Roses are the flower most closely associated with Valentine’s Day – and we’ve got chemistry to thank for both their colour and aroma! In this post we take a closer look at the chemical compounds involved.

Colour

Though traditional red roses are usually the standard on Valentine’s Day, they come in an array of other colours too. The exact colour of a rose is dependent on the particular pigment molecules present in its petals, which fall into one of two classes: carotenoids and anthocyanins.

Aroma

The aroma of roses showcases a similar chemical complexity to their colours. Again it is not one compound but many which contribute to a rose’s sweet scent. These compounds are often present in quite low amounts, but this low concentration belies their contribution to the aroma; many of them have very low odour thresholds, the amount that needs to be present for the human nose to be able to detect their smell. 

Read further on: http://www.compoundchem.com/2017/02/14/roses/