June is National Rose Month, but don’t you think this beautiful flower deserves our praise all year round? We’re almost positive that most rose enthusiasts will agree with Emma Goldman - roses are a priceless commodity that make gardens more colorful, anniversaries more special, and the world more fragrant.
For centuries, roses have been a symbol for love, beauty, war and even politics. In fact, in 1986, President Ronald Reagan declared the rose as the National Floral Emblem of the United States, saying “Americans who would speak the language of the heart do so with a rose.” What a testament to the blooming beauty we all know and love!
To honor the rose this June, here are some facts about the flower that most people probably don’t know. Impress your friends and fellow gardeners with an abundance of rose knowledge!
· A fossil of a rose was located in Colorado from nearly 35 million years ago
· About 150 species of the genus Rosa exist throughout the Northern Hemisphere
· There is actually no such thing as a black rose - the color is an illusion! What you’re really seeing is a very dark red
· The country of Zambia, located in Southern Africa, is lucky enough to have more than 80 percent of its land covered with roses
· The Cathedral of Hildesheim in Germany has had a large rose bush growing on one of its walls for over 1,000 years, proving how long roses can survive
· In the middle ages, rose petals and rose oils were used in the baths of the rich and famous
· Different colors of roses symbolize different feelings of passion and emotion
· “War of the Roses” comes from the different factions fighting to control England in the 15thcentury. The white rose symbolized Yorkshire and the red rose symbolized Lancaster.
· George Washington was the first U.S. rose breeder
· There are more than 4,000 songs dedicated to roses
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