How did the rose become the world's most popular symbol of romance?
Roses have been a symbol of love and romance for thousands of years. From ancient Greek mythology to modern social media, its status remains unchanged. This article will combine the hot topics and hot content on the Internet in the past 10 days to explore the origin, cultural significance, modern applications and market data of the rose, and reveal why it continues to be popular around the world.
1. The origin and history of roses

Roses are native to Asia, with fossil records dating back 35 million years. The ancient Greeks associated roses with Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and the Romans used them to decorate banquets and weddings. In medieval Europe, roses became a symbol of aristocratic status and appeared in religious art.
| historical period | The Symbolism of Roses |
|---|---|
| ancient greece | Sacred flower of Aphrodite |
| ancient rome | Decorations for luxury banquets |
| medieval | Nobility and religious symbols |
| victorian era | The formation of flower language system |
2. Roses in modern culture
Social media data in the past 10 days shows that the #rose flower topic has been played more than 500 million times on Instagram and Douyin. During Valentine's Day, global rose sales surged by 300%, of which red roses accounted for 78%. The following is relevant data for popular platforms:
| platform | Hashtag | Interaction volume (last 10 days) |
|---|---|---|
| #RoseLove | 230 million times | |
| TikTok | #rosebouquet | 180 million times |
| #rosecaretips | 95 million times |
3. Economic value and market trends of roses
In the global flower market, roses account for 35%. Colombia, Kenya and the Netherlands are the three largest exporting countries, while Kunming, China is the largest production base in Asia. During Valentine's Day in 2024, the price of a single top-quality Ecuadorian rose exceeded $30, a record high.
| country | Annual output (100 million pieces) | Main export areas |
|---|---|---|
| Colombia | 25 | North America, Europe |
| Kenya | 18 | EU, Russia |
| Netherlands | 12 | global auction market |
4. Modern innovative applications of roses
Recent hot trends show: Immortal flower technology has extended the shelf life of roses to 3 years, and related e-commerce sales have increased by 240% year-on-year; rose essential oil is widely used in the field of beauty and cosmetics, and a certain brand of rose facial masks has sold more than 500,000 boxes in a single week; edible rose varieties have even emerged, becoming the core raw material of new tea drinks.
5. Why do roses flourish forever?
It can be seen from the data that Rose’s success stems from:1)Profound cultural accumulation;2)Continuous product innovation;3)The advantages of visual communication in the age of social media. As a florist said in a popular TikTok video: "Rose uses the simplest form to carry the most complex human emotions."
In the future, with the development of gene editing technology and vertical farms, breakthroughs such as the mass production of blue roses and new varieties that bloom every month may continue the thousand-year legend of this flower.
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