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Plant and Flower Information
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Rose Facts
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If floral orders are a
reliable measure of popularity, the rose is America's favorite
flower. This beloved bloom is as rich in history as it is in
fragrance and beauty. Here are a few interesting facts about
the rose: |
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The rose is the official National Floral emblem of the
United States. This legislation was signed into law by
President Ronald Reagan on October 7, 1986. The rose is also
the state flower selected by Georgia, Iowa, New York, North
Dakota and the District of Columbia. | ||
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Three separate nationally conducted public opinion
polls, dating from 1975-1986, found the rose to be the
number-one choice of over 85% of those individuals
surveyed. | ||
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George Washington, our first President, was also our
first U.S. rose breeder! | ||
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In 1994, over 1,200,000,000 roses were purchased by
U.S. flower buyers. This works out to a per capita consumption
of 4.67 roses per person. | ||
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The rose is native to the United States. The oldest
fossilized imprint of the rose was left on a slate deposit
found in Florissant, Colorado. It is estimated to be 35
million years old. | ||
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There are nearly 900 acres of greenhouse dedicated to
the production of fresh-cut roses in the U.S. One acre of
greenhouse rose production in the U.S. is valued at about one
million dollars, which includes the value of the plants,
greenhouse structure and land. | ||
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About 60% of the roses grown in the U.S. are produced
in California. | ||
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The most popular rose holidays in the U.S. are
Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and
Christmas. | ||
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Columbus discovered America because of a rose! It is
written that on October 11, 1492, while becalmed in the
Sargasso Sea, one of the crewmen picked a rose branch from the
water. This sign of land renewed their hope for survival and
gave the seafarers the courage to continue on to the New
World. | ||