Pink roses are the gentlest and perhaps the most versatile choice among roses. They are less passionate than red and less formal than white, so they suit almost any occasion, from a first date to a gift for your mum or a colleague. Here is what different shades of pink roses mean, which varieties are most popular, who to give them to, how many to give and how to keep the bouquet fresh for longer.
The paler the shade, the softer and more restrained the message.
What pink roses mean
A pink rose stands for tenderness, gratitude and admiration. If a red rose says I love you, a pink one says I really like you or thank you for being you. That makes a pink bouquet easy to give not only to a partner but also to your mum, a friend, a teacher or a colleague, with no unwanted subtext.
The meaning also depends on the shade. Pale and dusty pink roses express delicacy and respect, soft pink conveys affection and joy, and hot pink says thank you in a festive way. Compare them with other colours in our articles on red and white roses.
Popular pink rose varieties
Among cut roses the best known are Jumilia, soft pink with darker petal edges; Pink Floyd, a rich fuchsia with a large head; Revival, a classic pink; and Sweet Avalanche, pale pink with a very dense bloom. A separate group is peony roses, which resemble peonies.
Popular garden roses include Queen Elizabeth, a tall pink rose; Bonica, an easy shrub with small flowers; the climber Pierre de Ronsard with creamy pink cups; and the English rose Gertrude Jekyll with a strong scent. Spray pink roses with several buds per stem look lovely in light, garden-style bouquets.
Who to give pink roses to and how many
Pink roses suit women of any age: a girlfriend on a first date, your mum on her birthday, a grandmother, a friend, a teacher or a colleague. For a man, choose more restrained colours. At weddings, dusty and pale pink roses are among the most popular choices for the bridal bouquet.
Traditionally an odd number of flowers is given. One rose is a small gesture, 3–7 a light compliment, 11–25 a proper festive bouquet, and 51 or 101 a lavish gesture for a milestone. More on the symbolism of numbers is in our rose guide.
How much pink roses cost
The price depends on variety, stem length and quantity. At the time of writing, a bouquet of 25 pink roses in our catalogue costs about 2,000 UAH, 51 Jumilia roses about 2,900 UAH, and large bouquets of 101 pink roses from 4,900 UAH. Peony roses cost more because of their special bloom shape.
How to keep pink roses fresh longer
Trim the stems at an angle by 2–3 cm with a sharp knife, strip leaves below the waterline and put the bouquet in a clean vase with cool water and cut-flower food. Change the water every day or two and keep the bouquet away from radiators, direct sun and fruit. Pink roses will then last 7–12 days.
Pale petals show damage faster, so avoid touching the heads and do not mist them. If a head droops, recut the stem under water and stand the rose in deep cool water for a few hours.
Pink roses delivered in Kyiv
Our catalogue offers pink roses in many shades and varieties: Jumilia, spray and peony roses, in bouquets and boxes. Choose a ready-made bouquet or order the number of roses you need with delivery across Kyiv.
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
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