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A 35-million year old symbol of love, beauty, war and politics
The rose is one of the oldest flowers known to man, and still one of the most popular. According to fossil evidence, the rose is 35 million years old and during its long life has been recognised as a symbol of love, beauty, war and politics.
During the Roman period, peasants were reduced to growing roses instead of food crops to satisfy the demands of their rulers. They used its petals for medicinal purposes but also as perfume, in their baths and as confetti at celebrations.
In the fifteenth century the rose was used as a symbol for the factions fighting to control England. The white rose symbolised York, and the red rose symbolised Lancaster and as a result, the conflict became known as the ‘war of the roses’.
Roses were in such high demand during the seventeenth century that royalty considered roses or rose water as legal tender, and they were often used as barter and for payments. It wasn’t until the late eighteenth century that cultivated roses were introduced into Europe from China - this is where we can trace most modern day roses back to.
Did you know?
The world’s oldest living rose bush is thought to be one thousand years old. Today it continues to bloom on the wall of the Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany.
Napoleon’s wife Josephine adored roses so much she grew more than 250 varieties.
In Christianity, the red rose is symbolic of the blood of Christ and a symbol of martyrdom, charity, the passion and resurrection. The white rose is linked to the Virgin Mary – the rose without thorns.
While the rose may bear no fruit, the rose hips (the part left on the plant after it has finished blooming) contains more vitamin C than almost any other fruit or vegetable.
Shakespeare refers to roses more than fifty times throughout his writings, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose; By any other name would smell as sweet.” Act 2, Scene 2, Romeo and Juliet.
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