| Rosa'Electron' | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Hybrid parentage | 'Paddy McGredy' x 'Prima Ballerina' |
| Cultivar group | Hybrid tea rose |
| Marketing names | 'Electron' 'Mullard Jubilee' |
| Breeder | McGredy IV |
| Origin | Northern Ireland, 1970 |
Rosa 'Electron', also known as Mullard Jubilee, is a bright pink hybrid tea rose developed by Samuel McGredy IV in 1962. Originally named 'Mullard Jubilee', it was introduced into Australia in 1970 as 'Electron'. The rose was named an All-America Rose Selections winner in 1973.
'Electron' is a medium-tall upright shrub, up to 2–4 ft (60–120 cm) in height. Its blooms are 4—5 in (10—12 cm) in diameter, with 32 to 40 petals. The rose has a sweet, Damask fragrance. The large, high-centered, cup-shaped petals are generally borne singly on long stems. The petals are bright pink in color. The plant has very prickly stems and dark green glossy leaves. 'Electron' thrives in cool climates, but is prone to fungal diseases in warmer areas. It is recommended for USDA zones 4 and warmer. [1] [2]
The Sam McGredy family represents four generations of rose hybridizers from Northern Ireland. The first Samuel McGredy (1828–1903), established the family nursery in Portadown, County Armagh. Originally the head gardener at a large estate, in 1888, McGredy moved his family to Portadown, leased 10 acres with a greenhouse and established a nursery with his son, Samuel II (1861–1926). The nursery sold a variety of plants, but they were best known for their fruit trees and show pansies. [3]
Samuel McGredy II began breeding roses in 1895. He submitted his first roses at the National Rose Society in London in 1905, where he won his first gold medal, the salmon-pink, "Countess of Gosford" rose. He produced many award-winning roses during his career as a rose breeder. McGredy was awarded the National Rose Society's Dean Hole [4] Medal in 1921. The business passed to his son, Samuel McGredy III (1897–1934), after Samuuel II's death in 1926. Samuel III (Sam) expanded rose production at the company. He named many roses after family members. 'Margaret McGredy', named after his mother, was used, along with an unnamed seedling, to hybridize the world-famous hybrid tea, Rosa Peace. The nursery's rose-breeding program declined after McGredy's early death of a heart attack at the age of 38 and the beginning of the Second World War. His son, Samuel IV, was two years old at the time of his father's death. [5] [6]
When Samuel McGredy IV (Sam) (1931–2019) took over the family business in 1952, he knew very little about rose breeding. He sought out the renowned rose hybridizers at the time: Reimer Kordes from Germany, Eugene Boerner from the United States and Niels Poulsen from Denmark, in order to educate himself on modern rose hybridization. Soon after, he created a new rose breeding program at the nursery. McGredy's first commercial success was his Gold Medal winner, floribunda rose, 'Orangeade' in 1959. During the 1960s, McGredy was best known for his hybrid tea and floribunda roses. [6]
In 1972, alarmed over the increasing political violence in Northern Ireland, McGredy and his family moved to Auckland, New Zealand. He transplanted his nursery stock, and renamed the company McGredy Roses International. New Zealand's climate, ideal for plant cultivation, allowed McGredy to breed roses outdoors without greenhouses. He soon introduced a new series of what he called 'hand painted' roses, brightly coloured striped roses and roses splashed with two or more colours. Some of his most popular rose cultivars include Rosa 'Dublin Bay', Rosa 'Sexy Rexy', Rosa 'Olympiad' and Rosa 'Handel'. When McGredy retired in 2007, he closed the nursery. He died in 2019. [7] [8]
McGredy's early goals in rose breeding were the development of healthy, vigorous roses that would meet the growing demand for distinctive roses, both in the United Kingdom and the United States. By the 1960s he was becoming more innovative, creating new vibrantly coloured hybrid tea and floribunda roses. In 1962, McGredy used the hybrid tea, Rosa 'Paddy McGredy' and floribunda rose, Rosa 'Prima Ballerina', to develop a new electric pink hybrid tea rose. [1] That year, the Mullard Electronics Company in the UK offered McGredy the unprecedented fee of £10,000 ($24,000) for a new rose cultivar to be named for the company. The company requested a future award-winner, a "world-beater", according to McGredy. The new electric pink rose was chosen to bear the Mullard name and was introduced in Europe as 'Mullard Jubilee' in 1970. The new cultivar was also introduced into Australia in 1970 as 'Electron'. [9]
In his 1982 book Look to the Rose, McGredy discusses his famous rose:
I know a lot of people who think it is the best rose I've raised. I don't - simply because it is pink! If I had the same plant and floriferousness and fragrance in a red I would be ecstatic. I'm also annoyed with the variety because it refuses to breed me anything which looks even remotely as good. In fact, like so many of my strains, 'Mullard Jubilee' is the end of the line, the last of my 'Paddy McGredy' seedlings. Paddy is of somewhat similar colouring. The other side of 'Mullard Jubilee' was Tantau's 'Prima Ballerina', a deep very fragrant pink. ... Both 'Paddy McGredy' and 'Prima Ballerina' give a high percentage of seedlings with mildew, so it is a wonder 'Mullard Jubilee' is so healthy. But there it is, a beautiful grower if ever there was one.
