The Peace Rose is a Hybrid Tea Rose also known as the Rosa Peace, Gioia, or Gloria Del. The rose from Peace is widely used in bouquets and floral arrangements for its long stem and beautiful bloom. There is a lot of history behind this rose that you’re sure to find interesting and memorable.
Peace is a relatively easy rose shrub to grow, making it popular among amateur gardeners. The dense foliage that reaches all the way to the ground creates lovely hedge borders. It doesn’t require a planting box or base flower to make it look full like other rose varieties.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Peace Rose, keep reading to learn about its history, growth and care instructions, and how to use it in arrangements. You may decide that the Peace should be part of your rose garden.
History of The Peace Roses
The Peace Rose was created by Francis Meilland in France in 1935. The cultivator name for the rose is ‘Madame A. Meilland’ after his mother. This is the rose’s formal name.
The rose was named “Peace” because it was introduced to the world on April 29th, 1945 — the day Berlin fell. Meilland wanted to name the rose after Field Marshal Alan Brooke for his help in liberating France. The Marshal declined and requested the name “Peace” instead.
Meilland sent budwood of the flower to friends in different countries right before France was captured to ensure the survival of the beautiful bush. This is why it has several names. The Conard Pyle Company introduced and cultivated the flower.
- The Peace Rose has won many awards, including the Award of the Garden merit from the royal horticultural society.
- In 1976 it was inducted into the Rose Hall of Fame by the World Federation of Rose Society.
- The Peace Rose became the official rose of the 20th century.
- In 2018 the US made a Peace Rose Forever Stamp in dedication to the rose.
The Peace Rose is a beautiful, delicate bloom that stands for strength and freedom. It’s considered the most beautiful of the French roses.
Characteristics of Peace Roses
Peace has a 6-inch bloom that includes up to 45 petals. The rose has a pale golden yellow center that turns into white on the petal, with a soft to bright pink tip.
It’s a shrub rose that grows 4-7 feet tall and 2-3 wide with large glossy dark green leaves. It blooms continuously from spring into fall. The flowers grow on long, strong stems and make good cut flowers.
Care Instructions
As one of the hardier hybrid tea roses, growing a Peace Rose is easy even for gardeners with little experience growing roses.
Sun
Place the shrub in a full sun spot with a minimum of 6 to 8 hours a day of sun. More is preferred for better blooms.
Soil
The soil type does not matter as long as it is nutrient-rich. The Peace Rose requires well-draining soil to keep the roots from rotting.
Air Circulation
Keep the plant in an area with good airflow to keep the foliage dry, which helps the plant resist disease.
Water
To avoid diseases like black spot, don’t plant roses in locations where there is standing water.
Give your rose shrub one deep watering per week. If you’re in a hot, dry climate, water a second time each week.
Fertilizer
In early spring, feed rose shrubs an all-purpose fertilizer. Fertilize again after they first bloom.
Pruning Peace Roses
Peace shrubs are disease resistant but require pruning to keep them healthy. Prune shrubs in late winter or early spring right after the last frost.
Start by pruning any dead or discolored canes (branches). This should be done every month or two to keep your plant healthy.
Once you have pruned away dead canes, look for branches with high lateral overlap. These branches compete for sunlight once the foliage grows in.
Next, prune all canes back by a third. This promotes new growth, improves blooms, and creates a thicker, fuller shrub.
Pick up any dead leaves or branches around the base of your rose shrub. The ground should be clear of any decaying matter. This keeps the soil draining well and helps the plant avoid disease and pests.
Planting Instructions
You’ll receive your Peace Rose in one of two ways, which will require slightly different steps for planting.
Planting a Rose From a Nursery Pot
- Dig a hole twice as wide and as deep as your nursery pot
- Pull the shrub out of the pot and break up the root ball, careful not to break any roots
- Place soil at the base of your hole
- Place the root ball in the soil and fill the hole halfway
- Water the area well to remove any air pockets that might get stuck around the roots
- Fill the rest with soil
- The root ball should be one inch from the surface
- Water the hole well again
- Place mulch around the plant to keep the soil moist
Planting Bare Root Roses
- Soak the roots for 24 hours before planting to rehydrate the roots using room temp water
- Dig a hole as wide and as deep as the longest root on the root ball
- You can then follow the instructions the same as if the plant came in a nursery pot.
