HelpMeFind Roses, Clematis and Peonies
Roses, Clematis and Peonies
and everything gardening related.
DescriptionPhotosLineageAwardsReferencesMember RatingsMember CommentsMember JournalsCuttingsGardensBuy From 
'Mary Sumner' rose References
HelpMeFind's future is in your hands - Please do not take this unique resource for granted.

Your support of HelpMeFind is urgently needed. HelpMeFind, like all websites, needs funding to survive. We have set a premium-membership yearly subscription amount as low as possible to make user-community funding viable.

We are grateful to the many members who have signed up so far, but the number of premium-membership members remains too small for us to sustain the current support and development level. If you value HelpMeFind and want to see it continue we need your support too.

Yearly membership is only $2.00 per month and adds a host of additional features, and numerous planned enhancements, to take full advantage of the power and convenience of HelpMeFind. Click here to start your premium membership..

We of course also welcome donations of any amount. Click here to make a donation. Donations of $24 or more receive a thank-you gift of a 1-year premium membership.

As far as we have come, we feel HelpMeFind is still in its infancy. With your support we have so much more to accomplish.
Booklet  (2008)  
 
An Information List of all Varieties. p6
1975. Mary Sumner - Macstra. Nicknamed Strathdee. For the Women's Institute?
Book  (2006)  Page(s) 50.  
 
Nola Simpson and John Ford. Breeding for Chocolate Brown Colours in Roses.
.....New greyed orange brown strain. In the 1980s the picture changed with the introduction of this more vigorous strain and a complete new line of breeding. Important cultivars include Mary Sumner, 'Colorbreak ('Brown Velvet') (MACultra) and 'Hot Chocolate (SIMcho). These roses are all noteworthy for their vigour and health and they pass on their attributes to their offspring. 'Mary Sumner' proved very useful in producing brown shadings. It set seed easily but a number of the seedlings grew in an unruly manner and threw long growths, especially in the autumn.....In the mid 1970s the rose 'Mary Sumner' was introduced into the breeding programme to bring more vigour into the offspring and also to set seed readily with different pollens.
Book  (Apr 1993)  Page(s) 365.  
 
Mary Sumner Floribunda, orange-red, 1976, (MACstra); Seedling x Seedling; McGredy, S., IV. Description.
Book  (1989)  Page(s) 69.  
 
John Martin. Shrub Roses Old and New.
Mary Sumner Trusses of shapely, very bright, copper-vermilion flowers.
Book  (1988)  Page(s) 192-193.  Includes photo(s).
 
Mary Sumner (Macstra) A floribunda raised by McGredy. Growth tall. Parentage: (Orangeade x Margot Fonteyn) x [Elizabeth of Glamis x (Little Darling x Goldilocks)].
Book  (1986)  Page(s) 80.  
 
....Mary Sumner has proved a fine breeder of healthy roses. What is interesting is that I would call both 'Mary Sumner' and 'Arthur Bell' "unmanageable" because of their tendency to throw over-tall semi-climbing second shoots.
Book  (1984)  Page(s) 24.  
 
Final Analysis 1983-84.
Mary Summer. McGredy 1976 (Seedling X Seedling) 3" diameter, 15 petals, orange-red, slight fragrance. 20 reports, 7.5 rating. Mary grows, let me say, well, too well for the rose garden, she is a shrub rose. In warm to hot weather she blooms very well, making a grand sight, and the repeat is very good. She is healthy and grows well. Recommended.
Book  (1983)  Page(s) 32.  
 
Don Sheppard. Review of Newer Roses for 1982-83 Season. Floribundas.
Mary Sumner McGredy 1976 [('Orangeade' X 'Margot Fonteyn') x ('Elizabeth of Glamis' x ('Little Darling' x 'Goldilocks'))] 5 reports, 5 years, 5', 5.7 rating. Orange Salmon. This should be grown as a shrub rose these five reporters say, otherwise it falls all over the place and needs staking. It makes a good large healthy shrub. The colour is bright and repeat good. There is a perfume.
Book  (1982)  Page(s) 24.  
 
Don Sheppard. Review of Newer Roses 1981-82 Season.
Mary Sumner (McGredy '76). Seedling x seedling) Orange-red. 3 reports, 4 years. 5'6". 7.5 rating. This rose two reports say should be classified and used as a shrub, as it's very tall. South Taranaki says lovely bright blooms are a little on the small side, Manawatu finds it healthy and Hastings evidently has a poor bush.
Book  (1981)  Page(s) 47.  
 
Jim Humphries. Review of Newer Roses 1980-1981 Season.
Mary Sumner. Orange/red. 5 reporters: 3 years: 150cm: NRS rating 7.5. Gisborne: More like a shrub and how it flowers and smells so sweetly. Hastings: Don't plant this in the front row. Big spreading
© 2025 HelpMeFind.com