Rose Peace Climbing

‘Climbing Peace’ is a magnificent climbing sport of the world-famous ‘Peace’ rose, combining legendary beauty with impressive vertical growth. Its large, elegant blooms display soft, ever-changing tones of pale yellow, blush pink, and warm salmon, with subtle color variations that create a refined, luminous effect throughout the season. The flowers open beautifully from classic buds into gently cupped, full blooms, appearing singly or in small clusters along long, vigorous canes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The Climbing rose ‘Peace Climbing’ is not merely a plant but a living historical artifact, a climbing extension of the most celebrated rose in modern history. To understand its significance, one must analyze the socio-political and horticultural environment of the 1930s and 1940s. The progenitor of this climbing sport, the Tea rose variety ‘Madame A. Meilland’ was the culmination of a decade-long breeding program by Francis Meilland in Tassin-la-Demi-Lune, France. Selected in June 1935 as seedling number 3-35-40, the rose was destined to become a global icon, yet its survival was threatened by the onset of World War II.

The significance of the rose is deeply connected with the impact and importance of its parent on modern rose cultivation and its symbol of international cooperation. In 1942, as France faced occupation, Francis Meilland sent budwood of his new creation to colleagues in the United States, Germany, and Italy, ensuring its genetic material would survive the conflict. The climbing mutation of this rose, discovered in 1950, expanded its economic and horticultural relevance by allowing the "World's Favorite Rose" to be utilized for vertical structures, pergolas, and grand garden arches. The discovery is attributed to the Brady Nursery in Wichita, Kansas, and represents a natural mutation of the parent. In French horticultural literature, the importance of this climbing form is highlighted by its ability to reach significant heights while maintaining the beauty of its flowers that won the original variety countless awards.

FLOWERING

The blooms of ‘Peace Climbing’ are very large and very double, reaching between 12 and 18 centimeters (6 - 7 inches) in diameter when fully open. The buds are high-centered and ovoid, often tinted with green which brightens to sun yellow before the flower fully opens. The final coloration is a complex gradient: the center is a rich primrose or canary yellow, while the edges of the slightly ruffled petals are flushed with a rosy-pink to carmine-red tint. Based on synthetic data from botanical records, the yellow base typically aligns with RHS 10A to 11B (Light Yellow Group), while the marginal pink flush corresponds to RHS 62A or 57D (Red-Purple Group). The flowers typically consist of 40 to 45 petals per bloom, providing a very double and cupped appearance as they mature. The shades of the flowers and their intensity vary slightly over the days, weather or according to soil types.

This rose variety has a recurrent flowering habit, but in practice contrary to its parent the repeat blooming is significantly scattered. It blooms at first flush abundantly then after a long break closer to the end of the summer scattered flowers may appear.

Fragrance:

The fragrance is a variable trait in this cultivar, same as within its parent. While some sources describe it as having a mild, sweet fragrance, others suggest it is nearly odorless depending on environmental factors like humidity and sunlight intensity. This variability is a common feature of the 'Peace' lineage, where the aromatic compounds are most detectable in the early morning hours.

PLANT

The climbing rose ‘Peace Climbing’ is categorized within the Hybrid Tea climbing class or within a Large-flowered climbing rose, and can be easily distinguished by its vigorous, spreading habit, it exhibits physiological traits that differ markedly from its shrub form of its progenitor, primarily in the areas of cane elongation and terminal flowering inhibition. The habit of ‘Peace Climbing’ is defined by its great vigor, the basal canes of this rose easily exceeding 3 m. The canes are exceptionally strong and woody, requiring substantial support to prevent collapse under the weight of the massive blooms. The plant’s prickles are large, hooked, and reddish when young, maturing to a grayish-brown.

Repeating through the season in favorable conditions, it forms a powerful climber reaching up to 450 - 600 cm (15–20 ft) and of about 100 - 150 cm (3.3 - 5 ft) in width , ideal for covering walls, pergolas, and large structures. With its strong growth, glossy foliage, and timeless charm, ‘Climbing Peace’ is an outstanding choice for gardeners seeking a classic rose with both historical significance and striking ornamental impact.

