Discover 10 Different Colors Of Roses (and What Each Means)

Written by Angie Menjivar
Updated: October 6, 2023
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How many you give has its meaning. But so does the color! Some are for celebrating friends, some are for declaring your undying love, and some are for expressing dark feelings of vengeance. Whether you’re giving roses or receiving them, you should know more about what they mean. Discover 10 different colors of roses, including the secret meanings behind each!

Discover 10 Different Colors Of Roses (and What Each Means)

1. Red Roses

The classic red rose has a timeless beauty and has never failed to convey affection and deep emotions. It screams of a love story, romance, true love, desire, and passion. Red roses offer an opportunity to convey emotion without a single spoken word. They communicate deep love in a quiet yet bold and confident way.

In the Victorian era, a red rose was the ultimate expression of love and with its rosette layers, it pointed to the depths of intense feeling. If it’s romantic love you intend to convey, you can never go wrong with red roses.

Beautiful scented romantic intense red Climbing Chrysler Imperial hybrid tea rose in bloom in early spring after a shower of rain adds charming color and intense perfume to the garden.

Long associated with romance, the red rose is all about love.

©alybaba/Shutterstock.com

2. Pink Roses

These gorgeous and refined roses are meant to express admiration and gratitude. They are also meant to represent elegance and femininity. Pink roses are meant for royalty, and those in the know feel very special when receiving these roses. They’re not as passionate and romantic as red roses, but pink roses point to a budding romance. To the start of something new. This color is also a great way to say, “Thank you” and show appreciation and recognition. Softer pink colors are associated with gentleness and grace.

A romantic Pink Traviata Rose on a sunny spring morning.

You can express admiration with elegant pink roses.

©Jennifer L Wick/Shutterstock.com

3. Yellow Roses

These bright roses represent warmth, affection, caring, gladness, and delight. They are also associated with friendship, which makes them great gifts for friends. You can also give yellow roses to somebody who needs spiritual encouragement. These flowers are celebratory and meant for joyous occasions. The total number of roses given has different meanings throughout the world but some of the most common are:

  • One yellow rose means a strong connection between the giver and receiver.
  • 13 yellow roses point to a forever friendship.

It’s important to know, however, that in the Victorian era, yellow roses had a completely different meaning altogether. They actually pointed to jealousy! Recipients may have felt their stomachs drop at the sight of them, as that often meant they were seen as disloyal and that a rumor of accusation was about to travel through the town.

The yellow Golden Celebration rose growing in a garden

Yellow roses symbolize delight in friendship.

©Helen M.A. Rogers/Shutterstock.com

4. White Roses

White roses symbolize innocence and youthfulness. When you see white beautiful roses, you can appreciate their untainted beauty. The usual reason they are given on special occasions is for young love and everlasting loyalty. You can express love with white roses as well as pay respect to the departed. You may even gift white roses to remind somebody that you care and are thinking of them.

In the Victorian language, these flowers were for young people who had yet to experience deep, passionate love. It was thought that the darker the color of the rose, the more intense the passion. So, a white rose symbolized a sweet beginning.

A closeup of a vibrant cream-white rose

White roses point to innocence and beauty.

©oes/Shutterstock.com

5. Orange Roses

These roses were developed in the mid-20th century. A cross between red and yellow roses resulted in these unique cultivars. This color represents energy, desire, enthusiasm, and fascination. They combine the meanings of both red and yellow roses, creating a lively appeal. These are popular for fall weddings and fall celebrations when orange fits right into the overall décor.

Since they were not available during the Victorian era, there is no set meaning for these color roses; however, since they combine red with yellow roses, they take on the meanings of each. There is some love in the form of fascination and desire along with excitement, including enthusiasm and energy.

Orange roses can be gifted on various occasions, including when you’re feeling proud of a loved one for a great accomplishment.

Orange roses growing from a bush in a garden

Orange roses are celebratory flowers that have a lively appeal.

©FarbaKolerova/Shutterstock.com

6. Blue Roses

Though blue is not a natural rose color, the result of this genetic modification is still breathtaking. Sometimes these roses are made to look blue due to dying white roses while others acquire a light blue tinge by being exposed to a blue-tinted environment. True cultivars are highly prized and symbolize an everlasting reach toward the impossible. It’s an indefinite longing that could be used on occasions when there is unrequited love.

There’s a romantic quality to blue roses but it’s not bold like that of red roses. It’s more mysterious, sometimes even pointing to peace and tranquility — a sense of acceptance for what is.

Blue rose close-up on a pink background

Blue roses symbolize desire.

©Lyaman_nn/Shutterstock.com

7. Purple Roses

Purple has always been associated with lavishness and monarchs. You can use these to express adoration and gratitude. There’s an air of mystery to purple flowers much like blue flowers, but the meaning is different. Instead of pointing to endless desire, purple roses symbolize charm and opulence. Being that they’re a bit over the top when you gift them to someone, you’re expressing your admiration for them.

Similarly, if you receive purple roses as a gift, you may have an admirer in your midst. This doesn’t always mean the meaning is romantic. It could be admiration of your personal or professional accomplishments as well.

beautiful purple rose in a black background

Purple roses are all about admiration and opulence.

©Jesus Cervantes/Shutterstock.com

8. Black Roses

The symbolism for this color may not be the most positive yet, like all flowers, they point to realities of life. Black roses symbolize death, despair, vengeance, and hatred. When death is part of the meaning, rebirth closely follows.

Black roses could be used in sorrowful remembrances during a mourning process. They may also be used to symbolize vengeance and hatred. The emotions of those gifting black roses are complex and may even be related to obsessive love.

In Gothic culture, black roses may point to tragic love. The darkness of these roses reminds you of the inescapable dark moments of life, of sometimes dangerous emotions, and of deep, heart-wrenching feelings of loss.

Black Rose

Black roses, often associated with death, also point to rebirth.

©Mon Dela/Shutterstock.com

9. Rainbow Roses

These types of multi-colored roses combine a little bit of every color, resembling a rainbow. They symbolize happiness and joy. The way they combine a range of colors can help you convey multiple emotions within a single bouquet. There is excitement in them as well as feelings of love and friendship.

They are also a popular choice for those in the LGBTQ+ community, as they embody the values of those who identify with the community. However, you don’t need to be a part of the community to receive or gift rainbow roses. Use them on any occasion to offer a celebratory floral arrangement.

Macro shot of rainbow roses with multi colored petals with shallow DOF.

Rainbow roses are bright and celebratory, helping you convey a range of emotions.

©Paket/Shutterstock.com

10. Green Roses

These bright-colored roses symbolize growth. They are closely associated with fertility and rejuvenation as well as abundance. There’s a sense of stability that comes with green roses, reminding you of the foundation you stand on and the dreams you can bring to fruition.

Give these to loved ones when you wish them good fortune, when their resilience has brought them out of a dark period, or when their health is in a state of rejuvenation. You could also gift these to someone who is optimistic about a new opportunity in their life as these flowers reinforce those feelings of prosperity.

Green  rose flower.   Floral  background. Macro. Nature.

Green roses symbolize growth and abundance.

©Fnadya76/iStock via Getty Images

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Georgi Spirov/Shutterstock.com


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About the Author

Angie Menjivar is a writer at A-Z-Animals primarily covering pets, wildlife, and the human spirit. She has 14 years of experience, holds a Bachelor's degree in psychology, and continues her studies into human behavior, working as a copywriter in the mental health space. She resides in North Carolina, where she's fallen in love with thunderstorms and uses them as an excuse to get extra cuddles from her three cats.

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