Suntory Breaks Decades-Long Barrier with Naturally Colored Blue Rose

Suntory, a Japanese beverage giant, has successfully bred a blue rose after decades of research. The breakthrough came when researchers inserted four genes from other plants into a light pink rose to create the blue pigment and its accompanying helper molecules.

The team led by Seitaro Ito worked on delphinidin, a blue pigment found in some flowers, but realized that it alone was not enough to produce true blue. They discovered that a combination of genes from Canterbury bells, Wishbone flower, and Gentian produced the necessary copigments.

The resulting blue rose bloomed reliably for seven years in a greenhouse and three years in field trials in Colombia. This achievement is significant because most blue roses sold today are dyed with ink, not naturally colored.