Portland Gold Medal


The Portland Gold Medal is a prestigious rose award given annually by the Portland Rose Society, to honor new rose cultivars for their exceptional performance in the Pacific Northwest. It is the oldest national rose award in the United States.

History

The Portland Rose Society began as an informal rose society in 1888, organized by Georgiana Pittock, wife of the first Oregonian publisher, Henry Pittock. The first rose competition was held in Pittock's garden. She had been inspired to form the gardening club after a holiday in England, where she toured rose gardens and attended a rose show. The next year, Pittock turned her backyard rose competition into a fundraiser for her church. She added a judging tent to her garden and charged admission to the event. This annual event would later include a city parade, where local gardeners would strip their gardens of all but competition roses to decorate cars, horses, floats and wagons. From these early beginnings, the Portland Rose Festival was born. The group officially established the Portland Rose Society as a formal gardening organization in 1907, and established the annual tradition of a judged, flower competition. It is the oldest and largest rose society in the United States.

Portland Gold Medal winners

This is a partial list of Portland Gold Medal winners.
Award YearCultivarMarketing NameHybridizerCountryCultivar GroupColorImage
1951'Chrysler Imperial'LammertsUnited StatesHybrid TeaRed
1954'Queen Elizabeth'LammertsUnited StatesGrandifloraPink
1954'Tiffany'LindquistUnited StatesHybrid TeaPink blend
1955'Spartan'BoernerUnited StatesGrandifloraOrange blend
1961'Royal Highness'MoreyUnited StatesFloribundaPink
1962JOHnago' Chicago Peace'JohnstonUnited StatesHybrid teaPink blend
1966MEIdaud'Miss All-American Beauty'MeillandFranceHybrid teaBright pink
1966TANellisFragrant Cloud'TantauGermanyHybrid teaOrange blend
1967'Bewitched'LammertsUnited StatesHybrid teaCandy pink
1967'Pascali'LensBelgiumHybrid teaWhite blend
1970'Europeana'de Ruiter InnovationsBelgiumFloribundaRed
1973'Electron'McGredy IVNorthern IrelandHybrid teaMedium pink
1975MACha'Handel'McGredy IVNorthern IrelandModern climber Pink blend
1977JACven'Evening Star'WarrinerUnited StatesFloribundaWhite
1978JAColite'Honor'WarrinerUnited StatesHybrid teaWhite
1980JACtwin'Love'WarrinerUnited StatesGrandifloraRed blend
1985MACauk'Olympiad'WarrinerUnited StatesHybrid teaDark red
1986JACjem'Sun Flare'WarrinerUnited StatesFloribundaYellow
1990MACrexy'Sexy Rexy'McGredy IVNew ZealandFloribundaMedium pink
1993'Sally Holmes'HolmesGreat BritainShrub roseWhite blend
1996MACgenev'New Zealand'McGredy IVNew ZealandGrandifloraLight pink
1997HARwelcome'Livin' Easy'HarknessGreat BritainFloribundaOrange-apricot
2001WEKplapic'Betty Boop'CarruthUnited StatesFloribundaRed & white
2001FRYxotic'Sunset Celebration'FryerGreat BritainFloribundaApricot blend
2002WEKcryplag'Blueberry Hill'CarruthUnited StatesFloribundaMauve blend
2003RADrazz'Knock Out'RadlerUnited StatesShrub roseRed blend
2006WEKsunspat'Marilyn Monroe'CarruthUnited StatesHybrid teaApricot blend
2008WEKvossutono'Julia Child'CarruthUnited StatesFloribundaYellow
2009WEKisoblip'Wild Blue Yonder'CarruthUnited StatesGrandifloraMauve blend
2010WEKbepmey'Strike It Rich'CarruthUnited StatesGrandifloraOrange-Yellow
2011WEKosupalz'About Face'CarruthUnited StatesGrandifloraOrange blend
2013ORAclelon'Over the Moon'OrardFranceHybrid teaApricot blend
2014WEKmemolo'Sugar Moon'BedardUnited StatesHybrid teaWhite blend
2017KORaruli'Sunny Sky'KordesGermanyHybrid teaYellow blend
2018WEKsirjuci'Happy Go Lucky'BedardUnited StatesFloribundaYellow
2018WEKgobafa'Good as Gold'CarruthUnited StatesHybrid teaOrange blend
2019KORsteflali'Wedding Bells'KordesGermanyHybrid teaMedium pink
2019JACgemze'Crescendo'ZaryUnited StatesHybrid teaPink blend
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