brooke (British army) gave up his right to the name, proposing "Peace" as the more "eternal" one. In different countries the variety has 4 names: 🇫🇷 Mme A. Meilland (in honour of Francis Meilland's late mother, Claudia Dubreuil Meilland), 🇩🇪🇻🇦 Gloria Dei (Latin "Glory of God"), 🇮🇹 Gioia (Italian "Joy").

Breeding. Bred by Francis Meilland (1912–1958) at Meilland International (France). Hybridising 1935–1939. A dramatic story of rescue: anticipating the Nazi occupation of France, Meilland secretly sent cuttings to partners in Italy, Turkey, Germany and the USA in 1939. The last plane out of occupied France carried cuttings to Robert Pyle (Conard-Pyle Co., Pennsylvania). Because communication between countries was lost, the rose got its own name in each country. Introduced in France in 1942, in the USA in 1945. Parentage: ((George Dickson × Souvenir de Claudius Pernet) × (Joanna Hill × Charles P. Kilham)) × Margaret McGredy. US Patent No. PP 591 (15.06.1943) — one of the earliest rose patents in the USA.

Significance. WFRS Hall of Fame 1976 — the FIRST variety ever selected by the World Federation of Rose Societies, which started the tradition itself. At the founding UN conference in San Francisco (April 1945), every delegate was given a Peace rose with the message: "We hope the rose Peace will influence people's thinking about lasting world peace." Over 100 million bushes sold by 1992 — the most commercially successful rose in history. 8 major international awards: Portland Gold 1944, AARS 1946, ADR 1947, ARS Gold 1947, UK RNRS Gold 1947, Golden Rose of The Hague 1965, RHS AGM 1993, WFRS HoF 1976. Its father Francis Meilland died in 1958 at the age of 45 — Peace became his greatest legacy. Without Peace there would be no modern commercial rose breeding.

Frequently asked questions about Peace

Does Peace need winter protection?

The cultivar’s reference temperature is −26 °C (USDA zone 5b). Overwintering depends on the conditions. All of Ukraine without cover.

How many times a season does Peace flower?

Repeat flowering from June to October, with pronounced waves.

How big does Peace grow?

120–200 cm tall, about 90 cm wide.

Which diseases affect Peace?

Overall resistance: 4 out of 5. High for its time; 80 years of commercial success confirm it.

How much sun does Peace need?

Sun; full sun; the colour is brighter in cool weather.

What does Peace smell like?