Research on Restorative Benefits of Rose Landscapes Through Visual and Olfactory Perception

Highlights

	● White and blue-violet roses significantly alleviate stress, with Fragrance of Fruity (FF) roses outperforming Fragrance of Rose (FR) ones
	● Red and yellow roses, particularly the red–FR and yellow–FF combinations, are more effective in attention recovery and enhancing positive emotions
	● Visual stimuli have a significantly greater impact on attention and emotional improvement than olfactory stimuli
	● Exploring the restorative benefits of rose landscapes from a visual-olfactory perception perspective can support the design of therapeutic environments

Abstract

Plant landscapes play a vital role in promoting physical and mental health. Rosa chinensis, commonly known as "Chinese rose" and with diverse colors and fragrances, is widely used in urban landscaping and home gardening. However, its restorative benefits have yet to be explored from a sensory interaction perspective. This study investigated the effects of rose landscapes on stress relief, attention recovery, and emotional regulation. Participants (university students) were randomly assigned to 12 sensory groups combining six color series (white, orange, pink, red, yellow, and blue-violet) with two fragrance types—Fragrance of Rose (FR) and Fragrance of Fruity (FF). Through stress-inducing tasks followed by visual-olfactory recovery experiments, physiological and psychological data—including EEG and mood states—were analyzed. Results showed that white and blue-violet roses significantly alleviated stress, with the FF roses outperforming the FR ones. Warm colors (e.g., red, yellow), particularly the red–FR and yellow–FF combinations, excelled in boosting attention and positive emotions. Furthermore, visual stimuli had a greater impact on attention recovery and improvement of emotional health than olfactory stimuli. The study also confirmed the potential of sensory interactions in optimizing landscape perception and enhancing health benefits. Based on these findings, practical design strategies were proposed to maximize the therapeutic value of rose landscapes for various land uses. This research offers critical insights into leveraging plant landscapes for health promotion and provides new directions for designing urban green spaces and therapeutic environments.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Rose Landscape / Visual-Olfactory Perception / Color / Fragrance / Restorative Benefits / Stress Relief / Attention Recovery

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Acknowledgements

·Project of "Study on Plants Configuration in Urban Green Space Under the Synergistic Effect of Visual and Olfactory Perception, " National Natural Science Foundation of China (NO. 52278084) ·Project of "Study on Sub-health Intervention Effects of Aromatic Plants Configuration, " National Natural Science Foundation of China (NO. 51978626)

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