Roses are more than just beautiful blooms, there are so many things that you might not know about them! Find out more with our top 10 facts about roses.
It is no secret that a rose is a very luxurious flower and that is why at Appleyard, roses feature in many of our luxury flowers bouquets. However, there are so many facts about roses so we have put together our top 10 facts about roses to help educate anyone and everyone a little about the sumptuous stem.
The History of Roses
Roses have been around for a very long time! A fossil of an ancient species of rose was found in Colorado, dating back to 35 million years ago, and humans have cultivated them for millennia. Throughout history, they've been grown as ornamental plants, as well as to use in medicine, perfume, and food.
Types of Roses
The genus Rosa has some 150 species spread throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from Holland to Mexico and North Africa. New roses are also constantly being developed by nurseries through careful breeding and selection of existing varieties, to create roses with the best appearance and scent.
Rose Colours
Roses come in a wide variety of colours, including red, pink, white, yellow, peach, and purple. Sadly, some colours don't exist. A "black rose" isn't actually black, but a very dark red or purple. Blue roses do not exist at all in nature, as no rose has the blue pigment. Scientists have attempted to genetically engineer blue roses, but the resulting flowers were lavender in colour.
Roses in the Economy
Rose cultivation plays a huge role in many countries' economies, with billions of roses grown every year. Ecuador is the currently the world's biggest grower and exporter of roses, with more than 54% of cultivated land filled with the flowers. Ecuadorian roses are well loved for their exceptionally large blooms.
Roses can live for a very long time
Roses can survive for extremely long periods of time. The oldest living rose bush can be found growing on the wall of the Cathedral of Hildesheim in Germany. It's been there for at least 700 years, and is often dubbed the Thousand-Year Rose. Legends say that it was there before the cathedral itself, and the tough plant even bounced back from bombing during World War II, which initially reduced it to a charred stump.
Although the typical rose isn't quite this extraordinary, many rose bushes can still live for decades in gardens when cared for correctly.
Roses in Ancient Rome & Greece
Roses were very significant in Ancient Rome. Carvings of roses were used to decorate rooms to signify the idea of 'sub rosa' - that anything said under the rose should be kept secret. The Roman Empire also held a festival of roses called 'Rosalia' in the spring and summer, and garlands of roses were often worn during celebrations and parties.
In Ancient Greece, the rose was believed to be created by Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and this symbolism still exists today, with the red rose being an iconic symbol of romance and love.
Precious Rose Oil
Rose oil has been used for cosmetic and medicinal purposes for thousands of years, with the distillation process dating back to ancient Persian civilisation.
Today, it's one of the most expensive essential oils in the world, as only certain types of roses can be used, and creating just a few drops can take thousands of roses. Despite this, it remains one of the most widely used ingredients in perfumes. The oil also has anti-ageing, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, meaning it's popular in skincare as well.
Rose Meanings & Symbolism
Different coloured roses are used to convey a range of emotions. For instance, red roses are used to show romance, love, and passion. If you want to show empathy, happiness, and friendship, yellow is the colour of choice, whilst delicate pink roses send a message of grace, admiration, and appreciation.
The Most Expensive Roses
Roses can be expensive - for example, the Juliet Rose cost legendary rose breeder David Austen 15 years to cultivate, at a total cost of £2.3 million.
The War of the Roses
Roses have been a huge source of symbolism, and it's no different in English history. During the famous War of the Roses, the rose was used as a symbol for the factions fighting to control England, with the white rose representing Yorkshire and the red rose Lancaster.
At Appleyard London, we stock a wide range or luxury roses bouquets in a variety of colours to suit any occasions. All of our roses are hand picked and hand crafted into the heartfelt luxury flowers bouquet.
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