Flower Library
Roses
Rosa · Rosaceae
The rose is the world's best-selling cut flower — and the most multifaceted one. It comes in nearly every shade, every size and for nearly every occasion. At Fleura, roses arrive year-round from Dutch and German greenhouses as well as from Kenya and Ecuador via the Veiling auction.
- Season
- Year-round
- Vase life
- 5–10 days
- Latin name
- Rosa
- Colors
- Red, Pink, White, Yellow, Peach, Lavender, Bordeaux, Bicolor
Roses are the workhorse of floristry. They fit into any bouquet, combine well with almost any other flower and — kept properly — last a week or longer.
Within the rose world you broadly distinguish hybrid teas (large single bloom on a long stem, the classic Valentine's look), spray roses with multiple smaller flowers per branch, and garden or English roses with dense, ruffled blooms and intense fragrance.
For weddings and events we like to reach for garden roses — they feel softer, more romantic and carry mood. For clean, modern bouquets, hybrid teas remain the go-to.
Quality shows in firm, closed buds, smooth stems without pressure marks and healthy foliage. Drooping heads are a warning sign — good roses hold their heads up until the very end.
Is Roses toxic to children and pets?
- Children
- Non-toxic
- Cats
- Non-toxic
- Dogs
- Non-toxic
True roses (Rosa) are non-toxic to cats and dogs per the ASPCA. The only risks come from the thorns and from pesticides or flower-food in the vase water. Namesakes like Christmas rose, desert rose or rose of Jericho are not true roses and can be toxic.
Overview: toxic & non-toxic plants for cats, dogs and children
Care
- 01Recut stems at an angle by about 2 cm every other day, ideally under running water.
- 02Change vase water completely every 2–3 days and rinse the vase with a drop of dish soap.
- 03Strip lower leaves — anything sitting in water will start to rot.
- 04Keep out of direct sun, away from heating and away from a ripe fruit bowl (ethylene ages blooms fast).
- 05For wilted roses: lay the whole bouquet in a cool tub of water overnight, recut the next morning.
Frequently asked
- How long do roses last in a vase?
- Fresh roses generally last 7–10 days. Recut the stems at an angle every other day, change the water, strip the lower leaves.
- What does the number of roses mean?
- A single rose is a strong love gesture. Three stand for ‘I love you'. Twelve form the classic love bouquet. Beyond that, the count is mainly about visual impact.
- Are Kenyan roses an environmental issue?
- Studies show Kenyan field-grown roses often have a better per-stem carbon footprint — even including flights — than heated Dutch greenhouse roses in winter. The farm's Fairtrade certification matters more than origin. We source seasonally from both.
- Are roses toxic to cats or dogs?
- True roses (genus Rosa) are non-toxic to cats and dogs per the ASPCA — blooms, leaves and stems alike. The only real risks are the thorns (injury) and any pesticide residue. Note: plants with ‘rose' in the name like Christmas rose are different and can be toxic.