Although the rose is famous worldwide, there are some secrets about it that you might not know. Join Green Garden Florist to learn them.
- Rose is one of the oldest flowers in the world.
The first fact is that archaeologists have found rose fossils dating back 35 million years. Rose (Rosa species from the Rosaceae family) is the oldest cultivated flower and has been used for various decorative purposes for a long time. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, roses are the oldest type of plant cultivated for ornamental purposes.
- Rose can live for a long time.
It is interesting to know that the oldest rose in the world is now 1000 years old. Are you surprised?
This rose grows on the wall of Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany, and its existence has been recorded since 815 AD.
According to legends, this rose bush symbolizes Hildesheim’s success and bright future. As long as this rose blooms, Hildesheim has never fallen and will never decline. The exciting thing about this rose is that in 1945, the cathedral was destroyed during the bombings, but this rose bush was saved and remained intact.
- Roses are edible
Although many people plant roses in their gardens and homes for their beauty, there are other uses for this attractive flower. Throughout history, roses have been used as food, and numerous medical benefits have been recorded.
Rose petals are edible, and their extract is abundantly used in jellies, pastilles, jams, and flavouring, especially in Indian and Chinese cuisines.
Roses produce a fruit called “Rose hips.” This fruit grows in different colours such as orange, red, dark purple, or even black. Rose fruit is rich in vitamin C and can be made into a delicious tea after drying. In addition, this fruit is also used to prepare jam, jelly, and marmalade. You can also make a delightful rose syrup from its extract.
- The scent of rose is used to prepare different perfumes.
It is almost impossible to pass by a rose bush and not notice its pleasant aroma. Rose scent is one of the most popular scents in the world of flowers and is used to produce different perfumes. This scent is one of the most valuable features of this flower. Greeks and Romans created bouquets from this flower. This fragrance is vital to many of the most successful and best perfume combinations.
Rose oil has been considered one of the essential ingredients in the perfumery industry for centuries. Rose oil is obtained from the microscopic aroma glands in the petals. It is interesting that Bulgaria’s “Rose Valley” produces about 85% of the world’s rose oil.
- Each colour rose has a different meaning.
We all know that roses symbolize unconditional love, but your chosen colour can convey a different message to the recipient. Of course, the meaning of these colours may be different in cultures.
The colours and meanings you read below are standard in the Western world:
Red: love and romance
Pink: elegance and lightness
Yellow: friendship and encouragement
White: purity, innocence, and spirituality
Orange: energy and enthusiasm
It is essential to know that there is no such thing as a black rose or a blue rose. Sorry to disturb your beliefs, but the truth is that there is no such thing as a “black” rose! A flower commonly presented as a black rose is just a very dark red rose.
Regarding the blue rose, we must say that the natural blue pigments are not naturally present in the rose. Instead, there were beautiful varieties of purple roses, and hundreds of purple and lilac roses were introduced to the world in the 1950s and 1960s.
- The rose is the national flower of the United States of America.
Another interesting fact about the rose is that on November 20, 1986, the president of the time, Ronald Reagan, officially introduced the rose as the national flower of the United States. He made this announcement while standing in the famous Rose Garden of the White House. This introduction shows that today different types of roses are known as state flowers in Georgia, New York, and Washington.
George Washington and Abraham Lincoln have a special relationship with roses, directly and indirectly!
General Washington was president of the United States from 1789 to 1797, and after this time, he returned with great enthusiasm to his farm in Mount Vernon to finally do the job he always dreamed of: gardening! George Washington was the first rose grower in the United States. He even named a variety of roses after his mother, Mary Washington.
In 1865, the Moreau-Robert plant shop in Anger, France, unveiled a new rose in honour of former US President Abraham Lincoln. They named this rose “Souvenir du President Lincoln.” Amazingly, this rose is still growing and available. Its flower is very dense and has four parts and a unique fragrance.
- The most expensive rose in the world sold for several million dollars.
David Austin, a rose breeder, spent 5 million dollars over 15 years to create a variety of roses with yellow plum colour. This rose named “Rose Juliet” was exhibited at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2006 and caused a storm in the world not only because of its beautiful colour but also because Juliet was the most expensive rose ever. The Juliet Rose sold for $25.8 million in the same year, making it the most expensive rose in the world.
A revolution called transplanted and hybrid roses
Growing and transplanting roses go back thousands of years. The first evidence of rose grafting was discovered around 500 BC in Iran and China. Most ornamental roses are hybrids and bred due to the popularity of their parent flowers. Another reason for making transplanted roses is to achieve more fragrance. Obtaining beautiful decorative spines in the stems of roses has also led to the creation of many grafted roses.
The cool thing to know is that you can make rainbow rose roses absorb water upwards and turns their petals into different colours! ! take a white rose and dip its stem in bowls filled with different colours and waters!
