Two rose colors remain elusive to breeders. Black roses, and the ultimate… blue roses. There are some “almost” that are close, but they are lacking the genes to ever produce a true blue. They are truly the Holy Grail and their meaning is to symbolize something unobtainable. More reading on the work being done with rose genes can be found here. Usually, these have been produced by dyeing white roses. Of course there are some nice lavender roses, like the Blue Moon rose or Veilchenblau, but we are still a few years away I think.
I have no doubt that they will be produced sooner or later. I hope it’s in my lifetime, as I would love nothing more than to have one of my own. With all the work going on with genetic modification these days, it’s only a matter of time.
Can You Grow Blue Roses?
At the moment, gardeners cannot buy and grow a truly blue rose bush in the ordinary sense. Roses do not naturally have the right pigments to produce a pure blue flower, so the “blue” roses sold for gardens are usually lavender, lilac, mauve, violet, or purple-toned roses.
Some of these are beautiful in their own right. Roses such as Blue Moon and Veilchenblau are often mentioned when people talk about blue roses, but they are not really blue. They are more accurately described as lavender, mauve, or violet.
That does not make them disappointing. In the right light, some of these roses can have a cool, misty, almost blue effect in the garden. You just need to know what to expect.
Explore Other Rose Colors
