What Does a Blue Rose Mean?

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Discover the symbolic meanings behind these rare & beautiful flowers

Co-authored by Annabelle Reyes Reviewed by Stina Garbis

Last Updated: July 17, 2024 Fact Checked

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Blue Rose Meanings

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Light & Dark Blue Rose Meanings

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Cultural Meanings

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When to Gift Blue Roses

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Rose Color Combinations

Blue roses make beautiful gifts for loved ones, but what are their deeper symbolic meanings? If you're looking for the answer to this question, you've come to the right place! We’ll go over the symbolic meanings of blue roses, including their cultural and artistic associations and the meanings behind varying shades. We’ll also cover occasions to send blue roses to others, and how to combine them with other rose colors to create unique bouquets. Keep reading for everything you need to know!

Blue Rose Meaning

Blue roses don’t occur naturally—their vibrant hues are actually achieved through dyeing, painting, or genetic modification. As a result, blue roses are associated with rarity, uniqueness, and achieving impossible feats. Blue roses also symbolize mystery, hidden romantic desires, and unrequited love.

Section 1 of 5:

What do blue roses mean?

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Rarity & uniqueness Blue roses don’t actually occur in nature.^{[1]
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Research source} Their beautiful blue hue is achieved through dyeing or painting, or through genetic modification by scientists. Because they’re created, rather than grown naturally, blue roses tend to be less common and more expensive than other types of roses. They’ve consequently come to symbolize rarity, uniqueness, and individuality.
- If you know someone who is struggling with self-acceptance or self-esteem, consider sending them a bouquet of blue roses.
- This is a wonderful way to tell them you think they’re one-of-a-kind, and that their uniqueness makes them beautiful.
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Achieving the impossible For many years, scientists tried and failed to create blue roses. Because of this, blue roses came to represent impossibility, or something that existed only in the imagination. In 2004, however, a team of Japanese scientists succeeded in creating the first blue rose through genetic modification. As a result, blue roses now symbolize achieving the impossible.^{[2]
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- Consider sending blue roses to someone who has just defied the odds to achieve an incredible feat.
- Maybe they’ve just landed their absolute dream job, or got accepted into a highly selective university.
- Whatever the situation, blue roses are a poignant way to congratulate them for making the impossible possible!
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Blue roses can also symbolize unrequited love or hidden romantic feelings, especially if the object of your affection is someone you see as unattainable or an unexpected match.^{[3]
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Research source} If you’re ready to reveal your unrequited love for someone, consider sending them blue roses. This is a beautiful way to make your hidden romantic feelings known!
Blue roses are also associated with secrecy and mystery in general.^{[4]
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Research source} This may be due to the fact that they don’t occur in nature and are instead made through a complex scientific process. To some people, this may seem like mysterious alchemy! If you see someone in your life as especially enigmatic and mysterious, blue roses may be the perfect gift for them.
Blue roses can also represent nobility and royalty. This may be because members of the aristocracy are often called “blue bloods.”^{[5]
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Research source} If you want to let someone know you think they are incredibly noble and regal, try sending them a bouquet of blue roses. Or consider displaying blue roses in your home to remind yourself that you deserve to be treated like royalty!

Section 2 of 5:

Light & Dark Blue Rose Meanings

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Like a clear blue sky, these beautiful roses evoke a sense of calm and lightness.^{[6]
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Research source} Display them in your home to create an uplifting, peaceful atmosphere, or send them to a loved one who is in need of some serenity.^{[7]
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They symbolize the powers of your imagination, and the mysterious world of your dreams. They're also associated with thoughtfulness and introspection.^{[8]
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Research source} Consider getting some dark blue roses to spark your creativity or encourage self-reflection.

Section 3 of 5:

Cultural Meanings of Blue Roses

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This symbolism comes from a Chinese folktale about an emperor trying to find a husband for his daughter. He declares that suitors must present a blue rose to the princess to be worthy of her hand, but because blue roses don’t occur naturally, many fail this task.^{[9]
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Research source} Finally, a penniless suitor unexpectedly succeeds, and the princess accepts his offer.^{[10]
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Blue roses have also appeared in many poems, books, plays, and songs. In George R.R. Martin’s popular book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen presents blue roses to Lady Lyanna Stark. And, in Tennessee Williams's play The Glass Menagerie, an ill girl is nicknamed Blue Roses because it sounds like pleurosis, the disease she’s suffering from.^{[11]
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- In 1887, Rudyard Kipling published a poem titled “Blue Roses" about a young man who goes on an impossible quest to find blue roses at the behest of the woman he loves.^{[12]
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- In 1969, musician Joni Mitchell released a song titled “Roses Blue” on her album Clouds.^{[13]
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Section 4 of 5:

Perfect Occasions to Gift Blue Roses

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Blue roses are associated with childbearing, and they can be a beautiful gift to send to new or expecting parents. Many people choose to give blue gifts to parents of baby boys, so a bouquet of blue roses may be the perfect choice if someone in your life is expecting a son.^{[14]
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A bouquet of blue roses is a wonderful gift to celebrate someone’s nuptials.^{[15]
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Research source} Like all roses, they are associated with love and romance. Plus, they can fulfill the age-old tradition of having “something blue” on the day of a wedding!

Section 5 of 5:

Combining Blue Roses with Other Rose Colors

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Red roses represent love and romance, and blue roses symbolize hidden desires.^{[16]
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Research source} An arrangement combining these two colors is the perfect way to reveal your deep feelings for someone!
Yellow roses represent friendship and happiness, and light blue roses symbolize serenity and hope.^{[17]
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Research source} If you have a friend who is going through a tough time, consider sending them a bouquet of yellow and light blue roses. These beautiful flowers (and their uplifting message) will be sure to brighten your friend’s day.
Dark blue roses and purple roses are both associated with aristocracy, nobility, and mystique.^{[18]
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Research source} A bouquet combining these two colors is a beautiful way to let someone know they’re an enchanting king or queen in your eyes!
White roses are associated with innocence and purity, and light blue roses are associated with hope.^{[19]
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Research source} Combine these beautiful flowers in a bouquet to commemorate a fresh start in your life, or gift them to someone you love to congratulate them on a new beginning.