Tom Carruth is an American rose hybridizer, who has created more than 100 rose varieties, including eleven All-America Rose Selections (AARS). He is currently the E.L. and Ruth B. Shannon Curator of the Rose Collections at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California.
Carruth's first fifteen years were spent in Pampa, Texas. He knew at an early age that he wanted a career working with flowers. To earn spending money, Carruth sold seeds from the Burpee seed company to local residents. When he was sixteen, Carruth and his family moved to Irving, Texas, where he discovered a passion for plant biology. "When his teacher lectured on genetics and mentioned plant breeders, Carruth says, 'I knew I was on my way.'" [1]
Carruth attended the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. He transferred to Texas A&M University in his junior year where me met J.C. Raulston, a professor in horticulture, who would become Carruth's mentor. Raulston encouraged Carruth to study for an advanced degree. With Raulston's support, Carruth applied for a scholarship and earned a master's degree in plant breeding two years later in 1976. [1] [2]
In 1975, Carruth began his rose breeding career working with hybridizer, Bill Warriner, at Jackson & Perkins rose nursery. He worked at the company for three years before being hired by Armstrong nursery in southern California. During his seven years at Armstrong, he worked with hybridizer, Jack Christensen. In 1986, Carruth was offered a position with Weeks Wholesale Rose Grower, where he was a sales representative for two years. In 1989 he was promoted to full time garden roses breeder. He worked at Weeks for twenty six years as the chief hybridizer. [3] [2]
In 2012, Carruth announced his retirement. During his forty-year career, he is credited with introducing more than 100 roses, including eleven All-America Rose Selections (AARS). [4] After his retirement, Carruth accepted the position as the E.L. and Ruth B. Shannon Curator of the Rose Collections at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. The 3-acre rose garden, originally planted in 1908, has more than 4000 rose bushes. [5]
Ralph S. Moore was an American miniature rose breeder. He is known by many as the “Father of the Modern Miniature Rose”. During his career, Moore developed over 500 new varieties of miniature roses, including the award-winning 'Rise n' Shine' and 'Anne Moore'.
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.
Rosa'Elina' is a light yellow hybrid tea rose bred by Patrick Dickson of Northern Ireland in 1983. The variety was developed from the white floribunda 'Nana Mouskouri' and the apricot hybrid tea 'Lolita'.
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'.
Rosa'Buff Beauty' is an apricot Hybrid musk rose cultivar, bred by Ann Bentall and introduced into Great Britain in 1939. Bentall and her husband, John Bentall, inherited the rose fields of acclaimed rose breeder, the Reverend Joseph Pemberton after his death in 1926. The rose was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 1993.
Rosa 'Rock & Roll' is a red and white Grandiflora rose cultivar, developed in the United States by Tom Carruth in 2006. It was introduced into the United States by Weeks Wholesale Rose Grower, Inc. in 2007.
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 'Scentimental' is a red and white striped Floribunda rose, created by Tom Carruth in 1996. The rose was named an All-America Rose Selections winner in 1997.
Rosa 'About Face',, is an orange grandiflora rose cultivar, bred by Tom Carruth in 2003, and introduced into the United States by Jackson & Perkins in 2005. The rose was named an All-America Rose Selections winner in 2005.
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 'Blueberry Hill',, is a floribunda rose cultivar, bred by Tom Carruth, and introduced into the United States by Weeks Rose Growers in 1997. The plant was created from hybrid tea, 'Crystalline' and floribunda, 'Playgirl'. The cultivar won a Portland Gold Medal in 2002.
Rosa 'Fourth of July', is a red and white climbing rose cultivar, bred by American rose breeder, Tom Carruth, and introduced by Weeks Wholesale Rose Grower in 1999. The rose was named an All-America Rose Selections in 1999.
Rosa 'Rockin Robin' is a pink, red and white striped shrub rose rose cultivar, bred by American rose breeder, Tom Carruth, and introduced by Weeks Wholesale Rose Grower in 1997.
Rosa 'Charlotte Armstrong' is a pink Hybrid tea rose cultivar developed by Dr. Walter Lammerts and introduced in the U.S. by Armstrong Roses in 1940. The rose won the All-America Rose Selections Award (AARS) and the Portland Gold Medal in 1941.
Jack E. Christensen (1949–2021) was an award-winning American rose hybridizer, garden writer and science teacher. He developed more than 80 rose varieties during his career. He was the youngest hybridizer to win an All-America Rose Selections (AARS) award in 1986. His most popular rose varieties are: 'Henry Fonda', 'Gold Medal', 'Midas Touch' and the AARS winner, 'Voodoo'.
Rosa 'Midas Touch' is a yellow Hybrid tea rose cultivar, bred by American hybridizer, Jack E. Christensen, in 1992. The rose was introduced in the United States by Bear Creek Gardens, Inc. in 1994 as 'Midas Touch'. The rose won the All-America Rose Selections (AARS) award in 1994.
Rosa 'White Lightnin'' is a white Grandiflora rose cultivar, bred by American hybridizers, Jack E. Christensen and Herbert Swim, before 1979. The rose was introduced in the United States by Armstrong Roses in 1980 and won the All-America Rose Selections (AARS) award in 1981.
Rosa 'Peppermint Twist' is a red and white striped Grandiflora rose cultivar, bred by American hybridizer, Jack E. Christensen before 1988. It was introduced in the United States by Jackson & Perkins Co. as 'Peppermint Twist'.
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.