Rose 'Mary Sumner'

Keep in mind when planting that Mary Sumner is thought of as hardy, so this plant will survive close to or on freezing temperatures. Mary Sumner requires a loamy soil with a ph of 5.5 - 7.0 - it grows best in weakly acidic soil to neutral soil.

As a hybrid variety, this plant will not reliably grow true to type from seed.

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Mary Sumner is a hardy plant.

According to the New Zealand Plant Variety Rights (PVR) web page, application for a PVR Grant for this rose was made in 1976 and granted in 1977 (PVR Grant No. 11). The breeder’s Reference for this rose is Macstra. The New Zealand Trade Name is ‘Mary Sumner’. This PVR Grant was surrendered in 1982. ¹

Registration name: MACstra

Cuttings of the rare orange rose ‘Mary Sumner’ transplanted from the Dunedin Botanic Garden to a Hastings garden last year are doing well.
The floribunda rose was bred in 1976 by Sam McGredy IV, who came to live in New Zealand in 1972, and a search by Hastings heritage rose enthusiast Georgina Campbell found the Dunedin Botanic Garden’s bushes to be the only ones of their kind in a public garden.
Mrs Campbell said the cuttings would be planted in the McGredy Rose Garden shortly.
“There will be spares to share with some friends as well, to ensure they are in a few more safe places.”
In 2013, the garden would be part of the World Federation of Roses international conference day trip and it was hoped that by then ‘Mary Sumner’ would be flowering well, she said. ²

¹ HelpMeFind

² Otago Daily Times (New Zealand) 23 June 2011