Roses are one of the most sought after and favorite plants, with over 100 species of roses available and most of them originate in Asia, while the rest are from Africa, North America and Europe. Roses were commercialized since early days and plantations of roses existed ever since 500 BC, which led to the creation of over 13,000 varieties of roses over time.
Listed below are some of the most astonishing facts about roses that will fascinate you.
Black roses?
Although there are a few species of roses like The Turkish Halfeti Rose, better known as “The Black Rose of Turkey”, there are no black roses as such and this breed just appears to be black to the human eye, as these roses are actually very dark reddish or crimson in color. So, black roses are just an illusion of your mind and do not actually exist.
What created the world’s first blue rose?
Rose breeders have continuously tried to cross different colors of roses in a bid to create a blue rose. However, due to the absence of an enzyme that is responsible for blue color, breeders could never come up with a blue rose. But all thanks to genetic engineering, the world’s first blue rose was grown in 2009.
The most expensive rose in the world
David Austin, one of the most famous rose breeders in the world, introduced the Juliet rose, which took about $5 million and 15 years to breed, making it the most expensive rose in the world!
The world’s largest rosebush
Spread over 8,500 square feet or 790 square meters, this rosebush belongs to the Lady Banksia species and has a circumference of approximately 12 feet. The rosebush entirely comprises of 200,000 blooms, making it one of the most spectacular sights to see.
The lifespan of roses
Fossils of roses dated back to 35 million years were found, proving that roses have been there ever since the Earth was formed.
Also, they have a great life span. The rose bush that is spread over the wall of the Cathedral of Hildesheim in Germany has been there for over 1000 years and still looks beautiful.
Roses have also found a mention in the Bible!
In the Bible, only three flowers were mentioned; one out of them being the rose.
Rose in space
Called the “Overnight Scentsation”, a miniature rose was carried to space so that research could be performed in low gravity conditions about how the fragrances of customer products could be improved.
Only 1 breed of rose has 4 petals
While all other breeds have five petals, only Rosa Sericea has four petals. It can be found in the Himalayas at an altitude of up to 4 kilometers from sea level and it was also introduced in Europe towards the end of the 19th century.