Orange Roses: Meaning, Symbolism, and Proper Occasions

Orange roses growing from a bush in a garden
© FarbaKolerova/Shutterstock.com

Written by Angie Menjivar

Updated: June 13, 2023

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Orange Roses infographic

Orange Roses infographic

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You know red roses point to love and romance. A white rose has an innocent quality to it. Even specially cultivated blue roses have a special meaning that points to mystery and intrigue. Now, discover the meaning, symbolism, and proper occasions for orange roses!

The History of Orange Roses

You’ve worked with the color wheel and learned that by combining red and yellow, the resulting color is orange. Although orange roses don’t grow naturally, they do exist and make a wonderful addition to bouquets and gardens. In the mid-20th century, orange roses came about after red and yellow roses were crossbred. The resulting roses grew in popularity right away.

Rose cultivators hopped on board with this new rose color and started to develop several different varieties, all with different hues of orange. Some of those varieties include Rosa Alexander, Rosa Independence, and Rosa Tropicana. You may be drawn to a lighter orange rose that is more reminiscent of peach or you may be attracted to the vibrancy of a fiery rose, which is much bolder and daring. The color intensity plays a role in the meaning orange roses convey. Orange roses have specific symbolism, meaning, and proper occasions. Let’s dig in!

The Symbolism of Orange Roses

Since orange roses are a relatively new rose color, they don’t carry with them entrenched messages from history. Therefore, when you consider the meaning of orange roses, you might consider the passed-on meanings from the red and yellow rose varieties to understand how the symbolism of the orange rose has developed. Orange roses symbolize fascination, enthusiasm, and hope.

Fascination

The red rose is all about passion and with the lighter shade, orange roses point to fascination. Before lovers come together, they are first fascinated by one another, drawn together again and again until their flame of love ignites. The color orange points to a fiery time in a romantic relationship.

A red-orange rosa tropicana hybrid tea rose in full bloom

The red rose is all about passion.

©Diane N. Ennis/Shutterstock.com

In a non-romantic relationship, fascination can be an expression of admiration. If a mentor, for instance, has opened a whole new world for you, unveiling the portal to secrets that have changed your life, orange roses symbolize the awe you feel as you’ve journeyed with them.

Enthusiasm

The orange rose incorporates the yellow rose which is bright and enthusiastic. It’s a celebratory rose used between friends to acknowledge the love they have for one another and to congratulate them on special occasions, like birthdays. The orange rose is equally bright and enthusiastic, symbolizing the pride felt in connection with others.

Hope

Often overlooked is the symbolism of hope that comes through orange roses. These flowers point to those feelings of pride you feel and beyond that, they are like adding fuel to someone’s fire. When working hard toward goals, there are moments when our internal engines sputter and we have to pull over to the side of the road. Orange roses are like delivering that bit of fuel you need to keep going. They acknowledge the pride you feel and offer encouragement to continue the path.

Orange rose

Orange roses point to fascination.

©iStock.com/Malika Turhanova

Proper Occasions for Using Orange Roses

The intensity of the color orange in the roses you pick determines the intensity of the emotion you feel. Whereas a blooming relationship in its fiery stage calls for bright, deeply pigmented orange roses, a show of admiration for a colleague may settle nicely into a bouquet of peach-colored roses.

Flourishing Romance

A flourishing romance is exciting, there’s a palpable buzz that follows you throughout the day and even a cloudy day has a passionate mystery to it. When you’re ready to tell your new love that you’re interested in taking things to the next level, send them some orange roses. Pick the fieriest orange you can find to convey the message of passion between the two of you. A message that foretells ‘red roses to come.’

Holidays

While those intense bright orange roses have a passionate undertone to them, a more muted orange is fantastic for the holidays. When Halloween and Thanksgiving come around, there are tons of opportunities to incorporate orange roses. Don’t worry, you’re not professing fiery passion to your dinner guests with a more muted orange — you’re just sprucing your décor appropriately.

Professional Accomplishments

A closeup of peach and orange English roses

The intensity of the color orange in the roses you pick determines the intensity of the emotion you feel.

©MaCross-Photography/Shutterstock.com

With professional accomplishments, you want to use a paler variety of orange roses. There is no fire nor need for muted home décor — rather, you are communicating a respectful and subtle feeling of admiration, fascination, and pride for the successes of someone you study with or work with. These gestures point to feelings of support marked with a tinge of awe as you watch someone you appreciate make positive moves in the direction of their dreams.


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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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