Rosa acicularis

What to Eat

Edible parts: Flowers, Fruit, Tea, Seeds, Stem

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked, used in syrups and purees, or dried for use in teas and soups. It contains about 2–3% vitamin C by dry weight, rising to as much as 7% in some varieties. The ripe fruit has a rich, sweet flavour that is best after frosting. The fruit is about 25mm in diameter, but has only a thin layer of flesh surrounding the many seeds — care should be taken when eating it (see known hazards). Leaves make a vitamin C-rich tea. Young shoots can be peeled and eaten in spring. Petals are edible raw — remove the bitter white base before eating. The seeds are a good source of vitamin E and can be ground and mixed with flour or added to foods as a supplement; be sure to remove the seed hairs first.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It grows in subarctic regions. They prefer rich well drained soil. In north China it grows between 400-1,800 m above sea level. Melbourne Botanical gardens. It suits hardiness zones 2-9.

Asia, Alaska, Australia, Canada, Central Asia, China, Europe, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mongolia, North America, Russia, Siberia, USA,

How to Identify

A shrub. It grows 1.8 m high and spreads 1.2 m wide. It has many prickles. The leaves are greyish-green. There are commonly five leaflets. The flowers are deep pink and have a mild scent. They occur singly. The fruit are bright red, pear shaped hips.

How to Grow

Rosa acicularis is a very cold-hardy plant, being able to tolerate temperatures down to around -40°c when fully dormant. Succeeds in most soils, preferring a circumneutral soil and a sunny position. Prefers a slightly acid soil. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Dislikes water-logged soils. Grows well with alliums, parsley, mignonette and lupins. Garlic planted nearby can help protect the plant from disease and insect predation. Grows badly with boxwood. The flowers are fragrant. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Produces its fruit abundantly in Britain. This plant is the floral emblem of Alberta. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.

Propagation: Rose seed often takes two years to germinate, as it may need a warm period following a cold one to mature the embryo and soften the seedcoat. To speed this up, scarify the seed and place it in damp peat at 27–32°c for 2–3 weeks until imbibed, then hold at 3°c for four months, by which time germination should begin. Alternatively, seed harvested green — fully developed but not yet dried on the plant — and sown immediately may germinate in late winter, though this method had not been fully tested as of 1988. Seed sown as soon as ripe in a cold frame sometimes germinates in spring, but may take 18 months. Stored seed should be sown as early as possible and stratified for 6 weeks at 5°c; germination may still take 2 years. Prick seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle. Plant out in summer if over 25cm tall; otherwise overwinter in a cold frame and plant out in late spring. Half-ripe cuttings with a heel taken in July in a shaded frame, overwintered and planted out in late spring, give a high success rate. Hardwood cuttings of pencil-thick shoots, 20–25cm long, taken in early autumn and planted in a sheltered spot outdoors or in a cold frame, take up to 12 months to establish but normally succeed at a high rate. Suckers can be divided and replanted directly in their permanent positions during the dormant season. Layering takes 12 months.

Medicinal Uses

The plant is rich in tannins and used as an astringent. A decoction of the root serves as a cough remedy. An infusion of the roots can be used as a wash for sore eyes, and an infusion of leaves and bark has been used as eye drops for snow blindness. A decoction of the stems and branches has been used as a blood tonic and to treat stomach complaints, colds, and fevers. A poultice of chewed leaves has been applied to relieve the pain of bee stings. The fruit is a very rich source of vitamins A, C, and E, flavonoids, and other bio-active compounds, and is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated for its potential to reduce the incidence of cancer and to halt or reverse cancer growth.

Other Uses

An orange dye is obtained from the fruit. The plant can be grown as an informal hedge.

Rosa acicularis is a flowering plant in the Rosaceae family. It is commonly known as the prickly wild rose, prickly rose, bristly rose, wild rose or Arctic rose. It is a species of wild rose with a Holarctic distribution in northern regions of Asia, Europe, and North America.

Other Information

The rose hips are eaten fresh especially by children.

Notes

There are about 150 Rosa species and many cultivated varieties. The seeds are high in Vitamin E.

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