With Valentine’s Day coming up we want to take a look at one of the most popular holiday flowers used to mark the occasion: the rose.
By looking at the history of the rose, from the flower beloved by gardeners to the symbol of love and affection it holds today, we hope
What is a Rose?
The rose is a perennial plant that can be one of any 100-plus species that belong to the Rosa genus (and Rosaceae family). Roses grow in stiff shrubs with prickly stems that are often covered in sharp thorns. They can also be found in climbing or trailing plants that grow over manmade or natural objects.
The petals of a rose are usually large and can be found in a wide array of colours that include shades of red, yellow, white and more. They grow in many different shapes and sizes — some roses have compact flowers and a small size but others grow tall and large. Roses are well known for the pleasing shape of their flowers and the wonderful fragnance that they give off.
Where do Roses Grow?
The majority of rose species are native to Asia but roses can be found flowering in North America, areas of Europe and northwest Africa as well. Throughout human history, florists and gardeners have grown roses and used them as central aspects of their arrangements and designs. Adding to this, many rose species are easy to hybridize and, thus, a great choice for horticulturists that wish to alter the appearance of flowers for their uses.
All of these factors have added up to make the rose a plant that is frequently hybridized and imported throughout the world. Although roses are only indigenous to certain areas of the world, they can now be found in the gardens of growers in almost every nation or region on the planet.
Next time we’ll start to look at the symbolic value that roses have had for humans and how they came to be the symbol of love and Valentine’s Day.
Tags: Roses, Roses online, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day roses
