While red roses are certainly the most iconic of the bunch. White roses have always held a culturally special meaning worldwide. White roses are versatile flowers, often appearing at ceremonial occasions, symbolising purity, innocence, respect, and remembrance.

As we said, red roses are clearly the most popular in the rainbow of rose colours, especially come Valentine’s Day. Depicted as a universal symbol of love, we give red roses to demonstrate our passion, adoration and dedication for that special someone in your life. Whether there’s a dozen red roses, or just one, a red rose says “I love you” like no other flower can. Compared to white roses, the meaning of a red rose is of desire and longing for the one you love.

Pink rose colour meanings symbolise the flower of appreciation and gratitude, your acknowledgement of another. While red roses are more direct with their intentions of passion and adoration, pink roses are gentle, conveying admiration and affection without overwhelming the recipient.

If you’re not ready to express your deepest feelings of romantic love for your crush, then orange roses are your next best thing. Orange roses are all about one’s curiosity for another, expressing enthusiasm, passion and fascination. And while they certainly have a romantic aura to them, they’re not nearly as intense as their red rose counterparts.

The brightest colour in the world of roses, these stunning flowers are ideal for cheering up family members or celebrating friendships (pair them with orange roses for an epic BFF bouquet!). A flower for fellowship and fraternity, yellow roses symbolise fortune and goodwill, making them the perfect substitute for saying, “good luck”.

Often a rare sight, purple roses express wonderment and awe, a fascination with enchantment, and an association with royalty. If you want to make some feel super special, a deep purple rose is your best bet, whereas those on the lavender end of the colour spectrum are reserved for feelings of enchantment. With a bunch of mauve roses in your hand, think “love at first sight”.

Outside of a fantasy world, you’re never going to find an all-black rose in the wild. Many of the black roses on sale are actually dark shades of red, purple or maroon. These dark roses are placed in water mixed with black ink to further darken their colour. Although they’re certainly not to everyone’s taste, for fans of the macabre, our dramatic Rose Noir  is a true statement from the heart. A single, alluring black rose arrives in a boxed presentation with accents of emu grass to enchant and captivate your special recipient.

Like black roses, blue roses do not grow naturally, as roses lack the gene or pigmentation to produce blue. Even science hasn’t made a truly blue rose, with collaborative research by an Australian company, Florigene, and a Japanese company, Suntory, falling short of their genetic engineering goal. While the genetically modified rose was sold and described as blue, they were closer to lavender or mauve.

With so many colours to choose from, why stick with just one rose colour? Mixing different colours of roses together in one massive bouquet is a fabulous way to personalise your message into a single flower arrangement. Mixed roses can symbolise so many more emotions than just one colour on their own. Get mixing and matching to find the perfect combination from the myriad of emotions and meanings that roses represent.