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Photo: Stan Shebs, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.Think you know the world's most romantic flower? Test your knowledge on the history, science, and surprising stories behind the legendary rose.
Budding Enthusiast 0–4 · Dedicated Gardener 5–8 · Master Botanist 9–10
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The House of Lancaster used the red rose as its emblem, while the rival House of York used the white rose. When Henry VII ended the conflict by marrying Elizabeth of York, he combined them into the red-and-white Tudor rose, which remains a royal symbol of England to this day.
Photo: Ghent master, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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When imports of citrus fruits were cut off during the war, the British public gathered wild rose hips to prevent scurvy. Rose hips contain significantly more Vitamin C than oranges by weight. The syrup became a popular dietary supplement for children during wartime rationing.
Photo: Morn the Gorn, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
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In botany, true thorns are modified branches, and spines are modified leaves. The sharp growths on roses are actually 'prickles,' which are extensions of the stem's outer skin. This is why they can be easily snapped off sideways without tearing the deep wood of the plant.
Photo: W.carter, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Roses lack the specific gene required to produce delphinidin, the primary pigment responsible for blue coloration in flowers. For centuries, blue roses were a symbol of the impossible. In 2004, scientists finally created a genetically modified blue rose by introducing genes from pansies.
Photo: Noumenon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
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Though they look pitch black to the naked eye, the legendary Halfeti roses are actually an extremely dark shade of crimson. Their unique color is caused by the specific pH level of the local soil and groundwater flowing from the Euphrates River. They only look this dark during the summer.
Photo: Bernard Gagnon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
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Bulgaria's Rose Valley possesses a unique climate and soil perfect for growing the Damask rose. It takes about four tons of hand-picked rose petals to produce just one kilogram of pure rose oil, often called 'liquid gold' because of its extremely high value in the perfume industry.
Photo: Anton Lefterov, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
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For centuries, rose water was the go-to flavoring for cakes, cookies, and puddings in Western kitchens. It was distilled from rose petals and offered a delicate floral aroma. It fell out of favor when vanilla became cheap and mass-produced, though it remains a staple in Middle Eastern desserts.
Photo: Hossein Khosravi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
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The Thousand-year Rose grows on the wall of Hildesheim Cathedral. According to local legend, it was planted in 815 by Emperor Louis the Pious. Amazingly, the bush survived the devastating Allied bombing of the cathedral in 1945 because its roots remained protected under the rubble.
Photo: Stefan Schäfer, Lich, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Paleontologists discovered a fossilized rose leaf in Florissant, Colorado, dating back to the Oligocene epoch, about 35 million years ago. This shows that wild roses flourished long before humans appeared. Today, the genus Rosa has over 300 wild species spread across the Northern Hemisphere.
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President Ronald Reagan officially declared the rose as the national flower of the United States during a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden. The rose was chosen because it grows in all fifty states and has long symbolized love, devotion, and beauty in American culture.
Photo: Stan Shebs, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
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