Superoxide dismutases (SODs) are known as the first line of defense against reactive oxygen species (ROS). To better understand the regulatory effect of ethylene on programmed cell death and the molecular functions of SODs during the flower development, the expression patterns of RhMnSOD1, RhFeSOD1 and Cu/ Zn SOD1 genes, as well as the total SOD activities were compared in the two different roses, of ‘Marroussia’ and ‘Cool Water’ with long and short longevities, respectively. Total SOD activities were increased at the bud stage after 24 h of ethylene treatment also, H2O2 content increased at the bud stage at 48 h after the ethylene treatment in both cultivars. In most tissues, RhMnSOD1 and RhFeSOD1genes showed the highest levels of expression in the petals of ‘Marroussia’ and ‘Cool Water’ at both stages (bud and open stages) at 24 and 48 h after the ethylene treatment, respectively. Also, they displayed higher levels of expression in the gynoecium and stamen tissues of ‘Marroussia’ at the open stage at 48 h after the ethylene treatment. The results indicated that RhMnSOD1 is more sensitive to ethylene during flower senescence progression.