— Sam McGredy, Look to the Rose (1982) [10]
The rose won several awards, including gold medals from the Royal National Rose Society (RNRS) (1969), The Hague Rose Trials (1970), Belfast International Rose Trials (1972) and Portland Rose Society (1973). The cultivar was named an All-America Rose Selections winner in 1973. [11]
Garden roses are predominantly hybrid roses that are grown as ornamental plants in private or public gardens. They are one of the most popular and widely cultivated groups of flowering plants, especially in temperate climates. An enormous number of garden cultivars have been produced, especially over the last two centuries, though roses have been known in the garden for millennia beforehand. While most garden roses are grown for their flowers, often in dedicated rose gardens, some are also valued for other reasons, such as having ornamental fruit, providing ground cover, or for hedging.
Sam McGredy refers to four generations of Northern Irish rose hybridizers. Sam McGredy I founded the family nursery in 1880. Sam McGredy II focused the nursery on roses in 1895. Sam McGredy III took over in 1926, and was the first to name roses after family members. Sam McGredy IV moved operations to New Zealand in 1974 after a close friend was murdered by Loyalist paramilitaries during The Troubles, and focused on Floribundas, Hybrid Teas and Grandifloras, including 'Paddy Stephens', 'New Zealand', and 'Kathryn McGredy'; and the hand-painted roses such as 'Regensberg'.
The Rosa 'George Burns' is a yellow and red striped Floribunda rose cultivar, developed in the United States by Tom Carruth in 1996. The rose was introduced in 1997 by Spring Hill Nurseries.
Rosa 'Handel',, is a climbing floribunda rose cultivar, developed by Samuel McGredy IV in 1960. The cultivar was the recipient of the Portland Gold Medal in 1975.
Rosa 'Olympiad',, is a hybrid tea rose cultivar, developed by Sam McGredy IV, and introduced into New Zealand by McGredy Roses International in 1974. The cultivar was named an All-America Rose Selections winner in 1984, and the recipient of the Portland Gold Medal in 1995.
Rosa 'Sexy Rexy',, is a multiple-award winning floribunda rose cultivar, developed by Sam McGredy IV, and introduced into New Zealand by McGredy Roses International in 1984. The stock parents of this rose are the hybrid musk, Rosa 'Seaspray' and the floribunda, Rosa 'Dreaming'.
Rosa 'Dublin Bay' is a red, large-flowered floribunda climbing rose. The rose cultivar was bred by Sam McGredy IV in 1969 and introduced into Ireland by nursery, Samuel McGredy and Son.
Rosa 'Spiced Coffee' is a pale beige hybrid tea rose with pink edges. The rose cultivar was bred by Sam McGredy IV in 1985 and introduced into New Zealand in 1990 by his nursery, McGredy Roses International.
Rosa 'Maggie Barry' is a pink blend hybrid tea rose with dark salmon edges. The rose cultivar was bred by Sam McGredy IV in 1986 and introduced into New Zealand in 1993 by McGredy Roses International.
Rosa 'Soleil d'Or' is a Foetida hybrid rose cultivar, bred by Joseph Pernet-Ducher and introduced on November 1, 1900. It is the ancestor of all modern Hybrid tea roses and the first yellow-orange rose. Pernet-Ducher later crossed 'Soleil d'Or' with Tea roses to create a new class known as Pernetiana roses.
Rosa 'Madame Caroline Testout' is a bright pink hybrid tea rose, bred by French rosarian, Joseph Pernet-Ducher. The pink, fragrant rose has been a very popular rose worldwide since its introduction in 1890. It is recognized by the city of Portland as being an important contributor to its worldwide reputation as the "City of Roses"
Rosa 'Souvenir de Claudius Pernet' is a medium yellow Hybrid tea rose, bred by French rose breeder, Joseph Pernet-Ducher before 1919. He named the rose for his son Claudius, who was killed in action in World War I. 'Souvenir de Claudius Pernet' is one of the ancestors of the famous 'Peace' rose.
Rosa 'Margaret McGredy' is an orange-red hybrid tea rose, bred by Irish rose breeder Sam McGredy III before 1925. The new rose was awarded the Royal National Rose Society (RNRS) Gold Medal in 1925, but was never commercially successful. 'Margaret McGredy, along with an unnamed seedling, was used to hybridize the legendary hybrid tea rose, 'Peace'.
Rosa 'Joanna Hill' is a yellow hybrid tea rose, bred by American rose breeder, Joseph H. Hill in 1928. 'Joanna Hill is one of the ancestors of the legendary hybrid tea rose, 'Peace'.
Rosa 'Charles P. Kilham' is an orange-red hybrid tea rose, bred by Irish rose breeder, Samuel McGredy III before 1926. The rose was introduced in France in 1926 and Australia in 1927. It won the Royal National Rose Society (RNRS) gold medal in 1927. 'Charles P. Kilham' is one of the ancestors of the legendary hybrid tea rose, 'Peace'.
Rosa 'George Dickson' is a medium red hybrid tea rose bred by Alexander Dickson II of Northern Ireland in 1912. It was one of the Dickson nursery's early commercial successes and was a popular rose with the public. It was awarded the Royal National Rose Society (RNRS) gold medal in 1911 and is an ancestor of the legendary 'Peace' rose.
Rosa 'Baroness Rothchild' is a pink Hybrid Perpetual rose cultivar, bred by Jean Pernet in 1868 and introduced in Australia by St. Kilda Nurseries in 1873 as 'Baroness Rothschild'.
Rosa 'Brass Band' is an orange blend Floribunda cultivar, bred by American hybridizer, Jack E. Christensen in 1993. It was introduced in the United States by Jackson & Perkins Co. in 1994. The cultivar was named an All-America Rose Selections (AARS) in 1995.
Rosa 'Jubilee Celebration' is a coral-pink shrub rose cultivar, created by British rose breeder David C. H. Austin in 1993. The rose was named in honor of the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2002. The rose was introduced into the UK by David Austin Roses Limited (UK) in 2002.
