My first introduction to a black rose dates back to 1997. It was not a great introduction, but a memorable one. I was managing a small local flower shop and it was Valentine’s Day. After having pulled an all nighter with my staff, we were just locking up shop. There was a knock on the door. I won’t lie to you – the first thought that ran through my head was “too bad buddy – we’re closed, exhausted and all sold out -so get lost”. Then I saw his badge – his police badge to be more specific. So again, I wont tell lies here, my next thought was “Are you seriously going to pull rank on me so I will let you in for flowers that you should have pre-ordered days ago??”. When I opened the door to let him in I saw that he was already holding flowers – black roses to be exact. They were accompanied by a death threat.
Perhaps this is why dyed flowers, roses in particular, have always left a bad taste in my mouth. Dyed flowers are everywhere now and I am not a fan of them to say the least. In fact, a few weeks ago, I was placing a Valentine’s Day order with my favourite rep at Staalduinen Floral Ltd, I expressed my dislike for dyed flowers. She diplomatically asked me if I had ever seen a dyed black rose and would I like to see a sample? They were expecting a shipment in a few weeks. They arrived at the shop I manage this week. And I cannot believe I am admitting this for the world to read, but they are magnificent.
They are a large ecuadorian red rose with a high petal count that has been stem dyed deep blue. The blue dye is evident when you inspect the base of the stem and sepals. You can also see the blue when you cut the stem. Interestingly, the dye does not seem to seep into the water turning it a tell-tale shade of indigo. As the rose opens it starts to reveal its natural shade of red. Stem dying is a complicated process – achieving the exact same shade every time is extremely difficult. In order for the roses (or any flower for that matter) to absorb the same amount of dye each time, countless factors much be consistent: external temperature, internal temperature of the flower, concentration of dye, humidity, dehydration of the flower, stem length, and bloom size.
This rose is nameless by the grower (simply referred to as BLACK STEM-DYED ROSE), so the good folks at Staalduinen have taken the liberty of calling it “Ebony”. A perfect fit if you ask me. If you are interested in seeing this rose for yourself, I must forewarn you: order many weeks in advance and be prepared to spend about $8 to $10 per rose. Oh, and just for the record, the spray painted black rose with the death threat attached to it did not come from the store I was working at (thankfully) !!
