Rosaceae is a family of medium-sized, flowering plants. These plants can be woody trees, climbers, or herbaceous plants. Many familiar, edible fruits are a part of this family: pears, apricots, plums, cherries, peaches, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries, to name a few, and almonds, too. Also included are trees and shrubs such as meadowsweets, firethorns, and roses.
The rose family comes from the genus Rosa. There are 100 species of this perennial shrub found mostly in the Northern Hemisphere. Roses come in many colors—white, yellow, pink, crimson, maroon, purple—with a delightful fragrance, depending on the variety of rose and the climate. The flower consists of multiple sets of petals, stems covered in prickly thorns (unless the thorns have been bred out), and oval leaflets that are sharply toothed on the edges.
The rose industry is divided into three main areas: fragrance, fresh flower/florist, and garden.
The Fragrance Industry
The Damask rose (R. Damascena) and several other species are specifically grown for the creation of attar of roses which is used in the production of perfumes. The industry is concentrated in the Mediterranean basin where the climate is the most ideal.
Different colors of roses have been assigned to communicate the feelings of the giver for or to the receiver of a bouquet of roses:
Red – love and desire
White – purity and innocence
Yellow – friendship and care
Peach – sympathy and genuineness
Pink – admiration and joy
Black – death
Red roses are most often given to express romantic love toward a girlfriend, fiancé, or wife. Giving three red roses conveys “I love you” to that special someone.
The Florist Industry
More than one billion stems per year are produced from more than 30,000 acres of greenhouses worldwide. The industry started in Europe and the U.S. in the late 19th century. However, the industry was later moved to Columbia, Ecuador, Kenya, and Ethiopia because of their climates. China and India are also major producing areas.
The Garden Industry
The garden industry has been popular since the Middle Ages, although the roses then were grown for their medicinal properties.
Most rose species are native to Asia, with a smaller number found in North America, Europe, and Northwest Africa. They hybridize readily resulting in the many different types of garden roses. Hybridization began in the 18th century in Western Europe. Today, there are more than 11,000 varieties of hybrid roses, and more are bred every year. An estimated 35 million units are sold annually in the U.S. alone.
Did You Know? The majority of the most popular, modern hybrids are protected by U.S. plant patents and cannot be propagated without prior consent from the breeders.
The roses most commonly sold in the U.S. are:
- Hybrid Tea Roses – the classic, long-stemmed varieties
- Grandiflora Roses – similar to the Hybrid Tea Roses, but with multiple blooms per stem
- Floribunda Roses – compact and multi-flowered
- Miniature Roses – often grown in containers as gifts
- Climbing Roses
- Landscape or Shrub Roses – the main component of today’s North American rose industry
Sources: Britannica.com/plant/rose-plant; Wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosaceae; ngb.org/year-of-the-rose; proflowers.com/blog/rose-color-meanings
The rose is a beautiful, intricately-designed flower whose fragrance is sweet and often intoxicating. But there is a rose that surpasses even this beautiful flower. Mrs. White calls Him the Rose of Sharon.
“We need Jesus, the Rose of Sharon, to beautify the character and make our lives fragrant with good works, so that we shall be a savor of Christ unto God.” The Review and Herald, August 14, 1894