There are many beautiful and unique treasures for us to admire within the natural world. One of those is of course the flower, or perhaps all flowers. Each flower has a different meaning, a look more astonishing than the other, or a fragrance that is breath-taking.
Whenever we have no idea what to get as a present for somebody’s birthday, we often think of flowers. Frequently when we want to thank someone or apologize, we buy them flowers.
You might then ask, of all the flowers which specific flower is called the “King of Flowers”. Any guesses? Perhaps just think of the first flower that comes to mind and say it out loud. It has to be the rose. Even if it wasn’t so, it is a proven fact that most people think of roses every time they want to buy a flower for someone or they are asked to say out loud the first flower that comes to their minds.
However there are many flowers more pretty, more fragrant and more amazingly than roses but a rose has something in it that makes it the king of all the flowers. This magnificent flower has a history of splendor. Starting with the era of the poets, emperors and kings, signifying a flower to represent love, the rose is the flower that has been discussed and known to man for a long time now. Of course, no single flower is so universally known, so closely connected with the culture of many civilizations, as rich in poetic and mythological significance as the rose. As a symbol of beauty, romance, love, secrecy, perfection, elegance, and life itself, the rose has figured in legend, heraldry, and religion, and has served as the favorite of poets and artists from time immemorial. Is it little wonder it is called the king of flowers !
Imagine the fame and popularity this single flower has. It has unmatched significance and has been mentioned in many poems and historic stories that we read and cherish even today. Several songs, poems, quotes and many occasions still surface with the rose being the center of attention, out-doing other flowers. Roses have long been associated with all of these.
History of the King of Flowers
Several cultures of the world, even those no longer in practice, share the stories and history of the magnificence of the rose flower. The Greek culture calls it the pure symbol of love and beauty. It surfaced when their god of love and beauty, Venus, arrived from the sea. The rose was given birth by the earth to show that it could match the gods in the creation of perfect beauty. Many Greeks, even today, associate this flower with the birth of their goddess and even a painting by Boticelli portrays a goddess emerging from the sea, surrounded by dozens of roses.
Secrecy, including secret love for someone or even showing great respect towards keeping secrets, is another meaning this flower carries. In 16th century, England, the rose was worn behind the ears of servants to exhibit that what they hear would never be uttered from their mouth to anyone else. It was also used on the dining table in Greek cultures to symbolize that whatever was being discussed would not leave the table. Also, in the love stories told today, many lovers, who cannot express their feelings for their beloved or are afraid to do so, used to secretly give roses to make the other realize what their true feelings.
The rose needs little introduction because of the fame and significance it holds. It has long been a part of our life and is associated with various occasions, meanings and people. There is no fixed date in history when and where this king of flowers first appeared but it has been a significant flower throughout the ages. For all of these reasons and more we can truly say that the rose is the king of flowers.