Roses

Black roses do not exist in nature. Flowers commonly called black roses are actually a very dark shade of red, purple, or maroon. The Mystique of the Black Rose The mysterious black rose has a significance that spans reality as well as fantasy. Perhaps because of its unique and unnatural color, Black Rose has always been associated with what the color itself signifies – death, mourning, evil, black magic and impending disaster. The Dark Bud OR Black Rose But the black rose has had a bad rap for several thousand years merely because of its color. The fact that white rose is the color of purity and all that is good is a significant contributing factor to the unfortunate fate of the black rose for these past many centuries. Black Rose has always been linked with mysticism, the unknowable, the dark side and sheer terror. During the Victorian era, it was used in funerals to signify loss by death, and the mourning that followed. Black Rose was also used as a symbolic warning of doom and, to a lesser extent, enmity. The Stuff of Legend Relatively closer to recent times, Black Rose has been used in fairy tales and other fictional works to denote that same dark tone that has long been associated with it. Even vampires are said to be fond of black roses because of the connotations of death being a beginning rather than an end. And surprisingly, as cut flowers they seem to last longer than other varieties – often up to two weeks or so. This further feeds the fire of the imagination that the black rose is an undying entity that lives on long after its separation from the bush. An Astonishing Revelation But what most people probably do not know is that there is no such thing as a black rose! Astonishing, but true – the only reason they are called black roses is because they are of an extremely dark hue; however, they are more often than not merely very dark maroons. Varieties such as Black Magic, the Black Bacarra rose and Black Beauty rose are all similar. They do look black under failing lights but in bright sunlight it is obvious that they have more than a tinge of red or maroon. Yet, they have gained popularity through the active imagination of the human mind and the name black rose has stuck with it. Modern-day Beliefs of Black Rose Today, black roses are no longer considered harbingers of doom. Rather, they signify the completion of an old cycle for the sake of starting a new one. In that sense, they are more ushers of a new era rather than destroyers of the old. As the positive tone set in for this rarest of rare roses, they started becoming increasingly popular as symbols of mutiny and resistance, as believed by the Irish people. They also signify a new start and therefore, hope and enthusiasm for the future, rather than regret or mourning for the past. But nothing can change the fact that black roses are the most mystical members of their family and will always be considered so.