Roses come in many colors—red, pink, white, and peach—but a new study shows that they all likely began as yellow.
Researchers from Beijing Forestry University in China have discovered through large-scale genetic analysis that the ancestors of today’s roses were yellow, single-petal flowers with leaves made up of seven parts.
This fascinating discovery was published in the journal Nature Plants.
Roses are the most popular cut flowers in the world, making up nearly 30% of all flower sales.
Today, there are more than 150 to 200 species and over 35,000 cultivated varieties of roses, each bred to match the changing tastes of people over centuries.
The history of rose breeding goes back to the 1700s, when wild Chinese roses were crossed with old European types. These breeding efforts gave us the wide variety of rose colors, shapes, and scents we see today.
However, as the climate changes, rose breeders are now looking beyond beauty. They want to create rose varieties that are more resistant to drought, pests, and disease, and easier to grow.
To do this, scientists are turning to wild roses. These natural varieties still carry useful traits like strong fragrance and hardiness, which can be added into modern roses through selective breeding. But to make the most of these wild genes, researchers need to understand how roses evolved over time.
In this study, the scientists collected 205 rose samples from over 80 different species—about 84% of all rose types found in the “Flora of China.” Using advanced genetic tools and sequencing, they analyzed these samples to map out the roses’ family tree. They focused on tiny genetic markers known as single-nucleotide polymorphisms, which are small differences in DNA that help track evolutionary changes.
The results revealed that the earliest roses were yellow, with just one row of petals, and leaves split into seven leaflets. Over time, through natural evolution and human breeding, roses gained new colors, more petals, fragrant blooms, and the ability to flower in clusters.
The study also challenges the old belief that roses came from Central Asia. Instead, the genetic evidence points to two main centers of rose diversity in China—one in the dry northwest, home to yellow, small-leaved roses, and another in the humid southwest, where white and fragrant roses grow.
By better understanding rose evolution, scientists hope to protect rare wild species and create new, resilient roses for the future. This research offers both a look back into the colorful history of roses and a path forward for breeding stronger, more sustainable flowers.
Source: KSR.
