Are Blue Roses Real?

No, real blue roses don't exist in nature. Every blue rose you can buy has been dyed or tinted, and blue orchids are coloured in a similar way.

That tends to surprise people, because blue roses turn up everywhere: in wedding bouquets, in shop windows, all over social media. Below is the straight answer from our florists at the studio in Southwark (SE1): why roses can't be blue, how the colour actually gets into the petals, what separates light blue from dark blue and "blue velvet", what is going on with blue orchids, and which flowers are genuinely blue if you want the real thing.

Why real blue roses don't exist

Most blue and violet flowers get their colour from a pigment called delphinidin. Roses can't make it: they lack the gene for the enzyme that produces it. However much breeders cross and select, a rose can only work with the pigments it has, which is why rose colours run from white through yellow, peach, pink and red, but never to blue.

The closest breeders have got are the lilac and mauve roses. Varieties sold as "blue", such as 'Blue Moon' or 'Rhapsody in Blue', flower in lavender, grey-lilac or purple. Beautiful, but nobody would mistake them for sky blue.

What about the genetically modified "blue rose"?

Scientists did manage to put delphinidin into a rose by adding a gene from the pansy. The result was sold in Japan from 2009 under the name Applause. Even with the blue pigment inside it, the flower comes out a soft lavender-mauve rather than true blue, because the chemistry of rose petals shifts the colour towards purple. It is a scientific milestone, not something you will find in a London flower market.

How blue roses get their colour

Every blue rose in a bouquet starts life as a white or pale cream rose. There are two ways the colour goes in.

• Stem dyeing. Freshly cut roses stand in water mixed with a plant-safe dye. As the rose drinks, the colour travels up the stem and settles in the petals, often collecting more strongly along the veins and edges. The finish looks natural and slightly uneven, and the petals keep their normal texture.
• Tinting. The flower heads are sprayed or dipped in floral colourant. This gives a more even, saturated colour and is the usual route to the very deep, uniform shades.

Because each rose drinks at its own pace, stem-dyed roses from the same batch are rarely identical. A little variation from bloom to bloom is normal and is one of the tell-tale signs of the method.

Light blue, baby blue, dark blue and blue velvet roses

The shade depends on how strong the colourant is and how long the rose has been taking it up.

Light blue and baby blue roses

A gentler dye gives a powdery, pastel blue. Baby blue roses sit beautifully next to white, blush and silver-green foliage, and they are a popular choice for christenings, baby showers and "something blue" at a wedding.

Dark blue and royal blue roses

A stronger dye gives the deep, saturated blue most people picture when they search for blue roses. A large bouquet of them makes a real statement: our 50 royal blue roses in elegant wrap is exactly that, a hand-tied armful of deep blue in one colour.

Blue velvet roses

"Blue velvet" describes the darkest end of the range: a navy that reads almost black in low light, with a soft, matt look to the petals. These are usually tinted rather than stem-dyed, which is how they get such an even, dense colour.

Are blue orchids real?

The blue moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) sold as house plants are not naturally blue either. They are white orchids coloured by introducing dye into the flower stem, so the buds open blue. Species with lilac-blue flowers do exist in the wild, Vanda coerulea being the best known, but they are specialist plants and are not what you see in a gift shop.

Will a blue orchid plant stay blue?

Only for the flowers it has now. The dye is in the current flower spike, not in the plant's genes, so when the orchid blooms again the new flowers come out in the plant's natural colour, usually white. Many people are happy with that: they get a blue orchid now and a white one next time.

If you would like a softer take on the look, our Sky-blue orchid is a potted orchid with pastel petals blending soft blue and pink tones. It is sometimes sold out, so check the page for availability.

Caring for a blue orchid plant

Treat it exactly like any moth orchid: bright but indirect light, water only when the roots look silvery rather than green, and never leave the pot standing in water. Cool draughts and radiators are the two things most likely to make it drop its buds.

Flowers that are naturally blue

If you would rather have blue straight from nature, there are plenty of choices. Hydrangeas are the stars: their colour depends on the soil, and they turn blue in acidic soil where the plant can take up aluminium. Delphiniums, cornflowers, agapanthus, grape hyacinths and forget-me-nots are all genuinely blue too.

Hydrangeas carry most of our blue bouquets. Quiet blue poetry pairs soft blue hydrangeas with white chrysanthemums and creamy roses, and Blue serenity combines hydrangeas, roses and chrysanthemums in a cool blue palette. You can see everything in one place in our blue flower delivery collection.

How to care for dyed blue roses

• Trim the stems at an angle every couple of days and change the water daily.
• Don't worry if the vase water turns a little blue: some dye leaves the stems. Fresh water keeps it clear.
• Tinted petals can transfer colour when wet, so keep damp flowers away from pale tablecloths and clothes.
• Keep the bouquet out of direct sun and away from radiators and ripening fruit.

Colouring doesn't make a rose short-lived. How fresh it was when it was dyed and how it is looked after afterwards matter far more.

Where can I buy blue roses in London?

Blue roses are a florist's flower rather than something you can grow in the garden, so a florist is the place to go. We make our blue rose bouquets at the studio in Southwark and deliver across London the same day if you order by 10pm, seven days a week. You will get a photo of your bouquet before it leaves us. If you have a particular shade in mind, from baby blue to navy, message us on WhatsApp before you order and we will tell you honestly what we can do that week.

Blue roses: quick answers

Are blue roses natural?

No. Roses can't produce blue pigment, so every blue rose on sale has been dyed through the stem or tinted on the petals.

Can I grow blue roses in my garden?

Not true blue. Garden roses sold as "blue", such as 'Blue Moon' or 'Rhapsody in Blue', flower in lilac, mauve or purple.

What does a blue rose mean?

Because it can't occur naturally, a blue rose has long stood for mystery, the unattainable and something one of a kind. It suits a gift for someone you think is simply unlike anyone else.

Will the blue colour come off?

Stem-dyed colour sits inside the petals, although a little may colour the vase water. Tinted petals can rub off when wet, so keep them away from pale fabrics.

Is a blue orchid plant real?

The plant is real, but the blue is added. When it flowers again, the new blooms will usually be white.