What Rose Colours Mean: Picking the Right Shade for Every Person

When we choose roses, the only question on our mind is usually "which ones are prettiest?" Yet a rose's colour sends a message before you've written a single word — and the same shade can read differently depending on who receives it and when. Here's the colour language of the world's favourite gift flower, organised around the person you're sending to.

First: who, and for what?

A quick cheat sheet to start:

• Valentine's Day, anniversaries: red
• Mother's Day: pink and white
• Birthdays: pink, orange or a mix of colours
• Get well soon: yellow or pink (but not yellow if they're in Russia)
• Sympathy: white

Pink: for Mum, and for saying thanks

Light pink speaks of grace and tenderness; deeper pink says thank you. For your mother, a teacher or a friend who's been there for you, pink is the gentlest way to show gratitude.

White: fresh starts and respect

White roses stand for purity and new beginnings, which is why they turn up at weddings and for new babies. They also express respect and remembrance, so they're the most common colour in sympathy flowers.

Orange: congratulations!

Orange is the colour of energy and excitement. A friend's promotion, a niece's graduation, someone starting a new job — orange roses fit the moment.

Purple and lavender: enchantment

Less common, purple and lavender roses suggest fascination and love at first sight — a choice for anyone who wants to stand out.

Yellow: friendship, with one exception

In Turkey and across much of the West, yellow roses mean friendship, cheerfulness and "get well soon". In Russia, though, yellow flowers are traditionally linked with separation, so avoid sending yellow roses to a partner there.

Red: love itself

Red roses are love's symbol the world over — right for a partner, an anniversary or Valentine's Day. But in many countries, Germany especially, red roses for a colleague or a friend can easily be misread.

How many roses, and what they say

• 1 rose: "you're the one" — love at first sight.
• 3 roses: "I love you".
• 12 roses: the classic dozen — "be mine".
• 101 roses: a grand declaration of love.

Numbers carry different meanings across cultures, too. In Russia, flowers for happy occasions always come in odd numbers and even numbers are for funerals — so choose 11 or 13 roses instead of 12.

All our rose bouquets are on the roses page. If yours are heading abroad, read flower gifting taboos by country first.