How to Make a Fresh Rainbow Rose Bouquet

The technique florists use to turn roses into a rainbow

By
Marie Iannotti
Garden Writer Marie Iannotti
Marie Iannotti
Marie Iannotti is a life-long gardener and a veteran Master Gardener with nearly three decades of experience. She's also an author of three gardening books, a plant photographer, public speaker, and a former Cornell Cooperative Extension Horticulture Educator. Marie's garden writing has been featured in newspapers and magazines nationwide and she has been interviewed for Martha Stewart Radio, National Public Radio, and numerous articles.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 02/25/23
Reviewed by
Mary Marlowe Leverette
mary marlowe leverette spruce gardening board
Reviewed by Mary Marlowe Leverette
Mary has been a Master Gardener for 30+ years and a commercial and residential gardener for 50+ years. She is a former Clemson University Extension Agent.
Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
Roses with rainbow colored petals

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

Project Overview
  • Working Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 2 hrs - 1 wk
  • Yield: Rainbow roses
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $0-10

Rainbow roses are white roses that are put through a process that gives them uniquely multicolored petals. Although the result may look like the roses were bred to have rainbow colors, they are not hybrid crosses between different colored flowers, the way most new shades of flowers are created. The method involves immersing the stems of white roses in dye and the result is usually a rainbow effect.

Tip

Should you buy or make rainbow roses yourself? Rainbow roses from a florist are expensive so if you attempt this process at home, you will save on costs, especially if you grow your own white roses on which to experiment. But the process is delicate and the colors likely won't be as dramatic as commercial versions.

1:44

Click Play to Learn How to Create Rainbow Roses

The Origins of Rainbow Roses

These brightly colored blossoms are the result of some very clever work by a Dutch grower named Peter Van de Werken. Looking to expand the market demand for cut flowers, Van de Werken and his colleagues began experimenting with developing new colors of roses, chrysanthemums, carnations, and a few other flowers. They began with white flowers and initially tried simply spraying the dye on the petals, the way they do with blue poinsettias, but the results were less than satisfactory. Then Van de Werken came up with the idea of having the flowers take up dye through their vascular systems.

Getting dye to absorb its way up the flower stem and out to the petals is not an easy task. For starters, most dyes contain molecules that are too large to work their way out to the delicate petals. Introducing a foreign substance into a plant also has the potential of harming it. However, after much trial and error, special dyes made from plant extracts succeeded in changing the petal colors vividly enough to make it worthwhile.

Initially, the roses were dyed a single unusual color by immersing the stem in a container of dye. Creating the rainbow effect requires an even more complicated process, which Van de Werken’s company guards closely. However, you can create a version at home.

Can You Grow Rainbow Roses?

Perhaps you’ve seen rainbow rose seeds for sale that promise to grow into brightly multicolored roses. Unfortunately, rainbow roses need to be created, not grown. As mentioned, rainbow roses are not the result of crossing two different colored roses, and even if they were, hybrid plants do not grow true to seed until they have been stabilized.

Instead of relying on these seeds, color roses yourself for much better results. You may not get the vivid colors Van de Werken produced because his team isn't releasing the details of the dye or the procedure, but since the method here is basically osmosis, you will be able to make a reasonable facsimile.

Tip

Try coloring other flowers in addition to roses to create a lovely rainbow bouquet. White mums and carnations are even better at taking the dye than roses.

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Sharp blade or knife
  • Narrow glass containers, bud vases, or test tubes
  • Plastic bags (optional)
  • Rubber bands (optional)

Materials

  • White roses
  • Food coloring dyes
  • Water

Instructions

Materials and tools to create rainbow roses

The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

  1. Choose Your Roses

    Start with as many white roses as you'd like to use. Choose roses as the buds are just starting to open. If the buds are too tight, they may never open, and if the flowers have already unfurled, they will not have sufficient time to absorb the dye before they start to fade.

    White roses being selected to make rainbow roses

    The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

  2. Shorten the Stems

    Make a fresh cut in each stem. If you have long-stem roses, shorten the stems to about 8 to 12 inches, so the dye does not have to travel so far.

    White rose stems being shortened with scissors

    The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

  3. Divide Each Stem Vertically

    Using a disinfected and sharp blade or knife, divide each stem into vertical sections, one section for each color. Cut about 3 inches up each stem. Don’t make more than three to four sections in each stem or the flowers will be too fragile to survive.

    Rose stems cut into vertical sections with sharp blade from bottom

    The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

  4. Prepare Food Coloring

    Mix your dyes of food coloring and water. Use a good amount of dye (10 to 12 drops) so that the pigment will be saturated enough to really color the petals.

    To get the full rainbow, use red, blue, and yellow dyes. They will probably mix a bit on their way up each stem, creating the full rainbow effect and making each rose a little bit different.

    Food coloring prepared with red, yellow and blue dyes

    The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

  5. Place Roses Into the Dye

    Each color dye will go into its own narrow container, such as bud vases or test tubes. Place sections of each stem into the different containers. Be gentle when bending the stem sections apart as you place them into separate containers. Try not to leave them exposed to air and drying out for more than a few minutes.

    You could also use plastic bags filled with dye and attach one to each stem section with rubber bands. That way you can stand roses up in a single larger container. That will minimize the bending of the cut stem sections.

    White rose vertical sections placed in tubes with color dyes

    The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

    Tip

    For more vivid colors, use professional floral dyes instead of food coloring. These can be purchased online or from a floral supply company.

  6. Store Roses Away From Sun

    Leave each stem section in the dye mixture for several days.

    Place the roses out of direct sunlight while they are absorbing the dye. The cut flowers are already under stress, and extreme heat or light will weaken them further.

    White rose with light blue pigment placed in indirect light

    The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

  7. Keep Roses Hydrated

    Now be patient. You may notice the petals changing color within a couple of hours, but leaving them in the dye for up to a week will result in the most dramatic colors. Make sure the roses are not left sitting in dry containers once the water/dye solution is all absorbed.

    White roses with petals changing into blue-green colors

    The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

  8. Finish Trimming the Stems

    Once the desired effect is obtained, you can cut off the split section of the stems and place your roses in a vase of fresh, room-temperature water and enjoy.

    Split section of green-colored roses cut off with scissors

    The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

Article Sources
The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Monteiro, António A.; Lopez, Roberto; Janick, Jules (2008). “Gilding the Lilies: Rainbow Roses and Confetti Poinsettias“. Chronica Horticulturae Vol. 48, No. 1. International Society for Horticultural Science.