Did you know that the rose is the most popular flower in the world? Roses offer you more than merely a way to express your love on Valentine’s Day. The versatility of this flower makes it ideal for gifting on several special occasions. From the cliché luxury box of roses on Valentine’s Day to wedding receptions and birthdays, roses are a great way to express your feelings for friends, family, and lovers alike.
Roses come available in a smorgasbord of colours, sizes, and shapes. The flower is a top choice with gardeners worldwide, providing a sense of elegance to any yard. Let’s dive into 10 fascinating facts about roses.
Roses Are Ancient Flowers
The Oligocene Florissant beds in Colorado are the site of fossils of the “Rosa hilliae” variety. According to Colorado Geological Surveys, volcanic eruptions occurring some 34-million years ago are the cause of the perfectly preserved Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. These are the oldest known roses in the world!
Documents dating back to 50 AD show that the Romans used large hothouses and plantations to grow roses. The ancient society had a penchant for the rose, and there was always a year-round supply of the flower. The Romans relied on the rose and its extracted oil as a traditional medication for resolving a host of health issues.
From medicine to cooking and ornamentation, the rose was an everyday part of Roman life. Romans would decorate buildings and furniture with roses, even using the petals as carpets on walkways. The Japanese and Chinese also grew ornamental rose gardens some 5,000-years ago.
Ancient Greece also cultivated roses en-masse, with the philosopher Theophrastus (382-287 BC) penning his thoughts about growing roses. Still, he neglected to mention the uses for the flower in Greek society.
Roses Live for Millenia
Did you know that the world’s oldest living rose is over 1,000 years old? That’s a shocking fact, but it’s true. The rose grows on the Cathedral of Hildesheim in Germany with the earliest documents talking about the rose in 815 AD.
According to local legend, the rose symbolizes prosperity for the city. Residents believe that as long so the rose flourishes, the town of Hildesheim will continue to prosper. Allied bombardments all but destroyed the cathedral in 1945 but the rose managed to survive the attack.
While the bombs destroyed the flowers and branches of the rose, the roots remained intact. A few years later, the plant was flourishing again.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the world’s tallest climbing rose measures 91 feet in height.
This “Cecile Brunner'” rose variety resides in Los Angeles, California. The rose has held the title of the tallest since 2004.
The largest rose bush resides in Tombstone, Arizona. This “Lady Banksia” variety was a product of the silver mining boom, originally planted in 1885. The trunk or main “cane” of the bust is 12-feet in diameter, with the rose plant as a whole covering more than 9,000-square feet on the property.
Roses are Edible
Did you know that roses are edible? Roses have a long history of medicinal use, with cultures around the globe celebrating the healing powers of the flowers. Roses have a technical classification as a herb, and they have a range of beneficial uses as a form of nutritional supplementation and in herbal healing.
The petals of the rose are edible, and many manufacturers make “rose water” by soaking the petals and bottling the water. Rosewater also features in the ingredients list of many jams and jellies. Chinese and Indian cooking also relies on the use of rose water in many dishes.
Rosehips are another part of the rose bush offering nutritional and medicinal benefits. Rosehips get their orange color from the carotenoid pigments lycopene and beta carotene. These polyphenol antioxidants help to promote eye and skin health.
Rosehips come packed with vitamin C, quercetin, ellagic acid, and catechins. These compounds have a potent detoxifying effect, helping to lower the level of oxidative stress in the body. Oxidative stress is the cause of the signs of aging, such as wrinkles and the fine lines appearing on your face in your senior years.
Roses Feature as Themes on Coins
The rose is a popular international icon, featuring as a theme on many different coins and currency over the generations of civilized society. One of the most memorable uses of the rose image is on the limited edition coin released by the Royal Canadian Mint in 2014.
This 1-oz fine silver coin has a 99.99% silver purity with a $5 face value. It features an unfurling rose on the face of the coin. This commemorative coin now has a retail price of $140.
The Canadian artist Claudio D’Angelo designed a coin in 2016 featuring two blooming Grandiflora roses, also known as the “Queen Elizabeth.” This $3 half-ounce silver coin features the roses plated in rose gold for a spectacular finish.
Roses Feature in Perfumes and Oils
Rose oil is a highly sought-after extract and it has a long history of use as a herbal medicine. The fragrant aroma of the rose has a subtle, sweet smell that is immediately distinguishable from other flowers.
Civilizations throughout history have relied on the healing powers of rose oil to resolve a range of health issues. Since it takes around 2,000 roses to produce a gram of rose oil, it’s a valuable commodity.
The scent glands on the petals are responsible for the oil, and it might surprise you to learn that the Rose Valley in Bulgaria is responsible for producing over 85% of the global rose oil to meet the demand.
Both the Romans and Greeks made extracts and rose water from the flowers, and modern perfume manufacturers rely on rose oil extract for use in many product formulations.
The damask and centifolia roses are the most common varieties used in perfume and oil production. Manufacturers will harvest the petals in the early morning before sunrise when the roses are at their most fragrant.
