Rose meaning & symbolism

History & folklore

Fossils show roses are about 35 million years old, and people have grown them for at least 5,000 years. Cleopatra is said to have filled rooms with rose petals, the English Wars of the Roses were named after the badges of two noble houses, and in 1986 the rose became the national flower of the United States.

In birth flower charts it's paired with the honeysuckle.

Fun facts

• There are more than 150 wild rose species and tens of thousands of cultivated varieties.
• Rose hips, the fruit left after the flower, are very rich in vitamin C.
• The rose is the official flower of June and of the United States.

As a tattoo

The rose is the most tattooed flower in the world. For a birth flower piece, people often choose a fine-line single stem, a black-and-grey traditional bloom, or a small rose with the birth month's date worked into the stem. See more June birth flower tattoo ideas.