Rose can easily be described as the most loved flower in the world. It’s difficult to point out any one reason behind the amazing popularity enjoyed by roses. Some love the flower because of its fragrance, there are those who have been big fans of the variety of colors roses are available in, while some love it because of its startling appearance which has even been greatly enhanced in recent times by gold or silver plating it; good example is this exquisite Eternity Rose gift for Valentine’s Day. The section below would talk about some of the most interesting and unique facts about roses that you probably never knew hitherto.
1. The world got its first ever blue rose in 2004
For more than a couple of decades, breeders around the globe had been busy crossing roses of various colours to make an impossible possible; they were trying to create blue roses. They kept failing as rose petals don’t possess the enzyme required for creating the blue pigment. Then came the year 2004 which brought an end to the misery of these breeders. Application of genetic engineering allowed rose breeders to produce roses carrying the blue pigment Delphinidin.
2. It is difficult to assume how tall and big a rose bush can be
As far as recorded data goes, the tallest rose bush has grown more than 7 meters or 23 feet tall in India. The largest rose bush in the world, on the other hand, has a canopy covering an area of 9, 000 square feet. Its trunk boasts a massive circumference of nearly 12 feet in size. What would leave you even more amazed is that the bush comprises of more than 200,000 blooms and its branches have to be supported by a massive trellis. Just imagine how stunning the bush looks with all its blooms. It is interesting to note that as one of the unknown facts about roses, while rose plants are common, rose trees are realy seen. Wherever they exist, they are celebrated and well cared for.
3. David Austin grew the world’s costliest rose
David Austin, one of the most famous rose breeders of all time, stunned the world by introducing the world’s costliest rose in 2006. He had to work for 15 long years and spend a whopping $5 million for breeding the rose.
4. Roses have amazing longevity
We all want beautiful things to live for a long time. That wish of ours can definitely be fulfilled when it comes to roses. The Hildesheim Cathedral in Hildesheim, Germany has walls covered by a massive rose bush, which is more than 1000 years old.
5. The Overnight Scentsation
Overnight Scentsation is the name of the very first rose that travelled to space. It’s a miniature rose that was taken to space for aiding researchers to find out what kind of impact low gravity can have on the fragrance of roses. The scientists also used Overnight Scentsation to learn ways of improving the aroma of various consumer products.
6. You can eat roses
One of the unknown facts about roses interestingly is its palatability. Rose is widely used as a culinary ingredient; the flower is most commonly used for preparing cakes and salads. Use of rose hips and petals for making marmalade and jams is also pretty common. Rosewater, which is made by steeping petals of the flower in regular water, is often used for making nougat, gumdrops, and baklava.
7. You can get significant amount ascorbic acid from rose plants
Rose hips, which are fruits produced by rose plants, are rich sources of ascorbic acid or vitamin C. What’s more, these fruits also contain vitamin A and vitamin B in small quantities. You will get a small amount of vitamin C even in rose petals.
