Rosa hybrida
rose
The red rose has carried one meaning for so long that it barely needs explaining, which is the point of it. Nobody has to work out what you meant. Send it when you want to be unmistakable rather than clever.
Native toBred from wild roses of China, western Asia and Europe
In seasonYear-round
Vase life5 – 10 days
Pairs withGypsophila · Eucalyptus · Spray carnation
Elsewhere
The association with love runs through Greek and Roman myth, Persian poetry and medieval European allegory long before Victorian floriography codified it.