More roses are bought in the few days before St. Valentine’s Day than in any other similar period in the year. Until not so long ago, people were mindful of the significance of the colours of roses (I am pretty sure that it did not apply to other flowers as well).

For example, it would have been a serious faux pas to give a young teenage girl a red rose, but not a pink or a yellow one. All the colours had a significance. However, it is a bit like reading Tarot cards, not everyone agrees on those significances.

Anyway, out of interest and to keep the tradition going, I will give you the commonly accepted meanings of the colours of roses hereunder.

‘My love is like a red, red rose’, so goes the poem and when most people think of a rose, the first colour that in all probability comes to mind is red and, in fact, the word ?rose? comes from the Latin word ?rosa?, which means red.

It is also true that red roses are the most common and the most bought colour, but there are so many other colours that there is a whole lexicon of meanings that can be expressed with them.

Here are some colours and their meaning:

Red - Love, romance, beauty, obsession, desire and admiration

Burgundy - Unconscious beauty

Red but withered - Our love is over

White - Wholesomeness, youth, pure love and virginal innocence

Pink - Happiness, appreciation, thankfulness and charm

Dark Pink - Gratitude or thank you

Yellow - Joy, gladness, companionship, delight or platonic love

Yellow with Red Tip - Falling in Love

Orange - Fascination, desire, or enthusiasm

Red and White - (a bouquet of roses of two colours) - Ardent purity or unity

Peach - Sincerity, gratitude, appreciation, modesty, admiration, or sympathy

Lavender - Love at first sight or enchantment

Black - Death or our love is over

Blue - Unfeasible, unachievable or secrecy

Red Rosebud - Sign of purity and beauty

White Rosebud - Girlhood or youth

Thornless Rose - “Love at First Sight”

Single Rose - Straightforwardness

Two Roses - An engagement or impending marriage

Rose Leaves - Sign of hope

Roses - Sent every month - loveliness ever renewed

Regrettably, there no true black or blue roses in nature, as the pigment structures in the rose do not permit these colours to be developed, although it has not prevented gardeners trying for hundreds of years. However, there are some very dark purple roses, which are used in place of black roses. There are also some very pale lavender roses that seem to be blue, but have a shade of pink in them. Traditionally, blue roses are usually white roses dyed.

No matter what you want to express with your flowers, a bouquet of roses can articulate your emotions. So next time you give a bouquet of roses, why not try to express what you want to say by selecting the colours with care. The recipient probably will not understand these day, but you could send them a copy of this article or have fun explaining the meaning to them over a bottle of wine.