Rose Love & Peace

‘Love & Peace’ is a modern hybrid tea rose cultivar known for its spectacular yellow blooms edged in deep pink, combining the legacy of the famous ‘Peace’ rose with improved vigor and disease resistance. This variety has quickly earned top honors such as the All-America Rose Selections award and the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

FLOWERING

The flowering of the rose variety is repeated, it blooms in flushes with successive flushes from late spring until autumn. The timely deadheading encourages strong re‑blooming. After the main summer bloom, it continues to produce additional blooms periodically, especially if spent flowers are removed.

The flower buds are ovoid and pointed, about 2.5 - 3 cm long, with strong sepals that bear extensions. The blooms of ‘Love & Peace’ are classically high-centered and very large. Fully open flowers average to about 13 - 14 cm (5.1 - 5.5 in) in diameter, with 40 - 50 petals forming a double, spiraled form.

The petals unfurl from a golden-yellow base to reveal a soft yellow interior adorned with vibrant pink-crimson at the petal edges. Newly opened blooms display a blended bicolor effect: the inner petal areas are a clear medium yellow (RHS Yellow Group 11C - 12A), while the margins are flushed carmine pink (RHS Red-Purple Group 63B/C) especially toward the outer edges. This color intensifies in warm weather, whereas in cooler autumn conditions the blooms show more yellow. The two-tone coloration is richer and more contrasty than that of its famous parent ‘Peace’, whose pastel yellow and pink are comparatively subdued. Indeed, the breeders highlighted that ‘Love & Peace’ can be readily distinguished as blossoms commonly exhibit a deeper pink coloration than the ‘Peace’ variety and darker green foliage. The petal texture is slightly satiny, and petals tend to reflex (roll back) slightly at the tips as the bloom ages.

Blooms are mostly borne singly on the stems, which is ideal for exhibition quality Hybrid Teas), although occasional small clusters of 2 - 3 can form on vigorous laterals. Each bloom is long-lasting on the plant - it can remain decorative for about 10 - 14 days in temperate weather. Spent petals tend not to shatter quickly; many will dry and cling to the hip if not deadheaded, indicating the variety’s potential as a cut flower and petals hold well.

Fragrance:

The fragrance of ‘Love & Peace’ is medium in strength, the blossoms emit a pleasant, fruity perfume with a hint of myrrh.

PLANT

The rose variety ‘Love & Peace’ is classified as a modern Hybrid Tea rose. It grows as a medium-tall upright shrub with a bushy habit, typically reaching about 120 - 180 cm (4’ - 6’) in height and of about 60 - 90 cm in spread at maturity. In favorable climates it may attain the upper range of 200 cm (6’5”) tall on vigorous rootstock, whereas in cooler climates or under pruning it stays around 100 - 120 cm (3’2” - 4’). The growth habit of ‘Love & Peace’ is vigorous and upright, forming a bushy shrub that can reach a reasonably large size.

It produces strong, sturdy canes, and the plant tends to be well foliated from the base up, it does not quickly become leggy, especially if pruned properly. The canes support the large blooms well on long stems, of about 60 cm (2’) in length, making them excellent for cutting without requiring extra support. The rose is classified botanically as a Hybrid Tea rose and not a climber, but it does have a climbing sport (mutation) which has been separately introduced, however this particular rose variety stays in shrub form and does not throw long climbing canes. The stout stems are abundantly armed with prickles typical of hybrid teas. New shoots are tinged with burgundy (juvenile stems Yellow-Green 144B with highlights of Red-Purple 59A) and mature to green with some red pigmentation on sun-exposed canes.

Foliage:

The plant carries abundant foliage comprised of large, dark green, glossy leaves. A mature leaf typically has 5 leaflets (occasionally 7 on strong shoots) with an ovate shape and acute tip. The leaflet texture is thick and glossy above, with paler matte green underside. The edges are serrated, the type of serration is single and large. These lush leaves not only provide an attractive backdrop to the blooms but also indicate the cultivar’s vigor and health. The foliage has a deep green colour (upper surface near RHS Green Group 137A/139A) and paler on the underside.

Disease resistance:

Notably, ‘Love & Peace’ has been bred for disease tolerance, a trait for which its breeder Ping Lim is well known. Multiple sources confirm that it shows above-average resistance to common rose diseases. This rose variety has good resistance to mildew, black spot and rust with minimal preventive care. This robust foliage and disease resistance make ‘Love & Peace’ a relatively low-maintenance hybrid tea, suitable for gardeners who prefer not to spray fungicides frequently (though some preventive care may still be wise in humid climates).

