Dr. Keith W. Zary is an American horticulturist and rose breeder whose work has earned major recognition in both the United States and Europe. Trained in horticulture and plant breeding at Texas A&M University, Zary became only the second American rose breeder to receive the prestigious Gold Medal of the Royal National Rose Society. His career has included both rose breeding and broader leadership in ornamental-plant research.
Zary has bred and patented dozens of roses, including Opening Night, Pope John Paul II, Radiant Perfume, Sedona®, and the rose created in honor of Diana, Princess of Wales. His work often combines classic Hybrid Tea and Grandiflora flower form with strong color, fragrance, cutting quality, and increasingly better garden performance. He has also continued to contribute breeding material to modern American rose programs rather than being associated with only one historical era.