Foliage:

The foliage is also a significant botanical identifier for this variety. Plants of this rose develop very lush and dense foliage. The leaves are typically dark green, very glossy, large and leathery. Each compound leaf typically has 5 to 7 leaflets, most often 5, including the terminal leaflet, with a broadly oval shape. This glossy finish provides a degree of protection against moisture loss but is also the primary site for fungal attachment. New foliage often emerges with reddish tints before maturing to the deep, lustrous green that characterizes the variety. This vegetative vigor is a double-edged sword; while it allows the rose to cover large areas quickly, it also requires significant nutrient resources and meticulous pruning to prevent the lower portions of the plant from becoming bare.

Disease resistance:

Rose variety ‘Peace Climbing’ exhibits moderate to somewhat high susceptibility to common fungal pathogens, particularly black spot (Diplocarpon rosae). The very traits that make the flowers large and petals numerous - high resource allocation to reproduction - often come at the expense of systemic disease resistance. The cultivar has vulnerability to downy mildew (Peronospora sparsa) in humid continental climates to defoliation as result of fungal diseases.The resistance to botrytis and rust is good.

The invasive Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) can devastate the large blooms of ‘Peace Climbing’ by feeding on the petals and foliage. Aphids and thrips are also common; aphids should be managed with insecticides when infestations are severe, or via biological controls like ladybugs.

In terms of environmental stress its cold hardiness is rated as recommended for climates similar to USDA zones 6 - 9 or RHS H6. In very cold winters this rose suffers from significant canes dieback if left without winter protection. The heat tolerance is high, provided sufficient moisture is maintained. The yellow pigment is remarkably stable in heat compared to other yellow roses of the early 20th century. The drought tolerance is moderate; however, moisture stress significantly reduces the quantity of repeat blooms.

The naming of 'Climbing Peace', 'Peace Climbing' or 'Peace Cl.' reflects a unique moment in history where a single plant was rebranded to serve different national narratives in the wake of global conflict. Its taxonomic status is governed by both the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP) and trademark law across multiple jurisdictions.

The original name, 'Madame A. Meilland', was chosen by Francis Meilland in late 1942 to honor his mother, Claudia, who had died a decade earlier. In France, this remains the primary cultivar name. However, as the rose moved across borders, it acquired localized names that have since become official synonyms:

 'Peace' (United States/United Kingdom) - named by the American distributor Star Roses (Conard-Pyle) on the day Berlin fell in 1945 to symbolize the end of World War II.

 'Gloria Dei' (in Germany) - latin for "Glory of God", this name was chosen to represent spiritual resilience in the post-war German landscape.

 'Gioia' (Italy) - meaning "Joy", representing the relief and celebration of the Italian people following the cessation of hostilities.

 'Clam 05' - the technical cultivar code (denomination) used by the breeder Meilland-Richardier for international registration and protection.

The climber is simply these names followed by the suffix "Cl." or "Climbing" (e.g., 'Peace, Cl.', 'Madame A. Meilland Grimpant', 'Gioia, Rampicante'). As noted by historians, "Francis Meilland endorses all these names... They all represent more than just a name. They carry the most beautiful messages".

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

Rose ‘Peace Climbing’ is a spontaneous sport (mutation) of the legendary Hybryd Tea rose '3-35-40 (Meilland/'Peace')' / 'Madame A. Meilland' discovered in 1950 by the Brady Nursery in Wichita, Kansas. The parentage of the progenitor 'Madame A. Meilland' is an intricate multi-generational formula involving several prominent hybrid teas of the era.

In rose biology, a sport occurs when a spontaneous somatic mutation occurs in a bud, resulting in a change in the growth habit of the resulting cane. In the case of ‘Peace Cl.’, the mutation affected the genes responsible for internode length and apical dominance, transforming a bush into a climber. Because this is a somatic mutation, it can only be maintained through vegetative propagation (budding or grafting). If the climber is pruned too severely in its early years, it can occasionally "revert" to its shrub form - a phenomenon well-known to experienced rose growers.

USDA 6