Rose Colors & Their Meanings – Choosing the Right Rose For the Right Occasion.

You’d be hard-pressed to find an instance where roses seem out of place.

A dozen long stems are essentially the Hail-Mary pass of floral arrangements; you can spot them cradled in the arms of a celebrity one second, and pressed against the nostrils of a woman in love the next.

But as versatile and fluid as these floral gems are, they are also distinctly skilled in various love dialects and functions. So, while you generally can’t go wrong with roses, you may find that certain situations and occasions are best-fit for some types roses than their alternatives.

So, how do you match the rose to the event?

How do you choose the right rose for the right occasion so that your message to the recipient doesn’t get a little lost in translation?

By learning each colors symbolism, you’ll be saving yourself the terrifying horror of insinuating infatuation, when you actually meant to say ‘I love you as a friend’ or suggesting the end of a relationship when you actually mean the opposite.

It goes without saying; there is no symbol of passionate affection that is more prevalent or enduring than the red rose.

It is an identity that is steeped in its color red which has always symbolized romance since the Victorian era when flowers were the foremost means of expressing intimacy since PDA wasn’t socially acceptable. But despite being around for 35 million years or so, their garden cultivation only began approximately 5000 years ago when Rose fruit and hips were discovered to have some effect on ailments including low libido and depression.

Between the Roman practice of scattering rose petals in order to ‘set the mood’ and the Catholic association with the red rose to the dainty virtues of the Virgin Mary, red roses have been pulled in opposite directions by various cultures. However, by the time the Shakespearean era rolled around, everybody seemed to agree on one thing – these romantic beauties are the poetic standard and idyllic visual representation of love. Of course, different shades of red suggest varying depths of emotion, but it all boils down to the expression of genuine, inexhaustible love; whether in life or in death.

The thought of white roses often conjures up images of white-clad brides and rose wreaths woven along with white chrysanthemums. But you might be surprised to learn that long before the current trend, the white rose existed and bore a contrasting role in culture. It was used as a symbol of sworn secrecy as far back as the 14th century, a time when it played a significant role in the War of Roses – England’s bloodiest civil war.

It was also a symbol of one of the rival houses during the war, while the red rose, which was also the symbol of the opposing house was believed by the Romans, to be a white rose turned red when the goddess, Aphrodite bled over them after being pricked by a thorn.

Yup. Even the old age had a few conspiracy theories in circulation.

But all that became history when Queen Victoria waltzed down the aisle in her royal flair in the 1840’s clutching a bouquet of white roses. Ergo; a new tradition was born! Today, the white rose is a little less about bloody fights and gruesome deaths, but a representation of purity, loyalty, and innocence – a long shot from what they once were. So, if you are looking to communicate new beginnings, hope or a shared secret, white roses are the best way to go. But more importantly, nothing will say congratulations better than a hand-delivered box of white Ohara roses.

It is a little hard to imagine the color yellow as anything but delicate and warm, but the yellow rose regardless of its spectacular aura was at one time, considered anything but. In the Victorian era, when the practice of conveying messages through floral arrangements was popular, receiving a yellow was in fact, a symbol of dying love often stemming from infidelity or jealousy.

Yellow roses have come a long way since then. Their sunny appearance seems to have prevailed through the dark ages and today they are now representative of friendship that is both unbridled and un-circumstantial. The yellow rose is also used to convey congratulatory messages, or celebrate accomplishments as they speak to the joyous occasion, and add a cheerful spark to the day. But even more enticing, is the fact that they are also used to symbolize resolved riffs, and reconciliation and a gentle reassurance of new beginnings.

Suffice to say, a box of these sunny latina stems will seamlessly brighten up the day of your friend or family member. And if you think about it, there are a few riffs you’d like to patch up with a few family members; if this is the case, you’ll find that a dozen (or two) yellow roses make an excellent white flag.

The pink rose is a true multiplayer in the floral scenery. It is the floral safe card for those days when you aren’t particularly keen on the intensity of the red rose or the restraint and levity of the yellow hue. It conveys a gamut of emotions ranging from passion to simple thoughtfulness; and while each individual shade of pink bears a different identity, they are known to play the field nonetheless. For instance, pastel pink roses can express sympathy just as easily as it can communicate admiration or joy. A bright pink rose would say thank you and congratulations in the same breath – and thrust in the midst of red roses, they can say ‘I love you’ or express romantic enthusiasm.

Their versatility can be traced somewhat to the old ages, which puts the pink rose down in history as one of the oldest pieces of art. They were featured in 15th-century paintings and grown the popular Imperial Garden of China. Even Talmud suggests that at one time, pink roses were the only flowers allowed to bud in Jerusalem – and given their popularity in those days, it only makes sense that they were used in a vast number of circumstances. From love to gratitude and everything in-between, pink roses speak every language.

Purple roses are one of the resultant hybrids of several cross-breeding attempts made by growers in the 1800’s. They are believed to have originated as a result of crossing European-grown roses with Chinese ones which yielded such a vast number of purple variants, they were given alternative names such as the ebb tide, the night owl and the burgundy iceberg.

As you can expect, each purple variant is known for its specific meaning, however purple roses, in general, are a general representation of enchantment, and in some cases, used to express to the recipient that the giver has fallen in love at first sight. Again, like their orange counterparts, they are representative of passionate desire, however, there is also a subtle suggestion of its transience in this case. So, one day you might be enthralled with the person and at the snap of a finger, your enchantment with them could be complete history. Whatever the case, a deep impression is created nonetheless – no matter how fleeting.

On the other hand, the purple rose is also indicative of opulence, perhaps stemming from purples association to royalty and elegance. That said, the next time you are enthralled by someone on first meeting, a purple bouquet will most appropriately convey the feelings; ‘you are elegant, I am spellbound by you’. Now, that should make a clean shot.

The cherry brandy rose combines the oomph of the orange rose and the sunny disposition of the yellow rose on warm-looking petals that appear to have a natural sun-kissed glow.

Cherry-brandy roses are essentially the softest and under-powering multicoloured combination that somehow rides on the identity of its parent colors without losing its unique flair. In terms of meaning, however, it is an all-in-one kind of rose and conveys the enthusiasm, gratitude and fiery passion of the orange rose, while also symbolizing friendship and joy like the yellow rose.

It makes an excellent choice for conveying your heartfelt appreciation for your friend – especially if your feelings are bubbling over with passionate enthusiasm. It also says ‘I’m rooting for you’ to that special someone, or ‘I can’t wait for you to be back home’ to your BFF. In any case, the multicoloured bloom of a box of Cherry Brandies will have the recipient excitedly looking forward to reciprocating your kind gesture.

Unlike most roses that are steeped in ancient history, rainbow roses only became popular at the turn of the century. However, they have been experimented on for nearly a millennium and feature a variety of differently colored petals – much like their name suggests, they are colored like the rainbow.

If you are already thinking ‘there is no way this exists in nature’, then you are right.

Again, dye plays an important role in bringing this imagination to life but not in the way you might expect.

You see, rainbow roses are in fact, fed dyed water in order to achieve their lively, colored effect. This method of naturally coloring the roses gives it a chance to live just a little longer than their hand-colored counterparts, but not nearly as long as the unaltered ones.

What do they mean?

Everything from ‘congratulations’ to ‘I love you’. Given its vast range of colors, they add a little spark of special occasions and convey a range of emotions none of which can be gloomy or sad.

While it might appear a little ‘different’ in cases where you are trying to come off as sophisticated and elegant, it is the safest way to go if you skimmed through the e-vite and you are not quite sure what would be appropriate for the occasion; And you have Peter Van de Werken to thank...