Roses are one of the oldest flowers in the world, dating back 35 million years. This probably explains our long history to loving roses and why they are referred to so often in literature The oldest living rose is a pale pink, fragrant rose called a Rosa canina. It is 1,000 years old and grows on the Hildesheim Cathedral wall in Germany. It has five petals and a diameter of around four to six centimetres . The rose blossoms last around a fortnight and usually appear toward the end of May.