Featured Flower: Roses

A Rose is a Rose is a Rose?

With apologies to Gertrude Stein, no, there are thousands and thousands of varieties of roses, each unique in their own way. The differences between each variety of the world’s most popular flower have to do with the stem length and the size of the rose head.

Most of the cut roses produced in Ontario, the 5th largest cut flower crop, are the sweetheart varieties, or the intermediate size roses best characterized by the trait of fully opening heads that stay open a long time.

According to Greek mythology, Sweetheart roses were created from the tears of Aphrodite and the blood of her sweetheart Adonis. Industry experts claim they are the favorite flower to say “You’re My Sweetheart”. Obviously a Valentine’s Day favorite, Ontario’s sweetheart roses are available year round.

The sweetheart rose is a polyantha variety, meaning literally "many-flowered. They range from spray roses, having multiple blooms per stem, to more familiar single bloom varieties. These single bloom petite roses more closely resemble their long stemmed cousins and are the kind most often used to make cut flower and vase arrangements. The stems of these flowers are green and flexible, conducting water easily making them less susceptible to air bubbles and the dreaded drooping head. With proper care sweetheart roses can last up to two weeks.

Roses are cut at the farm with their outer “guard” petals still on to protect them during transport. So, a rose with a brown spot is not necessarily a bad one; it may just need the outer petals removed. Green and supple foliage is a very good indicator of quality and freshness of the flower. To maximize vase life, remove leaves below the water line, trim ends with a sharp knife (taking care not to let the ends dry off before being placed in water), add flower food and refresh water every few days.