Petals sprinkled in front of proposals, plastic stems held by stuffed bears, pierced through inked hearts dedicated to “mom,” and held between the teeth of any tango partner in a movie — roses are just about everywhere. They’re the most popular flower in the world, signifying love and passion in their gently folded petals.
But what other flowers are out there? Why doesn’t anyone know their names? What makes roses so popular? Could another flower be a defiant symbol of love? These questions need answers. Could no other flower rival a rose? Was Shakespeare missing something? Could something else, by any other name, smell just as sweet?
Roses have a type of superpower. They have maintained societal relevance while keeping their cultural reputation. It’s not uncommon to find plastic roses in stores, pre-packaged in bouquets for special occasions. The artificial versions of these flowers still hold the same symbolic power in the minds of the populace. Whether real or fake, the rose speaks to something much deeper: an idea of love that transcends the flower’s material form.
The origin of the beloved flower is greatly debated. While seen as signs of love, adoration, and respect across multiple cultures, it seems no one can agree on where they came from. A large variety of cultures have their own mythologies that tell of the rose’s origin. In Islamic tradition, it’s believed that roses are meant to represent the Prophet Mohammed and the perfection that divinity provides. Meanwhile, in Greek mythology, the rose is linked to the birth of the goddess Aphrodite. According to one version of the myth, roses bloomed from the sea foam that formed around Aphrodite as she emerged. Throughout human history, roses have been tied to divinity and love.
Regardless of myth, the earliest date we can track roses back to are around 500 B.C.E. in Central Asia, due to the journal entries of the ancient philosopher Confucius. They were initially grown in imperial gardens, as roses had become a symbol of luxury and were highly prized among the elite. Over time, the rose has both spread and mutated across continents, with humans intentionally breeding and cultivating new varieties for both beauty and scent.
There’s an undeniable appeal to roses, given their velvet soft petals, visually stunning and wrapped around one another, along with a soft smell that can really only be described as the scent of a rose. It’s floral, vaguely earthy, and faintly sweet. You really have to focus to smell a rose, as you might just miss it in passing. It’s a fragile aroma, offering tenderness if you take the time to inhale.
The colors can vary from the softest pinks and whites to a timeless red. The most famous type of rose is a signature red rose. They are a Valentine’s Day staple, and the default answer when you picture a romantic gift.
The romantic origins of the red rose specifically, is once again tied into mythology. There’s a belief that red roses came to be from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty. As the story goes, Aphrodite had taken on a mortal lover named Adonis. He was one of the only mortals she had ever truly loved. He was a hunter and had speared a boar, not realizing how it would retaliate. Adonis was mortally wounded by the boar’s tusk. Upon hearing his cries of pain, Aphrodite ran to him. She had to run through thick vines to find her pained paramour. Thorns had deeply cut her ankles as she rushed to be by his side. The blood from her wounds mingled with the earth through the forest floors, and red roses bloomed in her grief. Roses were shown to be both symbolic of love and sacrifice, and the drastic measures that would be taken for passion.
The rose is an extremely versatile flower and can go far beyond its preconceived romantic notions. Despite the anger of the Queen of Hearts, not all roses are born and tainted red, as there are sixteen distinct colors in existence. While not all naturally occurring, each of these colors have different meanings, as well as different ways that they come to be in the flora.
While the red rose is considered the most iconic, there are other colors with varying meanings to each of them. White roses are often considered to represent something delicate, something pure and innocent. Pink roses are often seen as a more mature alternative to the rich red, symbolizing grace and elegance rather than innate passion and desire. Even roses that don’t have naturally occurring colors have their own designated meanings. For example, orange roses are meant to show enthusiasm and excitement, while yellow roses are considered to represent platonic friendship and are a thoughtful gift.
The depth of giving roses as gifts is so incredibly intriguing, that it has overtaken the mainstream view of flowers. Millions of unique flowers have sprouted from this earth and exist beautifully, gently swaying in the shadow of a rose.
One of these overshadowed flowers is the daffodil. They are one of the first few flowers to bloom as winter fades, aligning itself with new beginnings and resilience. With a bright yellow color and unique trumpet-like shape, they’re flora with personality. While they don’t have the same controversy surrounding their origin, they’re quite humble in a sense. They sprouted in Spain and Portugal, then were brought to the British under the belief that they held healing properties within them.
Tulips, while semi-popular, still don’t get the recognition that they deserve. Originating in Central Asia, like their globally-preferred rival, they hold a classic, simplistic shape, often being the first flower we learn to draw. Yielding its natural colors in pink, yellow, orange, red, and white, tulips hold a beautiful variety that indicate the change to a brighter, sweeter season each time they pop up.
Roses aren’t the only flowers to represent love. Marigolds have been the most long standing traditional flower in terms of speaking for love, or rather, love lost. Most commonly used on Dia de los Muertos, meaning Day of the Dead, Marigolds are cut, sprinkled, and arranged on altars for deceased loved ones. They show the light that still exists with the person, a display that shows that while love may no longer be present, it is never lost.
Beyond meaning, there’s no rarity to the color of roses, either. The seductive shade of red that comes with certain roses is far from exclusive. Peonies have a similar range of naturally occurring colors, each with fairly similar meanings behind them. Red symbolizes love and passion, with crinkled petals shielding the bulb of the plant. They often hold congratulatory messages and are often gifted at special occasions. Peonies are a universal symbol of improvement and achievement, as they are associated with better fortune in so many different aspects of life.
The traditions surrounding roses could be conflated with close-mindedness, as so many other genus of flora have remained ignored and unpicked for centuries. There’s more to the world than one singular flower. We’ve limited ourselves to the simplest forms of floral expression. A rose may roll off the tongue, but a flower by every other name might just smell as sweet, if only given the chance.