1. Roses are related to apples, pears, and strawberries! Roses belong to the plant family Rosaceae. This giant botanical family includes lots of delicious fruits like apples, pears, peaches, cherries, raspberries, and strawberries!

2. Roses produce a fruit called a "rose hip." Once a rose flower drops its soft petals, it leaves behind a round, red-orange berry-like fruit called a rose hip. Rose hips are packed with Vitamin C and can be made into tangy teas, jellies, and jams!

3. A rose once traveled into space. In 1998, NASA flew a miniature rose named "Overnight Scentsation" into space on the Space Shuttle Discovery. Scientists wanted to see how microgravity affected its sweet fragrance, leading to a brand-new perfume scent!

4. Fossil records show roses are 35 million years old. Scientists have discovered rose leaf fossils buried deep in rock layers that date back around 35 million years—meaning roses were blooming long before humans ever walked the Earth!

5. The oldest living rose bush is over 1,000 years old. Growing on the wall of the Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany, the famous "Thousand-Year Rose" has survived fires, harsh winters, and WWII bombings since the year 815 AD!

6. Roses are the official national flower of the United States. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation declaring the rose as the official floral emblem of the USA during a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden.

7. Their "thorns" are actually called prickles. Botanically speaking, real thorns are modified branches, but the sharp spikes on rose stems are skin outgrowths called prickles. They help the rose plant hook onto surrounding bushes so it can climb toward the sunlight.