Description of a Pink Rose

Shades

• Like other color roses, pink roses have been bred to create a wide variety of cultivars that exhibit the specific traits desired by the breeders. This has resulted in a variety of shades of pink roses.

  Light pink roses are the palest of three classifications. Some of these roses can be so pale that they are almost white, with only the barest hint of color, and include cultivars such as the "Juno" and "Belle Amour." Slightly darker roses are known as medium pink or simply pink. These are the roses that can have a slight purple hue, and include the "Old Blush" and the "Pink Cameo." The brightest are known as deep pink or bright pink and have a bright, brilliant, unmistakeably pink color. Varieties such as the "Malaga" and the "Mme. Issac Periere" have blooms characteristic of this bright color.

Size and Shape

• The rose family is a large one, and there are pink varieties within every type and species of rose. The rose-bearing shrubs that can be found in many landscapes are called Floribunda roses, with a number of pink varieties such as the "Day Breaker." Miniature roses can be more commonly found now than in the past, with small, delicately shaped blooms that present a smaller image of their larger cousins. "Child's Play" is a fairly new addition to this group. The large Grandiflora is a cross between the Floribunda and the popular hybrid roses, which can also be found in landscapes, gardens and nurseries around the world. "Elle" is a classic pink hybrid rose, along with "Her Majesty's Hat."

Patterns

• Pink roses don't just come in solid colors. There are a number of cultivars that've been created to not only blossom with the best and brightest of pinks, but also to incorporate other shades. The "Pretty in Pink" variety of roses has medium pink edges fading to a pale pink, almost white shade at the base of the petals, similar to the coloring of the "Pink Parfait."

  Other cultivars mix different colors in with the pink. The outer half of the popular "Love & Peace" rose's petals are a bright, deep pink that fades to a yellow-orange in the center. Some types feature a more mild contrast, such the soft pink and apricot petals of the "Fading Candy."

Meaning

• Giving a bouquet of pink roses can speak volumes, and the different shades of pink will say different things. The lightest pink roses are often given in sympathy or as a get-well wish. They also represent harmony and warmth. Medium pink roses are generally given to show admiration and appreciation; for example, they can indicate that the giver appreciates the recipient's beauty. The deepest, most boldly colored pink roses say, "Thank you," and are usually given in appreciation for a specific action.

  A similar and underlying meaning of these flowers is one of gratitude, warmth and gentleness, the feelings evoked by the colors themselves.