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Percy Wright was a prairie plant breeder who contributed to horticultural literature and is also responsible for introducing a wide variety of ornamental plants.
From his nurseries in Wilkie and Moose Range and later, his plantings around Sutherland, he worked with lilies, daylilies, ornamental crabapples, honeysuckles and plums. He is widely recognized for his breeding of roses, including the hardy yellow 'Hazeldean' rose for which he received the Award of Merit in 1978 from the Western Canadian Society for Horticulture.
His literary legacy began at the University of Saskatchewan where he earned a Masters degree in English. He subsequently became a journalist with the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix where he shared his knowledge and experience of gardening and plant breeding.
His 'Thunderchild' crabapple can be seen in the Robin Smith Meditation Garden. It is a beautiful ornamental crabapple, which features purple leaves and lovely deep pink flowers in spring. It is fireblight resistant and is a great specimen tree for smaller gardens.
Some of his introductions can also be seen in the Heritage Rose Garden:
'Helen Bland' rose
'Scarlet Ranger' rose
'Hazeldean' rose
'Towering Turk' lily
'Red Knight' lily
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