Blue and rainbow roses: do they exist?

From red and pink, to rainbow and blue? Some roses seem to have been ripped directly from our collective imaginations (like the very unique black rose!), but can they really exist? We took a look at some of those other worldly roses to find out if they really are too good to be true.

The Blue Rose

While blue flowers, particularly blue roses proliferate literature and are believed to represent love and prosperity, the truth of the matter is that they don’t exist in nature due to genetic limitations.

Having a keen interest in bringing the blue rose to life, an Australian company called ‘Florigene’ worked collaboratively with the Japanese company ‘Suntory’, over thirteen years to create a rose containing the blue pigment, delphinidin. In 2004 their hard work came to fruition through the genetic engineering of a white rose. While the companies and the press have described it as a blue rose, the reality is that it is more accurately a purple flower, presented in shades of lavender or pale mauve.

While blue roses, sadly, do not occur naturally, there is a well-known process in place which allows you to create a beautiful bouquet of blue roses using white roses and a little blue flower colouring. Here’s how it’s done:

What you need: Long stemmed white roses, floral powdered dye in blue (from florist supply stores) 

• Take a bunch of long stemmed white roses, remove leaves from the stem and cut the stems gently on an angle (this increases the absorption of liquids).
• Use the directions of the flower dye to mix with water in a vase.
• Place white roses in the vase with blue dye.
• Within two hours the roses will begin to turn blue.
• After an additional hour or longer, the stems must be re-trimmed.
• After 5 to 6 hours the blue roses should be entirely blue and ready to arrange amongst other flowers and kept in a vase of fresh, clean water.

Note: This process can actually be completed with any number of dyes, although most other colours can be found in nature.

The Rainbow Rose

Unfortunately rainbow roses are another ingenious man-made creation, so we can’t have them flowering in our gardens. While this may be disappointing, the upside is that it’s not all too difficult to do yourself at home!

What you need: Long stemmed white roses, floral powdered dye in three or four colours – in red, green, blue or yellow (from florist supply stores)

• Take a long stemmed white rose, remove leaves from the stem and cut the stem gently on an angle (this increases the absorption of liquids).
• Split the stem into the number of colours you intend to use, usually four.
• Use the directions on the flower dye to mix with water in a vase and place vases close together.
• Hold the white rose above the vases and separate the stem so that each split stem sits in its own each vase.
  

• You should notice some colour change within the first 30 minutes. For a more vibrant rainbow rose, you will need to let the rose sit in its dye bath for a few days. Change water daily, adding colouring each time.
• Once your white rose is coloured to your satisfaction, trim the split stem away and place in clean, fresh water.

Note: You can use this very same trick to colour carnations, chrysanthemums, hydrangea and orchids.