Ralph S. Moore

'Lemon Delight', 1978

'Café Olé', 1990

Ralph S. Moore (January 14, 1907 – September 14, 2009) was a rose breeder and discoverer born to Orlando Moore in Visalia, California.

In 1937 he opened the rose nursery Sequoia Nursery, Moore Miniature Roses in California. He played an important role in the popularisation and diversification of Miniature roses, introducing over five hundred new miniature rose hybrids, including the award winning "Ann Moore", after his wife, Ann. Other cultivars introduced by Moore were the single-petalled Miniature 'Simplex' (1961), the first yellow-flowered modern Moss Rose, 'Goldmoss' (1972) or the orange-red Floribunda 'Playtime' (1989).

On May 29, 2003, in downtown Visalia, the Ralph Moore Rose Garden was dedicated to Ralph to honor his achievements as a rose breeder.

On January 14, 2007, Moore celebrated his 100th birthday at the Visalia Convention Center. There he received an award from the Royal National Rose Society of Great Britain and the American Rose Society. He also received a flag that was flown over the United States Capitol on January 8, 2007 in his honor.

Moore wrote poetry for over 25 years including the poetry book Thoughts of Roses.

On April 30, 2008, his retail rose business, Sequoia Nursery, closed. Moore gave all his plants and breeding stock, 80 rose patents, and a cash donation to Texas A&M University's horticultural sciences department. The University already had an existing rose breeding program, and it maintains the Robert E. Basye Endowed Chair in Rose Breeding. Moore's donation enlarged the rose breeding program to include miniature roses. He died at the age of 102 of natural causes at the Kaweah Delta Medical Center, Visalia, California.

Bibliography

• Paul Barden: Old Garden Roses and beyond
• Ralph Moore, King of Miniature Roses
• Ralph Moore's writings on this web site
• More Roses Blooming at Texas A&M, Thanks to Moore - eXtension
• Ralph Moore's obituary