Roses were in such high demand during the seventeenth century that royalty considered roses or rose water as legal tender, and they were often used as barter and for payments. The white rose symbolized York, and the red rose symbolized Lancaster, as a result, the conflict became known as the 'War of the Roses.' After the fall of the Roman Empire, the popularity of roses seemed to rise and fall depending on gardening trends of the time.ĭuring the fifteenth century, the rose was used as a symbol for the factions fighting to control England. Roman nobility established large public rose gardens in the south of Rome. They were used as confetti at celebrations, for medicinal purposes, and as a source of perfume. During the Roman period, roses were grown extensively in the Middle East. Garden cultivation of roses began some 5,000 years ago, probably in China. In nature, the genus Rosa has some 150 species spread throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from Alaska to Mexico and including northern Africa.

The rose is, according to fossil evidence, 35 million years old. They have been symbols of love, beauty, war, and politics.

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