What flower is the blue enchantress? A detailed guide to growing it

The blue rose counts as one of the rose varieties that has "had plastic surgery," because it is not blue by nature; it only becomes blue after artificial processing through technological means.

I. The origin of the blue enchantress

The "blue enchantress" first came from the Netherlands and is a processed flower. It is made by blending a dye that is harmless to the human body with a dye-fixing agent to form a colorant. When the white rose (or white China rose) is about to bloom, the dye is used to water the flowers, letting the flowers absorb the colorant like water to achieve dyeing.

According to experts, there are currently very few naturally growing blue roses in the world, and the "blue enchantress" sold on the market are all artificially dyed finished products. Genuine "blue enchantress" flowers are dyed starting from the growth stage, so the color adheres evenly to the petals and looks relatively natural; however, some unscrupulous vendors directly color ordinary white roses into blue roses, which not only have uneven color distribution but also fade extremely easily, so everyone must pay extra attention and observe carefully when buying.

It is said that the Australian branch of the Japanese company Suntory began cultivating blue roses, blue carnations, and other blue flowers in 1990. The first batch of genetically modified blue roses was successfully cultivated in the laboratory in 2004. Scientists extracted the blue pigment gene from blue clover and used gene recombination technology to change the arrangement of genetic factors in roses, successfully allowing delphinidin to express color on its own and cultivating blue roses. The pigment contained in the petals of this rose is blue, with a purity close to 100%.

II. The main uses of the blue enchantress

Ornamental: The blue rose is also called the blue enchantress. It belongs to the new elite among flowers, is enchantingly beautiful, and also symbolizes that staying together is a promise.

Pigment: The blue enchantress is made from a colorant blended from a dye that is harmless to the human body and a dye-fixing agent. When the white rose or white China rose is about to bloom, the flowers are watered with the dye, letting the flowers absorb the colorant like water to achieve dyeing. According to flower experts, there are very few naturally growing blue roses, and the blue enchantress sold on the market are basically products after artificial dyeing. The more legitimate blue enchantress flowers are dyed starting from the growth stage of the flower, so the color is more natural and less likely to fade. There is also a type of blue enchantress made by covering the flower with blue gold powder; its color is unnatural, and it fades easily and is hard to preserve.

III. How to grow the blue enchantress

Planting: For cuttings, select one-year-old semi-lignified branches that have not yet headed, with short and thick internodes, and cut them at 8-10 cm from the top as cuttings. The cut should be close to the stem node, and wound-healing antiseptic film should be applied around the cut to protect the integrity of the phloem, and the cuttings should be soaked in a 800-fold solution of Xin Gao Zhi Mo (to prevent wound rot and viral infection, restore the plant's physiological vitality, and promote sprouting, rooting, and seedling emergence).

Site selection and land preparation: The blue enchantress loves sunlight, tolerates heat, cold, and poor soil, and resists salinity and alkalinity. Before planting, select the plot well, apply enough base fertilizer, irrigate sufficiently, and prepare the land well. When preparing the land, make beds as required and properly handle soil pests, diseases, and weeds. Planting method: The blue enchantress can be direct-seeded or propagated by cuttings, and in production, the cutting method is mainly used, generally chosen in spring.

Because the blue enchantress itself is not a naturally growing rose variety, but is made by dyeing white roses and China roses, when growing it you can use the cultivation method for white roses, and then send the grown flowers for coloring.