The rose: A flower with a secret history

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The rose: A flower with a secret history

February 08, 2008

Red roses are the ultimate flower for romance. More than any other bloom, they represent Valentine’s Day.

But why roses? To find out, I talked to Professor Frank McDonough, botanical information consultant at the L.A. County Arboretum & Botanic Garden in Arcadia, arboretum.org.

First, McDonough clarified: Roses are revered in the West, yes, but less so in places like China and Japan, where camellias and peonies are highly prized.

Roses’ roots go way back. The Chinese cultivated them as long as 5,000 years ago and roses were used in pagan fertility rites.

But they really took center stage in Roman times. “They were the flower for the Romans,” says McDonough. “Any Roman street would smell of roses.”

Used for cooking, flavoring and religious ceremonies, they were also the first real deodorant. Rose water was used in fountains and baths, helping to keep a dense population fresh-smelling.

Additionally, the bloom symbolized secrecy (hence the phrase “sub rosa”) because its petals hid the sexual parts. Who knew?!

Pale pink rose

The rose's popularity fell along with the Roman empire. Still, it continued to hold its own – for example, rose windows in cathedrals and it was the flower associated with the Virgin Mary.

In the Renaissance, with the flourishing of the arts and allusions to romantic and sexual love, roses rebounded as a symbol of these emotions.

The always-proper Victorians invented a whole vocabulary based on the color of roses. “You could make a real faux pas with roses back then,” explains McDonough. “If a lady gave a man a dried white rose, he didn’t stand a chance!”

And, of course, economics played a role in building the rose’s reputation. The introduction of tea roses in the 1860s meant the flowers kept their petals longer and, when greenhouse glass became cheaper, it lowered the cost of growing long-stem roses. By the turn of the century, the industry was off and running.

Fast-forward to the 1980s for two more market developments: air-freight and plastic glass for greenhouses.

Phew! That’s a lot of ground and a lot of lore re: roses. But now you know why roses reign when it comes to romance.

Meanwhile, yesterday, I asked if you knew, off the top of your head, Dr. Phil’s last name: It’s McGraw.

And Britney Spears’ middle name: Jean.

Have a good weekend, flower lovers!

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Comments

Paula | Reply
February 11, 2008

Wow, that was an interesting story about roses. I didn't realize there was so much history and symbolism. I thought all there was to know about roses was what the different colors meant. Thanks also for the link to the LA Arboretum. Maybe you could do more stories about the hidden history of popular flowers.

Declan | Reply
February 13, 2008

More on roses and Romans: the banquet halls and watering holes of the day sometimes had roses painted on the ceiling. This was a hint to revelers that what was said under the influence should remain "sub rosa". But gossip was around long before Roman times, and I'm sure nothing remained sub rosa for long.