Flowers are a part of most funeral services, and many mourners turn to the default of sending roses if they do not have any personal funeral flower ideas. Cut flowers have a short life, and this is where planting remembrance roses come into its own. A remembrance rose is one that’s planted in memory of a loved one as a living tribute.
Quite possibly lasting decades, each time the roses bloom, it will bring your loved one to mind. But before purchasing your flower, you should give careful thought to which colour and variety to get. Colours can be symbolic of different aspects of life and relationships, like strength, love, and gratitude. Most people want to choose a rose that reflects how they feel about the person who has passed.
Names for Roses of Remembrance
- Queen of Pearl
- Ocean Song
- Eternally Yours
- Scent from Heaven
- Absent Friends
- Mum in a Million
- Loving Memory
- Tranquillity
- Sweet Memories
We’ve suggested a remembrance rose variety for each main colour and the associated meanings to help you decide on the most fitting colour for your feelings.
1. Queen of Pearl: Ivory Remembrance Rose
Originally from Ecuador, the Queen of Pearl rose has large, flowering blooms.
2. Ocean Song: Lavender Remembrance Rose
Ocean Song is pale lavender with an old-fashioned appearance.
3. Eternally Yours: Multicoloured Remembrance Rose
This red and silvery-white variety hybrid tea rose bush is suitable for either containers or a garden.
4. Scent from Heaven: Orange Remembrance Rose
This Royal Horticultural Society’s Rose of the Year 2017. It is a climber which will repeat flower throughout the summer.
5. Absent Friends: Peach Remembrance Rose
A peach coloured floribunda with a sweet fragrance, this rose likes the sun.
6. Mum in a Million: Pink Remembrance Rose
A pink hybrid tea rose, this flower produces large, well-scented flowers throughout the summer.
7. Loving Memory: Red Remembrance Rose
Flowering in June, this is a red hybrid remembrance tea rose that will happily grow in your garden, and there’s a specific variety for containers.
8. Tranquillity: White Remembrance Rose
This English rose with large white blooms will flower throughout the summer.
9. Sweet Memories: Yellow Remembrance Rose
This pale-yellow rose flowers between June and September and will grow well in a container.
Symbolism Chart for Remembrance Roses
Black Rose: Death – Farewell – New Beginnings
Synonymous with death and mourning ever since they appeared, black roses have been commonly used at funerals. Although seemingly negative, there’s a positive side to them. Standing for new beginnings, they are an appropriate choice because they signal the start of a new era and the courage needed for loved ones moving on.
Blue Rose: Uniqueness – Unattainable Love
Blue roses are not common, but they can be an alternative to traditional roses. Sometimes symbolising unattainable love, you can send blue roses to signify uniqueness and wonder. Giving blue roses says, “You are wonderful and one of a kind.”
Green Rose: Harmony – Life – Peace
Green is a colour that’s becoming more common and for a good reason. Green symbolises life and the renewal of life. The colour is also associated with abundance, balance, fertility, harmony, peace, rejuvenation of spirit, and richness.
Ivory Rose: Caring – Charm – Elegance
Ivory roses initially look white, but if you look closer, you can see they’re more cream coloured. The colour is indicative of charm, elegance, gracefulness, perfection, and thoughtfulness. While many roses have romantic associations, ivory rose don’t.
Lavender Rose: Adoration – Fascination
Lavender roses are used to signify love at first sight and are extremely popular for those who have a secret crush on someone. It’s a colour of adoration and fascination, and are an alternative to red if you want to remember someone who has captured your heart.
Orange Roses: Admiration – Love – Passion
Orange roses are considered very energetic and symbolise enthusiasm, fascination, and even love or desire. On the other hand, it’s a colour you’d usually use to say, “I am very proud of you,” and can show admiration. Although often given to a graduate, for example, this colour is often chosen for remembrance because you’re proud of the life they lived.
Peach Roses: Authenticity – Gentleness – Sympathy
A peach coloured rose is symbolic of authenticity, gentleness, gratitude, modesty, and sincerity. Because of its gratitude-focused meaning, people chose them because they want to give thanks for the life of the person who passed. It also expresses sympathy.
Pink Roses: Appreciation – Gratitude – Kindness
Pink is a colour associated with elegance, femininity, sophistication, gratitude, and kindness. The symbolism can change slightly depending on the shade chosen.
A deep pink has the meaning of appreciation, gratitude, and recognition. You can use it for saying “Thank you.” Lighter shades are associated with gentleness, grace, happiness, and joy.
Any shade would be appropriate in remembrance because of the association with gratitude. Deeper shades signify thanks for the lived life while lighter shades would be suitable for someone with the characteristics embodied by that shade.
Red Roses: Love – Passion – Gratitude
Red roses are classic. A red rose is associated more than any other colour with love and commitment, so a red rose is all about telling someone that you love them. That makes the colour just right for a remembrance rose. The colour does have other meanings, though. Apart from signifying love, it also means gratitude, so red roses are an ideal way of saying “Thank you.”
White Roses: Purity – Innocence – New Beginnings
White roses are traditionally symbolic of purity and innocence, but there is more to this colour than just those meanings. Marriage and new beginnings also correlate to white, and many choose this colour because of the fresh start symbolism.
Yellow Roses: Caring – Friendship – Remembrance
Yellow rose symbolism has changed over the years, and nowadays is associated with friendship and caring. It has become a popular choice for a remembrance rose for just those reasons. Many choose to get this rose colour because yellow is especially suitable for remembering a close friend.
Mixed Colored Roses: Colour Dependent
Growing mixed colour remembrance roses is tricky. You can do this with grafting, an expert technique of growing different coloured roses on the same plant.
As an alternative, you might think about giving or planting a mixed bouquet. A blended arrangement can be appropriate when a single rose colour doesn’t convey the full meaning of what you want to say. There’s nothing wrong with mixing and matching when you want to send some remembrance roses.
Multicoloured roses are an interesting change to basic rose colours. Depending on the colour combination, they can signify friendship and love. Depending on what’s available, the symbolism for each colour will tell you what the multicoloured roses mean best.
By Any Other Name
The colour of the roses you choose should make a statement, either about the person who’s passed, or how you feel about losing them—whichever is more appropriate. Planting in remembrance means the colour choice is significant. Our rose colour variety suggestions along with the symbolism chart should help you make the best choice during a difficult time.