Black roses, do they exist naturally?

All the black roses they are some of the most striking flowers in the world. The color black has always been associated with death, negative, sadness and mourning, so the fact that a living plant can produce flowers of such a dark color is something incredible, since Life comes together with Death.

It is precisely this mystery that turns black roses into highly demanded flowers. But, Do they really exist in nature or are they the work of human beings? 

Halfeti roses, the only natural black roses that exist

Although many nurseries or florists strive to dye rose flowers using colorants, it is actually something that should not be necessary. In the small village of Halfeti, in southern Turkey, live the Halfeti roses, which are completely black. This is because the soil has very special conditions: it has a high density and also contains water-soluble pigments called anthocyanins, which react to pH. 

Anthocyanins are responsible for the dark color of well-known fruits such as raspberries or blueberries. And also of the precious roses. But, if they are already very curious, they will be even more curious when I tell you that they only turn black during the summer. The rest of the year they are a dark red color, which is also very beautiful, but without a doubt it has nothing to do with the black that so many people around the world like so much.

The only problem is that these rose bushes they are very difficult to find for sale; even the seeds are extremely rare to see. Moreover, the Turks themselves do not want to know much about them, since for them, as for a large part of the human beings that inhabit the planet, the color black symbolizes death and the arrival of bad news. So how do you have black roses?

Getting artificial black roses

As it is practically impossible to get natural black roses, it is best that we make them ourselves at home. To do this, we will need a rose bush that has red flowers (the darker it is, the better), a plastic container, water and black food coloring. Once we have it you have to follow this step by step:

1. The first thing we have to do is place the rose bush in a semi-shaded place, in a corner where it does not get direct sunlight throughout the day.
2. Now, we take a container, we add five cups of water and a large spoonful of black food coloring.
3. Afterwards, we will water with this solution every two weeks. We will repeat as many times as necessary.
4. Finally, after a month we will see how the flowers begin to acquire a blackish tone almost as if it were natural. After another month, they will be completely black and we can plant the rose bushes in the garden or give to whoever we want.

Rosa Black Baccara, not black ... but almost, and easy to find!

It is true that it is not black, but when there is no bread ... they are good cakes, right? 🙂 Seriously, the Black Baccara rose is a type of rose that you can easily find in any nursery or garden store. Moreover, if it happens that they do not have it, you can always order it and in a few days they will have it. It is very good to get, and hardly requires any special care.

If you dare to get one, here is your care guide so that it will produce you a large quantity of almost black roses:

Location

Place your Black Baccara rose outside, in an area where it gets direct sunlight, if possible all day. In case you don't have it, you can also put it in semi-shade, but it is important that it has more light than shade.

Irrigation

Irrigation it must be frequent, mostly in summer. During the warm months of the year it must be watered every 2 days, and if it is a particularly hot climate (35ºC or more) it may be necessary to water it daily. The rest of the year, it will be enough to water every 3-4 days.

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Throughout the entire growing season, i.e. spring, summer and even fall if the weather is mild, It must be paid with specific fertilizers for rose bushes that you will find in nurseries, or with liquid organic fertilizers as can be the guano. The instructions specified on the packaging must be followed to avoid problems.

Pruning

Like all rose bushes, flower stalks must be removed as they dry so that it produces new ones, and in autumn or at the end of winter all the stems have to be trimmed between 5 and 10cm to get it to broadcast again.

Transplant

Whether you want to move it to a larger pot or plant in the garden, you must do it during spring, before it resumes its growth.

Soil or substrate

Not demanding, but if it is potted, it prefers substrates that have good drainage, such as black peat mixed with perlite in equal parts.

Problems you may have

The main problems you may have are:

• Cottony mealybug: they are white parasites of just 0,5cm in length that feed on the sap of plants. They adhere to the stems and can become very weak. Fortunately, as seen with the naked eye, they can be removed with a swab from the ears dipped in pharmacy rubbing alcohol.
• Aphids: they are very small parasites, less than 0,5cm in length, brown or green in color that settle in the flower buds and in the flowers themselves, which weaken. The treatment consists of combating them with an insecticide whose active ingredient is Chlorpyrifos.

Multiplication

You can have new copies if multiply the plant by stem cuttings in late winter (towards the month of February in the Northern Hemisphere). You just have to follow this step by step:

1. Cut some stems that are about 15cm long.
2. Moisten its base with water, and impregnate these with powdered rooting hormones.
3. Plant the cuttings in individual pots with sandy substrates.
4. Put them outside, in semi-shade.
5. Water.

In two or three weeks they will root 🙂.

Enjoy your black roses!