Purple roses are not always easy to define, and that is part of their charm. Some are soft lavender or lilac, while others lean toward mauve, violet, burgundy, smoky plum, or deep wine-red.
Unlike red, yellow, pink, or white roses, purple roses often sit between several color groups. One rose may look lavender in cool morning light, pinker in bright sun, and more mauve as the flower ages. That shifting color is one of the reasons purple roses feel so unusual and interesting in the garden.
For many people, purple roses also carry a sense of mystery and romance. They are often linked with enchantment, admiration, creativity, and the idea of something rare or a little magical. I would not take flower meanings too rigidly, but purple roses certainly do have a different mood from the softer pinks or classic reds.
In the garden, the lighter lavender and lilac roses are usually easy to blend with white, pale pink, silver foliage, and blue or mauve companion plants. The darker plum and burgundy roses can be more dramatic, and often look best with a lighter color nearby to show them off.
Purple roses are available in varied shades such as lavender, lilac, violet, burgundy, mauve, light purple and dark purple. If you’re thinking about giving them for a gift, romantic occassion, or other situations, its important to know their significance.
They can signify all of the following:
Enchantment, Mystery, Opulence, Glory, Majesty, Dreams, Magic, Royalty
Purple has long been associated with royalty, mystery, and imagination. In earlier times, purple dyes were rare and expensive, so purple fabrics were often linked with kings, queens, wealth, and ceremony. The color has also gathered more mysterious meanings over time, appearing in stories of magic, dreams, and the unknown. Those older associations have helped give purple roses their sense of romance, enchantment, and quiet drama.
Dark Purple Roses:
Darker purple roses can bring real drama to the garden, especially when they are planted near lighter flowers or silver foliage. Their color is not always a clear purple, though. Many of them lean toward mauve, plum, burgundy, or smoky red-purple, and the shade can change with the weather and the age of the bloom.
Midnight Blue is a mauve-purple shrub rose bred by Tom Carruth and introduced in the United States by Weeks Roses. The flowers are small to medium in size, with a rich, dark coloring and a strong clove fragrance. It can bloom repeatedly through the season and is a good choice if you want a dark, moody rose with plenty of scent.
Ebb Tide is another Tom Carruth rose, and one of the best-known deep purple floribundas. Its blooms are usually described as smoky plum or deep mauve-purple, with a strong clove fragrance and a full, old-fashioned look. In the right light, it can be a really striking rose, especially when paired with softer colors nearby.
Lavender Roses
Lavender roses are some of the softest and most romantic roses in the purple color range. They are not really blue, but they often have that cool, silvery quality that makes them feel a little unusual in the garden.
Neptune is a mauve-lavender hybrid tea rose bred by Tom Carruth. Its flowers are medium to large, with a classic hybrid tea shape and a strong sweet fragrance. Each stem usually carries a single bloom, which makes it a lovely choice for cutting. The color can shift between lavender, mauve, and soft purple depending on the weather and the age of the flower.
Angel Face is a lavender floribunda rose bred by Swim and Weeks. It has ruffled petals, a strong citrus fragrance, and flowers that often appear in clusters. The blooms have an old-fashioned charm, and the lavender coloring can look especially pretty with white, silver, or soft pink companion plants nearby.
Mauve and Purple Blend Roses
Mauve blend roses can be difficult to describe, which is part of their appeal. They may shift between red, purple, lavender, plum, and smoky mauve, depending on the light and the age of the bloom.
Intrigue is usually classified as a mauve floribunda, but its coloring can move between deep red, purple, and plum tones. It is one of those roses that does not always look exactly the same from one flower to the next, and it is also known for its strong fragrance.
Burgundy Iceberg is a deep mauve-purple floribunda with rich burgundy coloring and dark stamens. It came from the famous Iceberg family, but with a much moodier color. The flowers are full, repeat well, and can look especially striking when planted near pale pink, white, cream, or silver foliage.
Wild Blue Yonder is a mauve-purple rose with lavender tones and a ruffled flower form. Despite the name, it is not truly blue, but it does have that cool, unusual coloring that makes people notice it. The blooms are medium to large, fragrant, and repeat through the season, giving the plant a lively, romantic look in the garden.
Explore Other Rose Colors
