You have probably seen many different colors of roses in your life, from pink, red, yellow and white. But the color lavender is rarely seen in a rose. In fact, the color lavender is rarely seen in nature either. This rarity has made this a special color. It is regal. For centuries, in Europe, the color lavender was reserved for royalty only. A peasant could not buy lavender clothing, dye, fabric or thread. Only the rulers of the country could wear this beautiful color. Lavender has come to personify uniqueness and eliteness. Yes, there really are lavender roses and they are fit for a king or queen.
But is that lavender rose color real or manmade?
Roses have been cherished for thousands of years by humans. Their colors and fragrances are the product of careful cultivation and cross-breeding. It is a process that never stops. Some varieties that we have today could be found in Elizabethan gardens or were grown for Egyptian pharaohs. Other varieties are growing right now that are completely new. Though all throughout history, lavender rose color has been of the rarest varieties. It is thought that the first lavender roses were the result of cross-breeding between European roses and roses bought from China along the silk road.
What makes the lavender color in a rose is the presence of a coloring called anthocyanin. This is the same substance that gives the lavender color to fruits, like blueberries, plums, and blackberries. Some roses are naturally lavender and some use a little trick. A cut rose can be infused with food coloring, to gain that lavender color. What makes the food coloring lavender? It is anthocyanins. These colorings aren’t manmade. They are extracted from foods like berries. It is the same thing that makes your fingers and tongue turn lavender when you eat blueberries or blackberries. Some times florists will tint a pure white rose to pale lavender with a few drops in a vase. At other times they can add just the right type and amount of coloring to just the right variety of rose to make a powerfully lavender rose beyond any color naturally found in nature. An artist’s touch can make bouquets with several beautiful lavenders at once.
What is the symbolism of the lavender rose?
There is nothing shy about lavender. It wants to be seen and admired. A lavender rose shows admiration of someone’s unique spirit. It is to say, there is no one like you. In olden times, there was only one king and one queen of land and they were the only ones allowed to wear lavender. The lavender color was the embodiment of that rarity. You can tell someone how special you think they are by giving the gift of lavender roses.
It is often given as a symbol of love at first sight. Lavender roses are a way to tell someone that you are in a new relationship with, that you really think they might be the one. If you want to let someone know that you really care about them, give the gift of lavender roses.
Lavender is also the color of magic and spiritualism. In eastern philosophy, the body has 7 energy centers, called Chakras. Each Chakra corresponds with various body parts, organ systems and elements of the personality. The highest Chakra, which resides in the head, is depicted as being a lavender color. On the visual spectrum, violet, or lavender, is the color with the highest vibration. Some believe that part of the human soul vibrates at the highest frequency in the highest, lavender or 7th, chakra. This lavender Chakra is said to connect humans to the divine.
Who should you give lavender roses to?
Give lavender roses to someone who has a high value in your life. Give it to your love, or someone that you wish was your love. Give lavender roses to someone to tell them just how rare and special you think that they are. Is your sweetheart a very spiritually minded person? Let them know that you appreciate part of their nature, by gifting them with roses with that most magical color, lavender.
Lavender Roses Meaning
April 12, 2013