The Victorian era saw the rose rise to be the premiere messenger of emotions. The rose is a flower of occasion, and every rose has come to mean something. It is imperative therefore to know what rose means what, and to understand what people mean when they send you a rose.

The most popular and beloved of all roses is the red rose. The red rose symbolizes passionate and abiding love. In contrast, the white rose speaks of innocence, purity and virtue. Both these roses are also symbolic of power, as they were used in the War of the Roses.

Pale pink roses are another favorite. They speak of gentleness, grace, simplicity, appreciation and admiration.  And yellow roses speak of abundant joy, gladness and delight. Yellow roses also indicate "jealous love".Orange roses speak of desire and passion, enthusiasm and fulfillment.

It is obvious that roses have evolved to have rich shades of meanings and implications. The rich tradition of giving a rose to a loved one is still very popular in our society.