Throughout the world, the rose has come to mean everything from innocence to intrigue, purity to passion, friendship to fascination, and new love to eternal longing. Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, is often depicted with roses. Mythology of India says that Vishnu formed his bride from rose petals. And in 19th century Europe, rose bouquets communicated messages of love, lust and devotion. The rose stands as a symbol in the world’s greatest love poems and works of art. Yet the bloom itself has been fleeting and fragile. Until now.