Meilland International SA
Encyclopedia
Meilland International SA is a family-owned rose
growing business founded c. 1850. The business operates today out of the Domaine de Saint André in Le Cannet-des-Maures
, Le Luc en Provence, Var
, France
with branches all over the world.
Antoine Meilland survived service in World War I
only to see his first post-war rose crop wiped out by a beetle
infestation. He recovered and eventually made his nursery the dominant force in the French rose growing business. In 1932, he signed a contract with the Conard-Pyle Co. (Star Roses) nursery in West Grove, Pennsylvania
to market Meilland-bred roses in America. The relationship continues to this day. Antoine Meilland's rose "Golden State", so named to commemorate his visit to California
, won the 1937 Gold Medal at both the Concours de roses de Bagatelle, the City of Paris International competition for new roses, and at the International Rose Test Garden
in Portland, Oregon
, at that time symbolic of the best new rose in France and the United States.
Antoine's son, Francis Meilland (1912-1958), was another visionary who established a reputation for his breeding and built the business into a worldwide operation with a network of agents who simultaneously introduced his varieties. For what he called a "Universal Rose Selection", he prepared beautiful colored catalogs designed so that each agent could insert their own text. Having arranged the smuggling of a seedling out of France just prior to the German
occupation of World War II
], in 1945 Francis Meilland introduced one of the most famous of all roses, Peace
(see story from the book For Love of a Rose by Antonia Ridge).
Currently, the business is headed by Alain Meilland, and today it has nursery production covering 600 hectares (1500 acres) in France
, Morocco
, Spain
, the Netherlands
, and in the U.S.
State of California
selling more than 12 million rosebushes annually. The McCartney Rose, named for Paul McCartney
has won many international awards. Alain Meilland wrote about his family in a 1969 book published in Paris
by Editions Solar as La Vie en Roses and rereleased in English in 1984 as Meilland: A Life in Roses. More recently, their history was recounted in a 1998 book titled La grande famille des roses by Anne-Sophie Rondeau.
Meilland holds more than 1,000 patents worldwide and owns 600 trademarks. They name a few of their roses in honor of a notable person or celebrity, both historical and present day.
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
growing business founded c. 1850. The business operates today out of the Domaine de Saint André in Le Cannet-des-Maures
Le Cannet-des-Maures
Le Cannet-des-Maures is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...
, Le Luc en Provence, Var
Var (département)
The Var is a French department in the region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in Provence, in southeast France. It takes its name from the river Var, which used to flow along its eastern boundary, but the boundary was moved in 1860...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
with branches all over the world.
Antoine Meilland survived service in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
only to see his first post-war rose crop wiped out by a beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
infestation. He recovered and eventually made his nursery the dominant force in the French rose growing business. In 1932, he signed a contract with the Conard-Pyle Co. (Star Roses) nursery in West Grove, Pennsylvania
West Grove, Pennsylvania
West Grove is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,854 at the 2010 census.-History:The village of West Grove derived its name from the Friends Meeting House on Harmony Road built in 1787 several miles west of the Friends Meeting House in the village of...
to market Meilland-bred roses in America. The relationship continues to this day. Antoine Meilland's rose "Golden State", so named to commemorate his visit to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, won the 1937 Gold Medal at both the Concours de roses de Bagatelle, the City of Paris International competition for new roses, and at the International Rose Test Garden
International Rose Test Garden
The International Rose Test Garden is a rose garden in Washington Park in Portland, Oregon, United States. There are over 7,000 rose plants of approximately 550 varieties. The roses bloom from April through October with the peak coming in June, depending on the weather...
in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, at that time symbolic of the best new rose in France and the United States.
Antoine's son, Francis Meilland (1912-1958), was another visionary who established a reputation for his breeding and built the business into a worldwide operation with a network of agents who simultaneously introduced his varieties. For what he called a "Universal Rose Selection", he prepared beautiful colored catalogs designed so that each agent could insert their own text. Having arranged the smuggling of a seedling out of France just prior to the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
occupation of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
], in 1945 Francis Meilland introduced one of the most famous of all roses, Peace
Peace (rose)
The Peace rose is a well-known and successful garden rose. Over one hundred million plants had been sold, as of 1992. It is a Hybrid Tea rose with large flowers of a light yellow to cream color, slightly flushed at the petal edges with crimson-pink...
(see story from the book For Love of a Rose by Antonia Ridge).
Currently, the business is headed by Alain Meilland, and today it has nursery production covering 600 hectares (1500 acres) in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
State of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
selling more than 12 million rosebushes annually. The McCartney Rose, named for Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
has won many international awards. Alain Meilland wrote about his family in a 1969 book published in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
by Editions Solar as La Vie en Roses and rereleased in English in 1984 as Meilland: A Life in Roses. More recently, their history was recounted in a 1998 book titled La grande famille des roses by Anne-Sophie Rondeau.
Meilland holds more than 1,000 patents worldwide and owns 600 trademarks. They name a few of their roses in honor of a notable person or celebrity, both historical and present day.
Roses
| cultivar | group | colour | year | award | comment | foto |
| 'Alain' Rosa 'Alain' Alain is a popular red floribunda rose variety.It was developed by the Meilland family of France and introduced in 1948, named for present-day company head Alain Meilland, a young boy at the time. The new variety won a gold medal at Geneva that year.... |
Floribunda | red | 1946 | |||
| 'Louis de Funès' Louis de Funès (rose) The rose Louis de Funès is a cultivar .It was named by Meilland after the famous French comedian Louis de Funès in 1982.- Sources:... |
Hybrid Tea | yellow-red blend | 1987 | Geneva GM | ||
| 'Peace' | Hybrid Tea | yellow blend | 1935 | Rose Hall of Fame | ||
| 'Pierre de Ronsard' Rosa 'Eden' Rosa 'Eden is a light pink and white climbing rose. The cultivar was created by Marie-Louise Meilland and introduced in France by Meilland International in 1985 as part of the Renaissance ® Collection as 'Pierre de Ronsard', named after the French renaissance poet Pierre de Ronsard in reference... |
Large-flowered climber | pink blend | 1985 | Rose Hall of Fame | ||
| 'Pink Wonder' Rosa 'Pink Wonder' Rosa 'Pink Wonder is a light pink Floribunda rose. It was bred in 1970 by Meilland International in France.... |
Floribunda | pink | 1970 | Belfast GM, Madrid GM | ||