Botanical Spotlight: Rose

The art of crafting fragrances is inherently intertwined with botanicals. To create a beautiful luxury scent, a deep knowledge of different botanicals and their unique properties is key. Here at CRANBOURN^®, we pride ourselves on our expertise and appreciation of different plants, flowers, herbs and spices.

In our Botanical Spotlight series, we will delve into the scientific, cultural and olfactory roots of the key botanicals from our fragrance collections.

A classically beautiful English flower, the rose is from the family Rosaceae, genus Rosa, and species R. damascena.

Roses can be grown all over the world, with some types preferring warmer climates and other hardier species surviving in colder areas and higher altitudes. They can be found in Asia, Europe, North America and northwest Africa.

The English Rose

The rose is the English national flower, and the reason is rooted in history.

The War of the Roses was a civil war between the royal house of Lancashire and the royal house of York– during which, one house wore a red rose and the other a white rose.

When the war concluded, Henry VII adopted the Tudor rose as a symbol of peace, which is why it is sometimes known as the Union rose. The rose symbol blended both white and red petals.

A fragrant scent like no other

Roses have a beautiful, delicate and extremely distinctive scent, making them a popular choice in both fragrance and food.

Interestingly, although the genus Rosa does contain multiple different species of rose, relatively few of those produce the recognisable rose fragrance suitable for the perfume industry.

The essential oil is captured by steam distillation of the petals or by solvent extraction, and the popular oil has been used for hundreds of years in ancient medicine and aromatherapy. It is antimicrobial and antifungal and can help alleviate anxiety, stress or pain.

In perfume, rose is primarily used as a heart note, and adds a rich depth to floral or sweet scents. It also pairs well with spicy notes and oriental fragrances. Rose makes an important appearance in our English Garden Party™ fragrance, nestled among violet, lily, lavender and other soft floral scents.

To delve deeper into the history, biology and uses of the diverse botanicals in CRANBOURN^® fragrances, explore our extensive botanicals directory.