‘Love & Peace’ is hardy to roughly USDA Zone 6, it can survive winters, especially if grafted onto hardy rootstock, but benefits from protective measures. In Zone 5 (≈ −29°C) and colder, it will need substantial winter protection or to be grown as a container rose brought indoors in winter. The RHS rates it H7, meaning hardy in the severest European climates, though this may assume it is established and perhaps given proper winter covering. In continental European and North American cold regions, standard winterizing is recommended: in late fall, clean up fallen leaves (to remove any disease spores), mound soil or compost 15 - 20 cm up over the base of the plant, and cover the plant with burlap or a rose cone when temperatures drop below -10 °C consistently. In regions with mild winters (Zone 7b and up), simply mulching over the root area and perhaps a light burlap windscreen is sufficient.

This rose was test-grown in hot climates (e.g., Arizona), so it handles heat well. It is listed as suitable through USDA Zone 9 and even into Zone 10 with adequate watering. In very hot and sunny climates, some partial afternoon shade can help preserve the bloom color and extend bloom life. As noted, under intense sun the blooms’ yellow can fade and the pink can deepen quickly, which is more of a cosmetic issue than a health issue. The plant itself tolerates high temperatures as long as soil moisture is maintained. Providing a thick mulch and drip irrigation in arid heat will keep it performing. The foliage has shown good sun-resilience (minimal scorching).

The name “Love & Peace” encapsulates positive ideals and connects to the heritage of the rose. The inclusion of “Peace” clearly honors the famous ancestor, ‘Peace’ - often considered the most iconic rose of the 20th century. By adding “Love,” the breeders imbued the new rose with its own identity and optimism. According to Ping Lim’s personal account, the name is deeply meaningful: the ‘Peace’ rose was the first rose he ever fell in love with as a child, and to breed a new rose from ‘Peace’ felt like bringing love and peace together. Thus, “Love & Peace” honors the historical significance of ‘Peace’ while symbolizing harmony. This name is used in commerce in the U.S., U.K., and many other English-speaking markets. The American Rose Society officially recognizes ‘Love & Peace’ as the exhibition name.

‘Pullman Orient Express’ - this was the name under which the cultivar was introduced in France and some other countries in 2002. The name is a nod to the luxury Orient Express trains (and specifically the Pullman train service), reflecting the rose’s exotic color journey from golden center to crimson edge (perhaps analogous to a journey from West to East). In 2022, Meilland International officially renamed ‘Pullman Orient Express’ to ‘Oriental Peace’ in celebration of the 80th anniversary of the original ‘Peace’ rose. This change makes the homage explicit: ‘Oriental Peace’ directly links the rose to ‘Peace’ by name.

‘Bright Spirit’ is the synonym that has been used in Australia and possibly New Zealand. Australian rose nurseries often register a unique trade name for local marketing, and ‘Bright Spirit’ was selected, perhaps to convey the rose’s vibrant colors and uplifting presence.

In addition to the above, early in its breeding stage the rose was labeled seedling 91G55-1B in the breeder’s records. This is occasionally listed in rose databases as an “alias”, but it was never a marketing name – just a code.

Love & Peace’ quickly achieved critical acclaim. It was named an All-America Rose Selections (AARS) winner in 2002, marking it as one of that year’s top-performing new roses in U.S. nationwide trials.

It was voted “Portland’s Best Rose” in the Portland Rose Society trials in 2006;

Earned the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit (AGM) in 2012.

These recognitions reflect the cultivar’s robust garden performance across different climates.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose variety ‘BAIpeace ’ / 'Love & Peace' was bred by Ping Lim and Jerry F. Twomey in the United States by crossing the unnamed rose seedling with the legendary rose variety ’3-35-40 (Meilland/'Peace')’ / "Peace". In 2001 the new rose was introduced in the U.S. rose trade (its originator Twomey is often listed with the introduction year 2001), and it was subsequently licensed internationally.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

The direct involvement of ‘Peace’ (introduced 1945) as the pollen parent is noteworthy - even six decades later, ‘Peace’ could yield a prize-winning seedling. ‘Love & Peace’ essentially carries forward the ‘Peace’ lineage with enhanced color saturation and plant vigor.

COMPARISON WITH THE CLOSEST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CULTIVAR

In distinguishing ‘Love & Peace’ from closely related cultivars, one can compare it to ’3-35-40 (Meilland/'Peace')’ / "Peace" (its parent) and other yellow/pink bicolor hybrid teas like ‘Chicago Peace’ (a sport of ‘Peace’). ‘Love & Peace’ tends to have more saturated petal colors (stronger pink edging) than ‘Peace’, and its blooms are often larger in diameter with a higher petal count. It also has improved disease resistance relative to older bicolors, which often suffer blackspot (for instance, ‘Chicago Peace’ can be disease-prone, whereas ‘Love & Peace’ stays clean). The plant habit of ‘Love & Peace’ is sturdier and more uniformly upright, whereas some older varieties can be lanky. These traits collectively make ‘Love & Peace’ an improvement in the eyes of many rosarians, combining exhibition-quality blooms with garden reliability.

USDA 6