Rosa tomentosa

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit, Seeds, Flowers

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked and is rich in vitamin C. It reaches up to 25mm in diameter, though only a thin layer of flesh surrounds the many seeds — care should be taken when eating it. The seeds are a good source of vitamin E; they can be ground into a powder and blended with flour or added to other foods as a nutritional supplement. Always remove the seed hairs before use.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant.

Australia, Britain, Europe, Luxembourg, Russia, Spain,

How to Identify

A deciduous shrub growing to 3 m tall, hardy to UK zone 6. Flowers bloom June to July with bee pollination. Hermaphroditic and self-compatible. Tolerates light sandy to heavy clay soils with preference for good drainage; accepts mildly acid to basic pH. Grows in semi-shade or full sun and prefers moist conditions. Suitable for hedging.

How to Grow

Succeeds in most soils, preferring a circumneutral soil and a sunny position. 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. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.

Propagation: Rose seed frequently takes two years to germinate, as it may require a warm period following a cold spell to mature the embryo and break down the seedcoat. One approach to shorten this is to scarify the seed, then place it in damp peat at 27–32°c for 2–3 weeks to allow imbibition, followed by 4 months at 3°c, after which germination should begin. 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 fresh into a cold frame sometimes germinates in spring but may take 18 months. Stored seed should be sown as early in the year as possible and stratified for 6 weeks at 5°c; it may still take 2 years to germinate. Prick out seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle, and plant out in summer if they exceed 25cm, or overwinter in a cold frame and plant out in late spring. Half-ripe cuttings with a heel taken in July in a shaded frame and overwintered before planting out give a high success rate. Pencil-thick cuttings of mature current-season wood, 20–25cm long, taken in early autumn and placed in a sheltered spot outdoors or in a cold frame, typically take 12 months to establish but succeed at a high rate. Suckers can be divided during dormancy and planted directly into permanent positions. Layering also works but takes 12 months.

Medicinal Uses

The fruit of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamins A, C, and E, along with flavonoids and other bio-active compounds. It also provides a fairly good supply 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 tumour growth.

Other Uses

Can be used as a hedge.

Rosa tomentosa, otherwise known as the harsh downy-rose, is a species of wild rose. It is a shrub growing to about 3 metres (10 ft). It is found in Asia Minor, the Caucasus (where it may not be native), and much of Europe: the British Isles, France, Central Europe, northern Spain, Italy, and the Balkans (except Greece). On the British Isles it can be found in hedgerows and woodland margins, and it typically flowers between June and July. Further south, in Bulgaria, it flowers in May.

Notes

There are about 150 Rosa species and many cultivated varieties.

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