Monochrome rose in the bouquet of Mother’s Day flowers from Grace and Neal. My only other frames today were of the window sash that came apart when I replaced a re-screened window screen. I contacted our contractor and he requested photos.
This photo prompted me to wonder: How many petals does a rose bloom have?
A quick search suggests the following—
“Today, your average rose on the market will have 20–40 petals in its bloom. This is a far cry from wild-growing roses, descendants of Rosa chinensis, which sport a mere five petals which, though slight in comparison, makes for a no less radiant flower.
“Rosa chinensis is first known to have been cultivated around the year 500 BCE in the rose gardens of Imperial China. Today, however, there are over 30,000 varieties of much sought-after bloom. Some roses grown today can feature as many as 60–80 petals, although these are known to wilt faster than most others—this is for the simple reason that more petals expend more energy, giving these roses a shorter lifespan than others. Flowers such as these only thrive in human-made growing conditions.
“The dramatic increase of the average rose’s petal count petal from five to 25 didn’t occur overnight, however. It took centuries of cultivation, hybridization, and technological innovation.” —Venus Et Fleur*
Retired economics professor (“dismal scientist”). Married 40+ years to the love of my life; we have two grown daughters, both married, two granddaughters and a...
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