Manufacturers will press the petals and rosebuds to extract the oil, using the leftover plant matter for creating rose water. Rosewater is also a popular addition to cosmetics and recipes. The rose-flavoured water makes an excellent addition to food, with the French and Middle Eastern countries using it in their cultural cuisine.
Rose Colours Have Different Meanings
Roses come in various colours, shapes, and sizes, with different scents and visual characteristics. You already know that red is the colour of love, and a deep red rose makes the ideal gift to your partner on Valentine’s day. It is an excellent way to express your love.
However, there are meanings behind all of the rose colours from pink to yellow. Here are the most common.
- Red – Romance and love.
- Pink – Grace and elegance.
- White – Innocence and purity.
- Yellow – Cheer, and friendship.
- Orange – Energy, and enthusiasm.
- Orange: Enthusiasm & Energy
Each colour has a different meaning, and it is easy to pick out the right colour for your gifting needs once you know the colour themes. Send someone you care about a Rose Box delivery of roses carefully curated to your chosen theme. You can even have your Beloved’s initials spelled out in contrasting colours for a mesmerizing visual effect.
Black or Blue Roses are a Myth
We’re sure you’ve heard the story of the “Black Rose.” However, the reality is that the black and blue rose varieties simply don’t exist in nature. Many people confuse dark red roses with black roses, and the “The Black Rose of Turkey” is an example of a breed that’s actually dark crimson in colour, not black.
Blue and black pigments don’t occur naturally in roses. However, the team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Tianjin University in China successfully pigmented a white rose with a bacterium known as “Agrobacterium tumefaciens” that was engineered to bring out the blue pigment-producing enzyme after it was injected into the white rose petals. However, the colour is non-uniform and fades.
There are plenty of purple varieties that may look black in the early morning light. However, breeders did manage to introduce lilac and mauve rose varieties back in the 1950s.
The only way to get a blue or black rose is through genetic modification in a laboratory. Gardeners have mixed feelings about these types of genetic breeding programs.
Some say that science is improving gardening by adding more variety to plants and flowers. Other gardeners take the position that genetic engineering doesn’t belong in the garden. Whichever way you lean, it’s a personal choice.
The Rose is a Common National Flower
Many countries use the rose as its national flower, including the United States. President Ronald Reagan announced the rose as the national flower of the United States in 1986. Reagan famously made the public announcement while standing in the White House Rose Garden.
Other rose varieties feature as national state flowers for Iowa, Georgia, New York, Washington DC, and North Dakota. The rose is also the national flower of Slovakia, Ecuador, Luxembourg, Iran, England, the Czech Republic, the Republic of the Maldives, Bulgaria, and Romania.
Canada and Alberta also hold the rose in high esteem as their national flowers.
Abraham Lincoln and George Washington Have Connections to Roses
The first rose breeder in the United States was none other than George Washington. He bred a variety that he named after his mother, Mary Washington.
After serving two terms in office as the President, Washington returned to his homestead in Mount Vernon, where he spent the rest of his days pottering around his garden and hothouse.
Washington also had an affinity for planting what he referred to as “Pleasure Gardens.” These venues have a spectacular section of brightly-coloured flowers, and roses were the central theme. Washington would plant indigenous rose varieties like the “Eglantine,” “Old Blush,” and “Damask.”
Washington would harvest his roses and use them for rose oil and rose water. The President was also fond of including rosehips in his meals.
President Lincoln also had a penchant for roses. After his passing, the Moreau-Robert Nursery of Angers in France bred a new rose named” Souvenir du President Lincoln” in 1865.
Surprisingly, the rose is still available for sale to this day, featuring a quarterly flowering phase and a stunning aromatic fragrance. The rose grows into huge canes, arching and spraying blossoms as the plant grows.
This breed of rose is hardy to cold weather conditions, and it continues to bloom each quarter throughout all seasons. Known informally as the “Mister Lincoln,” this rose variety is still available today.
The flowers bloom in a deep red colour. The aroma of the roses is so potent that you can smell them from across the yard.
Roses Can Sell for Millions of Dollars
Did you ever think that roses could make someone a millionaire? Surprisingly enough, there are breeders out there making a mint off of roses. The breeder, David Austin, spent nearly $5 million developing “The Rose Juliet.”
It took him 15 years to perfect the rose, launching it at the Chelsea Flower Show in London in 2007. As the most expensive rose ever bred, the flower garnered the attention of leading horticulturalists from around the world.
The Rose Juliet eventually sold in auction in 2007 for the staggering sum of $15.8 million. As a result, the Rose Juliet gained the moniker of the most expensive rose cultivar in the world.
It is interesting to learn that the first-ever patent on a rose cultivar comes from Henry Bosenberg. This horticultural master bred the climbing rose variety known as the “New Dawn.” The United States Patent Office issued the I.P. for the rose in August 1931.
Wrapping Up – Get Your Rose Box Delivery Sent Direct to Your Door!
Roses are a great gift for any occasion. Whether you’re celebrating a friend’s birthday or Valentine’s with your partner, roses are a fantastic way to celebrate your feelings. Order luxury box roses in a variety of styles to suit any occasion.
