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9 Little Known Facts About Roses

The Rose is the symbol of beauty and loveliness worldwide. An integral part of our culture, they have been associated with paintings, music, and literature since the dawn of history. Admired, appreciated, and linked with all kinds of human activities, it would be difficult to locate an individual who could not recognize a rose. This best known and most loved of all cultivated plants; it is truly the queen of all flowers. Roses are the standard of perfection by which all other flowers are judged, and they are blooming big business. Here are a few interesting facts about the flower and the business of roses few people are aware of;

A single rose cost $3.75 in 1878. When adjusted for today’s inflationary rate, that same rose would cost $93. Today the average cost of a dozen long stemmed red roses delivered to impress or show appreciation to that special someone cost around $80.

60% of the 1.5 billion cut roses imported and sold in the United States come from Colombia South America. Thirty years ago, only 7% of all cut roses sold in the U.S. were imported.

There are more than 15,000 different varieties of cultivated rose species worldwide. The Barbara Streisand, a lavender hybrid tea with a pink blush, was selected by Ms. Streisand after she auditioned 3 hybrids for 2 years in her own garden which is filled with 1200 roses.

Among the 50 U.S. states; Georgia, Iowa, New York, and North Dakota list the rose as their state flower.

There are rules that must be honored when naming newly cultivated species of roses. The International Cultivator Registration Authority limits new rose species name to a maximum of 30 letters and 10 syllables.

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The ultimate flower gift would be a dozen long stemmed rose variety named for the receiver. Wouldn’t you agree? The minimum price a nursery charges to create and name a rose variety specifically is $15,000. Here is a novel gift idea for the person that has everything.

The most expensive privately developed rose specie is the Juliet. An English breeder spent 14 years and $5.5 million dollars to cultivate this apricot colored variety.

After nearly 18 years of research, the Blue rose has been successfully cultivated. This was accomplished by inserting a pansy gene into a mauve rose. The Japanese firm Suntory achieved what had long been thought to be impossible. This new blue rose variety is expected to arrive in U.S. flower shops soon. I has been estimated the blue rose will it will generate over $305 million in annual revenue.

Around Valentine’s Day, the average price of roses increases 42%, on average. This past Valentine’s Day, 214 million roses were sold in the United States. Nearly 60% of those the roses that were sold that day were red.

The rose’s majestic form, gorgeous coloring, and delightful fragrance is incomparable. Even her thorns command respect. Is it any wonder why it consistently maintains the pinnacle in the flower business as the most beloved and requested flower gift. “A rose by any other name would it smell as sweet?”

Resource:
A Rose by Any Name: The Little-Known Lore and Deep-Rooted History of Rose Names by Douglas Brenner and Stephen Scanniello