What is the Meaning of a Blue Rose?
They’re not found in nature, but the thought of them has captivated people for centuries
From ancient times to the flower language of the Victorians to the florist shops of today, flowers have been filled with symbolism.
Different flowers can symbolize different emotions and themes, and even different shades of a particular flower can convey a different message.
But what about a flower that may or may not exist?
The meaning of a blue rose
Since antiquity, blue roses have symbolized mystery, longing, and attaining the impossible.
A bouquet of blue roses can tell the lucky recipient “Follow your dreams!” or “Reach for the stars.”
It’s said that some cultures believe that whoever has a blue rose will have their wishes granted, so a blue rose can also mean “Your wishes will come true.”
Some florists associate light blue roses with peace and serenity, whereas the darker the blue, the deeper the air of mystery.
Because blue roses symbolize longing and secrecy, they can also symbolize true yet unrequited love, or having a secret admirer.
Do blue roses exist?
If you’re thinking, “Hmm, I’m not sure I’ve ever even seen a blue rose,” there’s a reason for that.
The color spectrum of natural roses can span from red to pink to orange to yellow and even green or purple or brown, but there’s one color that is never found in the wild: blue.
This is because roses lack the genes for blue pigment. This means that no matter how many times you selectively breed a rose, you won’t end up with a blue flower.
The genetic makeup just isn’t there — a reality that has frustrated horticulturists for centuries.
If you see a blue rose today, chances are good that they’ve been painted, dyed, or photoshopped.
The search for blue roses throughout history
For centuries, flower lovers and cultivators have searched in vain for blue roses, existing only as an ideal or dream.
A Chinese folktale tells the story of a princess who avoided suitors by saying she would only marry a man who brought her a blue rose.
In the 12th century, Andalusian agronomist Ibn al-‘Awwām wrote about his agricultural experiments in the Arabic book Kitāb al-filāḥa. According to a French translation by J.J. Clément-Mullet, the book tells of azure blue roses that could be grown by placing a blue dye in the bark of the roots.
In today’s flower shops, modern florists dye white roses blue by placing them in a vase of water with blue dye, a process which you can recreate at home.
Has science cracked the code of making a blue rose?
Perhaps it’s fitting that blue roses are a metaphor for attaining the impossible, because 21st century scientists have tried to do just that.
In 2004, biotechnology scientists at the Japanese company Suntory created the genetically modified Applause Blue Rose by isolating and introducing genes responsible for blue pigment in other blue flowers like violets and delphiniums.
The resulting rose, pictured above, is a pale purple shaded with blue unlike any other rose in the world — but not a blue rose, most would agree.
More recently in 2019, scientists at Tianjin University in China have discovered bacterial enzymes that cause L-glutamine to convert to the blue pigment indigoidine when injected into the petals of a white rose.
While the effect is limited to the point of injection, this technique creates genuine blue pigmentation.
Will we ever have a true blue rose in our backyard gardens? Time will tell, but until science achieves the impossible, this enchanting rose will remain a legend.
