Fragrant Roses

February 14, 2011

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, University of Florida researchers have discovered a way to grow better smelling roses that also last longer.

For year, many have thought you get one or the other: a great smelling flower or a longer lasting one. In fact, many flowers seemed to lose their aroma too soon once cut.

Terril Nell/UF horticulture researcher: “We now know how to develop fragrant flowers, fragrant roses that will be long lasting, that will provide the instant delight and satisfaction that people enjoy when they buy flowers.”

Researchers looked into twelve popular rose varieties to pinpoint the factors that make a rose smell like a rose. Results show the strength of the fragrance depends on the composition of the flower. Researchers report a great smelling flower is important to the average consumer.

Terril Nell/UF horticulture researcher: “We know from our studies that consumers value fragrance. If you look, the first thing a consumer does when they see a rose is to smell it to see if it’s fragrant, even before they look at color. We want fragrance, that’s what consumers say.”

With the use of these results, researchers predict we will see better smelling flowers in a broader range of colors within two to five years.