In the 1840s, certain flower societies
in Belgium and Britain offered a cash prize of 500 thousand francs
to anyone who could produce a truly blue rose. No one claimed the
prize. Although people have been growing roses for more than 5,000
years not one person has ever succeeded in producing an authentic
blue rose until now. The Suntory Corporation recently announced
that they had partnered with Floragine Ltd. to produce the world’s
first blue rose, soon to be released commercially, which will thrill
flower aficionados everywhere.
The main problem with producing blue
roses was getting delphinidin (an anthocyanin in flowers that produces
blue pigment) to take up residence in the genes of roses. The molecular
geneticists at Suntory and Florigene solved the problem by cloning
the delphinidin gene from a pansy flower and installing it into
the rose. They also had to use another gene from an iris, as well
as a new manmade gene the scientists created to work as a “silencer”
to another gene which previously stifled the delphinidin synthesis.
You may be wondering when you will
be able to grow blue roses for yourself. Well, you’ll have to wait
a bit. They won’t be released commercially until 2007 or 2008. But
you can still grow a few “fake” blues if you don’t mind them being
a little more purple than blue. Rose varieties with the word ‘blue’
in the name have been on the market for quite a while, and they
just may hold you over until the genuine blues become available.
Now when it grew i got a Blue Rose it about 3" in diameter and was flat in appearence. 2 days after it bloomed squirels ate it and it never bloomed anymore flowers and died during the winter.
i have never been able to find anything that even comes close.
i live in ottawa ontario canada