Transplanting Roses
If you need to move your Peace Roses to a new location, these are the steps to take:
- Dig a new hole making sure it is double the width and height of the root ball of your plant
- Dig up your roses using a sharp shovel keeping as much of the root intact as possible
- Break up the root system when you are above the new hole
- Cover the newly placed root system with commercial-grade potting soil halfway up the hole
- Water the hole until it looks like mud
- Fill the rest with potting soil
- Water the newly planted shrub well
- Place mulch at the base of the plant
The mulch will keep the moisture in while the roots take hold. You can remove the mulch in later years when your plant is well established.
Propagating a Peace Rose
You can’t propagate Peace Roses from a floral arrangement. The cuttings must be fresh from a shrub and there are two methods.
Propagating From a Shrub
- Take hardwood cuttings from the plant in autumn
- Chip buddings in summer
Growing From Seed (Rose Hip)
- Use a pot with good drainage
- Add commercial potting mix
- Place the seed in the pot under one inch of soil
- Water your new plant
- Place in the direct sun
Varieties of Peace Roses
There are several varieties of the Peace Rose. All these varieties are great for a cut-flower garden.
- Climbing Peace: With a similar bloom, the Climbing Peace can be 6 to 20 feet tall.
- Chicago Peace: The Chicago Peace Rose has orange and pink petals with a bloom that opens completely.
- Flaming Peace: The Flaming Peace has dark pinkish-red petals with yellow on the reverse side. The petals turn to a soft purple and white as they mature.
- Lucky Peace: The Lucky Peace petals are brighter, more vibrant yellow and pink with no white on the petals.
- Kronenbourg Roses: Kronenbourg Roses have a velvet-looking fuchsia color on the top of the petals with a white undercarriage.
- Garden Party: Garden Party is an all-white variation of the Peace Rose.
- Pullman Orient Express: The Pullman Orient Express has bright yellow petals with a dark almost reddish-pink at the tip of the petals.
- Super Star: Superstar Roses have bright pink petals and bloom all the way out from the center.
Decorating With Peace Roses
The Peace Rose was bred to be a cut flower and is commonly used in floristry. Cutting the shrub’s flowers regularly will give you better blooms.
With a beautiful yellow and pink coloration, they add a bright addition of color to any bouquet. They work well on their own or pair well with a white flower that allows them to shine.
How To Cut Roses
When cutting roses from the shrub, you can either cut halfway down the stem or closer to where the stem meets the cane. It depends on what you want the shrub to do after the cut is made. For information to help you make the decision of where to make your cuts, watch this gardener’s video.
Remember to use gloves, as your roses will be thorny. To get the best cut, use sharp scissors/shears. Crushing the cane or poor cuts that rip the cane damage the shrub and leave it vulnerable to pests and disease.
Once you’re ready to create an arrangement, you can pull a few leaves from the stem and the guard petals from your blooms. This makes your flowers look like they came from a flower shop!
Frequently Asked Questions About Peace Roses
How Tall do Peace Roses Get?
Peace Roses grow 4 to 6 feet. If you have the climbing variety of Peace Rose, they can grow up 20 feet tall with support.
Is a Peace Rose a Repeat Bloomer?
The Peace Rose is a repeat bloomer that produces continuous blooms from spring to late fall. You need to prune dead flowers and keep the rose in the sun to ensure a continuous bloom.
Is Peace Rose a Climber?
The original Peace Rose is not a climber, it’s a woody shrub and grows in a circle shrub pattern. A variation of the Peace Rose is the Climbing Rose which has the same blooms as the Peace Rose, but reaches a height of 20 feet.
Where To Buy Peace Roses
Peace Rose bushes can be found at most local garden centers or from online retailers, such as Nature Hills Nursery.
Other roses to consider are:
Gardening Supplies
Having the right garden supplies when dealing with roses is important. Tools should be sharp and rust-resistant.
Where To Buy Peace Rose Bouquets
Peace Roses are easy to find in bouquets. You can get beautiful Peace Roses in arrangements from small to large at Florist One, Pro Flowers, or 1 800 Flowers.
Wrapping Up the Peace Rose
Peace Roses are a beautiful and elegant way to add continuous color to your garden. They’re made to be cut and brought inside. The long sturdy stem allows them to last in vase arrangements. You can enjoy the beautiful blooms inside your home or outside in the garden.
Peace Roses are easy to grow, making them roses even busy gardeners can find the time to care for. They’re hardy and disease-resistant, but still require basic disease precautions to keep them healthy and blooming all year.
Is there a Peace Rose growing in your garden? Or perhaps one of the Peace variations? We’d love for you to share your experiences, tips, or tricks with this rose in the comments section below!
Excited for more rose content? Then keep reading all about these beautiful flowers, how to take care of them, and more on our roses page!