Blue Roses - Should We Care?
By barrie
The search for a truly blue rose continues (in 1840, a 500,000 Franc prize was offered to the first person to create a blue rose). I’ve heard many tales (some which may actually be true) about efforts to create a blue rose. Scientists have attempted to change the DNA of roses in order to create, for lack of a better term, blueness. No true blue rose exists, but many lavender roses have been introduced (see Sterling Silver and Blue Girl).
The reason that a’true blue’ rose does not naturally occur is that the blue pigment (delphinidin) is not naturally present in roses. As mentioned in the first paragraph of this post, plant gene replacement has been used to create the world’s world’s only blue rose.
Delphinidin is a primary plant pigment and is found in delphiniums and violas, cranberries. Delphinidin also gives the bluish tone to the grape that is used for producing Cabernet Sauvignon wine.
Do we need blue roses?It’s human nature to seek what we don’t have, and this is okay. I suppose the real question that a gardener would want answered is when will blue roses be available on the garden market? Most gardeners of the twentieth century have been saddled with yellow roses that are extremely susceptible to blackspot. The reason is that most of the yellow roses offered commercially originated from a parent that is prone to blackspot. The point is that there are so many issues surrounding the successful breeding of a garden rose - disease resistance, cold hardiness, fragrance, habit - that color alone has very little to do with the viability of a plant as a good garden prospect. At the end of the day, there is so much beauty under the sun that the prospect of a blue rose should be of little concern. We’ve come to understand that genetically modified food may not be in our best interests; we should apply the same ethic to our garden plants.
By barrie
The search for a truly blue rose continues (in 1840, a 500,000 Franc prize was offered to the first person to create a blue rose). I’ve heard many tales (some which may actually be true) about efforts to create a blue rose. Scientists have attempted to change the DNA of roses in order to create, for lack of a better term, blueness. No true blue rose exists, but many lavender roses have been introduced (see Sterling Silver and Blue Girl).
The reason that a’true blue’ rose does not naturally occur is that the blue pigment (delphinidin) is not naturally present in roses. As mentioned in the first paragraph of this post, plant gene replacement has been used to create the world’s world’s only blue rose.
Delphinidin is a primary plant pigment and is found in delphiniums and violas, cranberries. Delphinidin also gives the bluish tone to the grape that is used for producing Cabernet Sauvignon wine.
Do we need blue roses?It’s human nature to seek what we don’t have, and this is okay. I suppose the real question that a gardener would want answered is when will blue roses be available on the garden market? Most gardeners of the twentieth century have been saddled with yellow roses that are extremely susceptible to blackspot. The reason is that most of the yellow roses offered commercially originated from a parent that is prone to blackspot. The point is that there are so many issues surrounding the successful breeding of a garden rose - disease resistance, cold hardiness, fragrance, habit - that color alone has very little to do with the viability of a plant as a good garden prospect. At the end of the day, there is so much beauty under the sun that the prospect of a blue rose should be of little concern. We’ve come to understand that genetically modified food may not be in our best interests; we should apply the same ethic to our garden plants.
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