Since time immemorial, roses have been featured in ancient art, poetry and traditions as symbols of love, passion and beauty. Some civilizations used them for medicinal purposes. The rose plant has also been consumed in salads and used for preservation purposes. It was considered sacred to Aphrodite and ancient Romans favored the flower.

‘Rose’ is a common name given to several constituents of the Rosaceae, a great family of herbs, shrubs and trees widely scattered over most of the earth. This name also refers to plants of the genus Rosa, the true roses. The Rose family is found in abundance in East Asia, Europe and North America, where almost half the varieties of roses are natives. Amongst the old varieties are the cabbage rose and the damask rose, which are native to the Caucasus region.

Although the rose flower is renowned for its beauty, it is characterized by the presence of thorns throughout its stem. Roses have different characteristics depending on the region they grow in. Variations may depend on the number of blossoms a year, size, smell and color that may range from white and yellow to innumerous different shades of pink and red.

True roses are amongst the most admired of all cultivated flora. The plant occurs indigenously in the North Temperate Zone and in tropical mountain areas. Here it appears as upright or climbing shrubs with five-petaled fragrant flowers. At times the undergrowth is also fragrant, as in case of the sweetbrier variety. The wild species have been parent to a great amount of cultivated varieties and hybrids.

Roses are subject to a number of diseases. A common phenomenon is rose rust, which usually defoliates a plant. Rose black spots are caused by the fungus Diplocarpon rosae, which makes circular black spots on the leaves in summer. With their enchanting smell and myraid colors, roses are a favorite among flower enthusiasts around the world.