June is National Rose Month. It’s the ideal month to celebrate them as they’re in full bloom during this season. Roses have long held a special place in everyone’s hearts and hold a prominent place in history as well. They have been used to show affection towards another person or as symbols in wars, weddings, etc. In the United States, the rose is a state flower of five states. This beautiful flower has surely earned its place in everyone’s minds and hearts.
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| Mama Sassy has a beautiful rose bush that has 2 different colored roses. |
Here's a little history of National Rose Month
It's celebrated annually to recognize its beauty, popularity, and symbolism. The flower has over 300 species as well as different sizes and colors. Most species of roses are native to Asia, with other species originating from Europe, North America, and northwestern Africa. The first rose in America is believed to have been found in modern-day Colorado, As for the most common garden roses found today, they date back to 18th-century China.
It was at the beginning of the 20th century that a part of the White House property, which was used for stables, was transformed into a rose garden, although it houses more than just roses. National Rose Month was first observed in 1959. It was only around three decades later that President Ronald Reagan officially made the rose the national flower of the USA.
The rose has been used for a variety of purposes. It serves as an inspiration for artists. The flower is beautiful and fragrant and is widely used as an ornamental garden indoor or outdoor plant, as well as decoration, food, medicinal purposes, or even in aromatherapy and commercial perfumery.
The rose is more than just a pretty flower and is packed with medicinal properties. The petals contain polyphenols and antioxidants that help to protect the body from cell damage. Moreover, the polyphenols in rose tea aid in reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cognitive diseases.
Fascinating Facts about Roses
The oldest living rose is 1,000 years old. This impressively enduring rose grows on a wall on the Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany.
You can eat roses. Their petals are edible and rose water (made from soaking the petals in water) is often added to jellies or jams, or is used as flavoring in Indian and Chinese dishes. Roses also grow a berry-shaped fruit called rose hips. The fruit can be orange, red, dark purple, or even black. Rose hips are packed with vitamin C and can be used in cocktails or dried to create a refreshing tea.
Each Rose Color has a Different Meaning
Red roses symbolize love and romance.
Pink roses exude grace and elegance.
The yellow rose represents friendship and cheer.
White roses signify sympathy, which is why you might often see them at funerals. However, white roses can also represent purity, spirituality, and innocence.
Orange represents enthusiasm.
The Most Expensive Rose Sold for Millions of Dollars
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but would have a much lower price tag. Famous rose breeder David Austin spent 15 years and $5 million breeding a rare rose variety that he called Juliet. The Juliet rose sold for $15.8 million in 2006, making it the world's most expensive rose cultivar.
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| Rhonda's yellow long-stem rose bush |
National Rose Month Timeline
1867 - Hybrid Tea Rose makes its debut.
1913 - First Lady Ellen Wilson starts the Rose Garden at the White House.
1959 - Rose Queen Arlene Hennessey of Bayonne, New Jersey is crowned the Rose Queen in honor of National Rose Month.
1986 - National Flower of the U.S. The rose becomes the official national flower of the U.S.
How to celebrate National Rose Month
- Plant a rose.
- Visit a rose garden.
- Gift a rose.
