“My uncle is named Liu Baohua—let’s call this flower Liu Baohua!” “Layer upon layer, the ruffled buds are edged with a soft pinkish purple, like my uncle’s face blushing with shyness.”

Recently, a newly bred Chinese‑style rose developed by the Flower Research Institute of the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (YAAS) has sparked widespread online discussion thanks to a playful public naming campaign. Among a flood of imaginative suggestions, the name “Baohua” stood out. With the breeder’s approval, the variety has now entered the application process for new plant variety protection with China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

This Chinese‑style rose—making a true “center‑stage debut”—not only carrie the depth of Chinese cultural heritage, but also offers a vivid expression of the traditional Chinese aesthetic embodied in homegrown roses with a “China-core.”

Recently, at the International Flower Technology Innovation Center in Dounan, Chenggong, a reporter saw the “Baohua” rose. In bud, the rose has a relatively restrained number of petals. Its pale pink gradient petals are delicately rimmed with purple, giving the bloom a graceful, three‑dimensional form.

According to Cai Yanfei, a researcher at the Flower Research Institute of the YAAS, “Baohua is a new hybrid variety, with a breeding cycle of about two years. At present, there are only 14 plants cultivated at our base. Before it can be commercially released, it must undergo extremely rigorous testing, so the earliest it could reach the market would be next year. If this variety application is approved, we plan to collect a batch of down‑to‑earth, meaningful names that reflect traditional Chinese culture, so that these ‘China‑core’ Chinese‑style roses can be better promoted and communicated internationally.”

It is also worth noting that, beyond Baohua, the “Yundou” series—named after Dounan of Yunnan—has gained popularity for its strong compatibility with Chinese aesthetics, thanks to its diverse flower forms, rich color palette, and light, elegant fragrance. To date, more than a dozen new varieties have been submitted for registration, with further updates to follow as breeding progresses.

Chinese‑style roses have long differed from the cup‑shaped roses that dominate the conventional market. Their diversity of form, complex fragrances, and long flowering periods better express the aesthetic sensibilities of traditional Chinese culture. Cai Yanfei explained: “We have now entered a stable phase of breeding, with over 100 new Chinesestyle rose varieties applied for annually. By opening up a breeding pathway with distinct Chinese characteristics, we hope to create flowers whose names and aesthetics resonate with China’s long and profound cultural heritage. Our goal is to bring more roses with a distinctly Chinese character to the international market, while continuously enhancing the global influence and competitiveness of our ‘China‑core’ roses—so that Chinese‑style roses can bloom with their own unique brilliance on the world stage.”

Click here to view the Chinese report

(Editors: Rachel, Evan)