Winter rose

Rhaegar abducting Lyanna as winter roses fall from her hands.

"He rode past his wife and he lay a crown of winter roses in Lyanna's lap. Blue as frost."

―Petyr Baelish describing how Rhaegar Targaryen gave winter roses to Lyanna Stark

The winter rose is a type of flower that grows in Westeros. It is said to be blue as frost.

History

Game of Thrones: Season 5

At the tomb of her aunt Lyanna Stark, Littlefinger recalls to Sansa how Rhaegar and Lyanna were present at the Great Tourney at Harrenhal when he was a boy. Rhaegar won the final joust of the tournament, and the entire massive crowd cheered - only to suddenly drop dead silent as Rhaegar rode past his wife Elia Martell, and instead placed the victor's crown of winter roses onto Lyanna's lap. Not long afterwards, Rhaegar ran off with Lyanna, sparking off Robert's Rebellion, leading to the deaths of thousands and the fall of the Targaryen dynasty.

In the books

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Lyanna Stark was very fond of winter roses, and loved their scent. Eddard often thinks of them in association with Lyanna. Even the statue of Lyanna at her tomb underneath Winterfell is holding a garland of winter roses.

One of the visions Daenerys sees in the House of the Undying is a blue flower grows from a chink in a wall of ice, and fills the air with sweetness (perhaps implying Jon Snow's true parentage).

External links

• Winter rose on A Wiki of Ice and Fire