Deliver Blue Roses? What Are Blue Roses?

I’ll confess that from time to time I’ll search for “deliver roses” in Google to see how well my site ranks. But today I thought it would be interesting to see what some of the other suggested searches were at the bottom of the page, and I saw this: deliver blue roses. One would think that someone who owns a site named “Deliver Roses” would be aware of the existence of blue roses, but that’s a new one on me. So I did some research, and here’s what I found.

What Are Blue Roses?

Blue roses are a symbol of love and prosperity. Roses don’t grow in a blue color in nature, so many times if you see blue roses, you’re looking at white roses that have been dyed blue. Another possibility is that you’ve seen genetically engineered roses with a blue tint.

Dyeing Roses Blue

Apparently people have been dyeing roses blue since the 12th century or maybe even earlier. Where the heck have I been, anyway?

What Do Blue Roses Symbolize or Represent?

Since blue roses don’t appear in nature, it’s common for them to represent mystery or the unattainable. I’ve also seen it said that blue roses represent love at first sight.

Someone who’s interested in thoughtful analysis (and I like to think that I am), might notice a certain amount of irony in those two meanings. It’s not a great leap to think that perhaps love at first sight is mysterious. It’s also possible to interpret this as meaning that love at first sight is unattainable. And frankly, I have my doubts as to whether or not love at first actually exists. But then again, in the real world and in nature, blue roses don’t exist either.

Love at first sight, like a blue rose, is an illusion.

Rudyard Kipling’s Poem, “Blue Roses”

While researching the topic of blue roses, I came across this poem by Rudyard Kipling, “Blue Roses”:

Roses red and roses white
Plucked I for my love’s delight.
She would none all my posies–
Bade me gather her blue roses.

Half the world I wandered through,
Seeking where such flowers grew;
Half the world unto my quest
Answered me with laugh and jest.

Home I came at wintertide,
But my silly love had died,
Seeking with her last breath
Roses from the arms of Death.

It may be beyond the grave
She shall find what she would have.
Mine was but an idle quest–
Roses white and red are best.

A thoughtful analysis of this poem leads me to agree with Mr. Kipling. White and red roses ARE the best. I don’t think I want to deliver blue roses to anyone. I think next time I deliver roses to someone, they’ll be white or red.