Over centuries, humankind has gone looking for the elusive blue rose. Rudyard Kipling’s poem Blue Roses, follows a lover as he wanders through half the world looking for a blue rose for his beloved. But the journey is long. By the time he returns home defeated, his sweetheart is no more.
However, the blue rose is no longer impossible, thanks to the efforts of Suntory. The Japanese company will be unveiling the first blue rose in the world in the United States and Canada this November. This is not the blue rose’s first showing, however. This unique flower witnessed its first sales in Tokyo in 2009. Named “Applause”, the rose has “nearly 100% blue-pigmented petals”.
Roses lack a blue plant pigment named delphindin. As a result, blue roses do not grow naturally. But Suntory decided to make the impossible possible. In 1990, it embarked on an effort to create a blue rose. Suntory joined hands with Australian group Florigene (now Suntory Flowers) and in 2004, the first blue rose was born. A blue pigment introduced from a pansy did the magic. The name “Applause” was chosen as a symbol of congratulations. Today, this scientific achievement is greatly sought-after for anniversaries, proposals, birthdays and other special events.
Clearly, this is no ordinary rose. Naturally, the prices will be higher. According to some reports, a single Applause rose costs about 3,700 yen (about $48) in Japan. No price points have been provided for the US and Canada yet. But you can rest assured that this rare flower won’t come cheap.
Via: PR Newswire
