Are there blue roses?

There are thousands of varieties of roses in the world. They differ in size, shape of petals, bud structure and, of course, color. It is impossible to list all the colors and shades of roses - you can find roses to suit any, even the most sophisticated taste. There are also very unusual flowers, for example, blue ones. They are often given to surprise a person and usually they succeed. An impressive aura of exclusivity has been created around such roses, and the prices for such flowers “bite”. How did blue roses appear and are they worth the attention they receive?

It’s worth saying right away that blue roses do not exist in nature. All flowers are blue and its shades - painted. This technology is simple and people have been using it since ancient times. In Eastern countries, rose bushes were watered with colored water to get an amazing effect. Not all flowers are suitable for coloring, but only those with light petals - white or, in extreme cases, pale pink.

Attempts were made to breed blue roses, but failed. To develop a certain trait in a plant, you need to gradually select specimens with the strongest manifestation of it. To do this, you need to start with flowers that have at least a barely noticeable blue pigmentation. But nature did not take care of creating such a miracle.

At the beginning of the 21st century, breeders managed to come close to creating a blue rose. They planned to obtain the desired effect by adding the delphinidin gene. In certain lighting, these genetically modified flowers appear blue. But this is just an illusion, and upon careful examination it becomes clear that the roses are still a light lilac shade.

The main natural pigments of roses are white, yellow and red. Blue and light blue roses against the backdrop of familiar shades invariably arouse interest. They look noble and unusual, which is why they have always been loved by aristocrats and creative individuals. And such flowers were always obtained by dyeing.

To date, not a single blue or blue variety of roses has been registered in the world. So the photos on the Internet, the authors of which assure that the picture shows a real blue flower, were made using Photoshop. The inflated prices for such plants in florist shops are also not justified. Anyone can paint a rose at home, without much effort or expense.

They paint both cut flowers and those growing on the ground or in a flowerpot. To get a blue rose from a white one in a vase, use water colored with food pigments. The stem must be cut at an angle of 45 degrees. It is advisable to remove all leaves, as they may also become stained. It will take about a day for the flower to absorb the pigment. It is important to remember that the petals will always be lighter than the liquid. Taking this into account, you can adjust the shade.

To grow a blue rose, a copper object is buried at the root of a very young plant. The more massive it is, the more likely it is that the result will be impressive. The copper will oxidize and gradually color the rose. You can also simply water the rose bush twice a week with colored water, as was done in ancient times. You should not experiment with chemical compounds, as they can destroy the plant. Food coloring or watercolor paints work best. Yes, this works with any other colors - it's all about the dye.