The National Flower of The United States: Rose

The rose is the national flower of the United States. The rose was also chosen in 1955 as the New York State flower. Also, roses varieties such as the Arkansas Rose is the state flowers of North Dakota and Iowa, while the Cherokee rose is the emblematic flower of Georgia. Roses belong to the family Rosaceae. Find out Why Is the Rose the National Flower of The United States.

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Why Is the Rose the National Flower of The United States?

One of the reasons the rose was chosen as the national flower of the United States is because they grow naturally in North America. This flower was chosen because it represents a symbol of life, love, and beauty.

The United States’ national flower is the rose. The rose was declared to be the national flower of the United States by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. This announcement was delivered in the White House Rose Garden, which was appropriate. Roses have been grown in what is now the United States of America for many centuries, according to fossil evidence.

President Ronald Reagan in 1986 declares the rose as the national flower of the united states in the white house rose garden

Now, the nation’s natural wild rose species number over 20. With several types of roses and snow and frost-resistant hybrid varieties such as Knock-Out roses, roses are prized throughout the country.

Some states in the United States also chose certain varieties of roses as the state representative flower.

For example, the state of the Big Apple made the rose the state flower. As there are so many types and shades of this flower, New York decided that its state flower should be roses of any color or different colors combined.

North Dakota and Iowa chose the Rosa arkansana, also known as Prairie rose or Prairie Wild Rose and Arkansas rose for growing along the banks of the Arkansas River where it grows naturally.

Georgia has the climbing Cherokee rose as the state emblem (Rosa laevigata), which actually is not originated from the United States and is considered an invasive plant.

Roses in the United States

Bouquets with roses combined with each other or with other flowers such as gerberas, lilies, carnations, and chrysanthemums look very well presented.

Roses are evergreen shrubs that can grow up to 1.5- 2 ft tall (or taller depending on if climbing roses or not). Roses are cultivated for their beautiful flowers ranging from white, red, pink, yellow, or maroon.

Its stems contain sharp thorns and are characterized above all by its pleasant scent, which can vary depending on the area where it grows, it is the national flower of the United States.

The rose is undoubtedly the queen of flowers, for its colors, beauty, its fragrance, and its deep connection to the culture and history of mankind. Experts date the appearance of the first roses between 35 and 40 million years ago, so they have been on our planet much longer than the human species.

However, it was not until ancient Greece that the first rose bushes began to be cultivated and these flowers were put to ornamental use. In fact, the rose has been highly appreciated in all civilizations throughout history, from the Egyptians, Syrians, and Phoenicians to the Romans.

There are currently about 100 different species of wild roses and 13,000 varieties of garden roses. Do you know how they differ? Well, the flowers of wild roses are generally smaller and usually have five petals per flower. In contrast, garden roses have been genetically modified and their flowers are much larger and have several sets of five petals in two or more layers.

Curiosities About the National Flower Of The United States

Let’s see some Curiosities About the National Flower Of The United States.

The oldest rose bush in the world is believed to be more than 1,000 years old. It grows in the Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany.

The tallest rose bush ever recorded grew to over 16 ft (5 m) tall and was located in New Jersey.

It is estimated that about 100 million roses are grown each year for Valentine’s Day.

George Washington, the first president of the United States, was a great lover of these flowers and grew them in his own garden.

George Washington garden of roses of the first president of the united states of america

In addition to their decorative use due to their beautiful appearance, roses are also highly valued in the cosmetics and perfume industry, and not only in the USA.

Greek mythology tells that the goddess Chloris found a precious lifeless nymph in the ground and decided to transform her into a rose. Later, the gods joined together to bestow its many qualities: Aphrodite gave her beauty and seduction, Dionysus the scent, and Eros, the god of love, the name by which we know her today.

According to Roman mythology, when Aphrodite was born amid waves and foam, there was a vine of white roses beside her. The goddess stuck one of its thorns into her heel and thus dyed the white roses red with her blood. In turn, Roman myths said that the white roses grew from the tears of Venus weeping over the death of Adonis.

Let’s see the meaning of the color of the National Flower of The United States.

The Meaning of Roses

Roses are used to symbolize a wide range of emotions and feelings. Beauty, love, and passion are often represented by roses. Also, did you know that these flowers have different meanings depending on their colors in the United States?

Red Roses: love, passion
Pink Roses: tolerance, respect, sympathy
Dark pink Roses: Gratitude
Soft pink Roses: admiration, condolences
White Roses: innocence, purity
Yellow Roses: Friendship
Orange Roses: exalted passion, energy
Blue Roses: miracles and opportunities

Interestingly, the meaning of the rose color may be changed by country.

When to Give Red Roses in the USA?

Red flowers symbolize sincere love. A bouquet of red roses is not only romantic and classic but also timeless and elegant. The fascinating perfume of this bouquet finishes refining its beauty and exudes passion. Red roses will always be the right way to say “I love you” in the USA.

Red roses combined with pink roses, purple Alstroemeria, and wax flowers are perfect to congratulate someone who recently got engaged, to inaugurate a new home, or to celebrate a birth.

**Flower arrangement: Red roses combined with pink roses, daisies, and callas**

Calla lilies (named after the word “Calla”, which is Greek for “beautiful”) are perfectly combined with red roses in the United States. Calla flowers combined with red roses are known to be a source of good luck throughout the year. Their purity and perfection are complemented in this bouquet by the classic red roses, creating a harmonious effect that always impresses.

What Do Pink Roses Mean in the United States?

Pink Roses are perhaps second in terms of popularity and recognition. Only behind roses in shades of red. They are undoubtedly a type of flower that tends to be liked by many people. There are several reasons why these roses have that distinction. They possess the elegance that roses have by nature.

The National Flower of The United States on Valentine’s Day

This is one of the myths that has grown up around roses in recent years. Do roses bloom all year round? The answer is of course not, so why are they found in flower shops all year round? They are found in flower shops because they can be grown in controlled environments. Therefore, if you take this as an example, you can say that you can find flowers all year round. Being such a popular type of flower in many places they are grown indoors in controlled conditions.

In fact, many of the flowers that are given as gifts on February 14th are not naturally grown, such as the red roses for Valentine’s Day, which are mostly imported to the United States for the celebration. Roses are not in bloom in February in the United States, and will not be until summer.

Hope you find this article interesting about Roses, the National Flower of The United States.

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