For Flower Confidential I interviewed John Mason, a scientist at Florigene working on a genetically modified blue rose. They’ve gotten close, creating roses implanted with a petunia gene that produces, if not a true blue rose, at least a pretty unique shade of purple. They’ve also rolled out a series of purple carnations, which proved much easier to work with.
I talked to a scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists who said that a rose or carnation implanted with a petunia gene was the least of their concern, given that it would be unlikely to escape into the wild and cause any real harm.
Still, the locals are upset at the prospect of this GMO agriculture in their community.
“A new genetically modified rose is simply not worth the very real threat producing it poses to our agricultural and horticultural procedures and to the region’s precious biodiversity,” the mayor said.
Stay tuned, folks.