The Complete History and Meaning of June's Birthflower: Roses

As the first day of summer rolls around on June 21st, there’s no more elegant flower to convey that summer sweetness than the rose! Available in a whole palette of rainbow hues, there are more than 100 varieties of roses, each of which carry their own specific meanings - making it no surprise that they’ve inspired some of the greatest poets and painters throughout history. Today, in honor of June’s birthday, we’re sharing some enlightening tidbits of this iconic floral.

Traced back to +35 million years ago, roses have been a constant flora throughout history; they were referenced throughout ancient Buddhist and Confucian writings; the Romans cultivated them, coining them Rosa Gallica and crowning newlyweds with them. Even Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, had all her living quarters filled with the rose petals in which to remind her lover Marc Antony of her, every time he came across the scent.

Thankfully enough, roses come in all shapes and forms; whether you have an imaginable taste for a rose tree or topiary, or opt for climbing and tendrilling roses (in the shape of a garland!), or just prefer the look of a sophisticated arrangement beautifully on display with stately, long-stemmed roses, this delicate blossom has more meaning than one would think - including the rainbow rose, which is in fact, a genuine rose where each petal holds one color of the rainbow!

While there is a slew of colors that roses are available in, there are no black roses. Should you come across a black rose, know that although it may appear pitch-black to the eye, it will in fact have a dark, red-crimson color. And while breeders around the world eagerly tried to manipulate its coloration, they were able to create their first blue rose in 2004.

There are only ever three flowers mentioned in the Bible, the rose being one among them. The other two are lilies and camphire (henna).

Roses can live for a very long time; in fact, the oversized rose bush that covers the wall of the Cathedral of Hildesheim in Germany (dedicated to the Assumption of Mary) has been growing and cultivating there for over a millennium.

While the rose may have been the muse for many visual artists, it’s also been the namesake of over +4000 songs that sing about its flawless beauty.

If you have any close friends of loved ones who are celebrating a June birthday, indulge them with one of our artificial silk rose arrangements for a permanent hint of fauxever-lasting beauty. For more inspiration head over to our Pinterest Board dedicated to July's birth flower.

Please note all imagery featured is purely inspiration and not a product of Nearly Natural.