When you think of Valentine’s Day, what is the first image that comes to mind? Do you think of hearts? Perhaps you think of boxes of chocolate? Maybe you think of wine? If you’re like us, your mind instantly conjures the image of a gorgeous rose. That said, roses have more meaning and utility than just being a gift for Valentine’s Day! Roses are adored around the world because they happen to be so versatile. Roses come in a countless amount of shapes, sizes, and shades. This makes them perfect for gardens our bouquets! Aside from that, roses have a long and enduring history intertwined with medicinal and fashion industries! Would you like to learn more? Read below for some interesting rose wall mural facts!
Millions of Years
Flowers are old organisms, but did you know that some varieties are millions of years old? In fact, archaeologists have discovered rose fossils that can be traced back to 35 million years ago! The Guinness Book of World Records states that roses are the oldest variety of plant to be grown solely as a decoration. Fossils seem to prove that ancient Romans grew plantations and filled hothouses with roses for year-round availability. Romans used roses for medicinal, cooking and decoration purposes. There is even evidence pointing to China and Japan having cultivated rose gardens nearly 5,000 years ago! Who knew that roses had such a long, detailed history? Read below for more rose wall mural facts.
Life
If you want your flowers to endure, you usually water it regularly and expose it to sunlight. That said, it’s usually impossible for plants to last for 1,000 years. However, one plant has! did you know that the oldest living rose bush is 1,000 years old and resides near the the Cathedral of Hildesheim in Germany? There is even text that refers to this particular rosebush that dates to A.D. 815! In 1945, the cathedral was bombed by allied planes, and yet the bush managed to survive. Read below for more rose wall mural facts!
Bon Appetit
Roses have a long history of being used for ornamental purposes, but did you know that roses are also edible? Throughout human history, roses have been used for both medicinal and culinary purposes. Although roses are technically flowers, they are also classified as a type of herb. Rose petals are edible and rose water, which is made from soaking petals in water, is often added to all types of food products to imbue them with the taste of roses. That said, it is not wise to simply eat the first rose that you see. Roses that have been sprayed with pesticides or other types of chemicals are not safe for consumption. Read below for more rose wall mural facts.
Hips
Did you know that roses have hips? Although they don’t look like ours, rosehips are still very useful! Rosehips are a berry that grows on the bushes of roses. They can be colored red, purple, black or orange. Packed with vitamin C, rosehips are commonly dried, crushed and turned into different brands of tea. Oftentimes, the berry is simply crushed while fresh in order to create jam or jelly. Rosehips also have medicinal uses, similar to the rose flower. Read below for more rose wall mural facts.
Fragrance
When roses come to mind, it’s natural for one to first think of their scent. In fact, the scent of the rose is part of why roses have endured on Earth across millennia. Roses are cultivated by parfumiers and fashion houses to extract oil from their petals and stems. Extracting rose oil is an arduous and expensive process that produces very little yield; one gram of rose oil is produced from two thousand roses. Did you know that most rose oil comes from the “Rose Valley,” a place located in the European country of Bulgaria? Here, centifolia and damask rose varieties are cultivated because of their strong fragrances. Did you enjoy our rose wall mural facts?
Conclusion
How does it feel to know that roses hold more meaning than you once thought? Not only are they absolutely beautiful, they’re extremely versatile as well. Used not only as a decoration, roses have a long history as food and medicinal products. Do you appreciate roses more now? We hope you enjoyed reading these rose wall mural facts!