Wild Roses

Roses have been valued by people for centuries. Aboriginals are reputed to have used the roots as an ointment for sore eyes, and the wood of the plant for arrows. As food, rose hips are nourishing with their high vitamin C content and antioxidants, along with other nutrients such as zinc. They were used to treat scurvy, numerous infections and to promote digestion. You can pick the ripe red hips in the fall - some wait until after the first frost - to nibble on or to make a tea. While the seeds are edible, they don’t taste overly great and can be cut or strained out. Some species are fleshier than others. Rose hips have also been used in baked goods and puddings, and their pectin has been used as a thickener.

Rose petals are also edible and can be sprinkled into salads — a feast for the eye and a conversation starter! They can also be made into jams, jellies, vinegars and syrups. Remove the white base of the petal as it can be bitter. Candied rose petals are added to cakes for both decoration and consumption.

The pollen on the wild rose’s many bright yellow anthers are a valued food source for many beneficial insects, including bees. Rose hips are a winter food for birds and mammals such as waxwings, pine grosbeaks, grouse, rabbits, coyotes and skunks.

(Caution: We are not recommending the use of these plants for medicinal or food purposes. Many plants are poisonous or harmful if eaten or used externally. The information on food and medicinal value is only added for interest. This information hasbeen gathered from books and its accuracy has not been tested.)

Collect rose hips once they are ripe (usually red or orange in colour). Remove the seeds and gently rub the plumpest with sandpaper. Plant immediately and watch for seedlings the following spring. According to William Cullina in his book Native Trees, Shrubs and Vines, “powdery mildew is usually not a severe problem in the garden and in the wild, but it can get pretty bad under irrigation in the nursery.” He therefore recommends keeping them in an open spot that gets sun and good air circulation, and watering in the mornings.

You can also start new plants by digging up new shoots that spread from the mother plant, or from cuttings, although some find this less successful than using seeds.

These plants don’t usually require much assistance once established. Generally wild roses prefer full sun and well-drained soil although some will manage in partial shade. In the spring, cut back deadwood but leave living canes as they flower on older stems.

• Native to: the Yukon, N.W.T., B.C., Alta., Sask., Man., Ont. and Que
• Habitat: thickets, rocky slopes, open areas and sunny areas with dry or well-drained soil
• Appearance: This shrub grows 90 to 120 centimetres at maturity (although some say 150 or even 250 centimetres in shade), and has large deep-pink flowers.

• Native to: Alta., Sask. and Man.
• Habitat: prairies, fencerows and open woods — sun and dry, well-drained soil
• Appearance: pale pink blossoms with dark pink in the veins; plants grow 30 to 60 centimetres.

• Native to: eSask., Man., Ont., Que., N.B. and N.S.
• Habitat: thickets, open woods, meadows, roadsides, rocky slopes and shores — sun or partial sun, dry to moist soil
• Appearance: dark pink becoming pale by the end of its bloom period; plants reach 60 to 180 centimetres. Thorns are few and fine.

• Native to: Ont., Que., N.B., N.S. and P.E.I.
• Habitat: open woods, rocky or sandy areas, field edges and woodlands — sun, dry to moist soil
• Appearance: This rose reaches approximately 60 to 90 centimetres at maturity and has pale or deep pink blooms.

• Native to: sB.C.
• Habitat: woods and clearings — partial shade to full shade, dry to moist soil
• Appearance: 30 to 240 centimetres

• Native to: Ont., Que., N.L., N.B., P.E.I. and N.S.
• Habitat: acid bogs, wet thickets and along ponds, rivers and streams — sun, wet soil
• Appearance: This low growing species reaches 30 to 60 centimetres at maturity and has shiny green leaves and dark pink flowers.

• Native to: coastal B.C.
• Habitat: shorelines, roadsides, thickets and clearings — sun, dry to moist soil
• Appearance: large, pale-pink flowers on a tall plant reaching 150 to 300 centimetres

• Native to: Ont., Que., N.B. and N.S.
• Habitat: bogs, damp shores, freshwater margins and swamps — sun, moist to wet soil
• Appearance: pink flowers; plants grow 90 to 150 centimetres.

• Native to: sOnt.
• Habitat: thickets, hedgerows and wet areas — sun to partial shade, moist soil
• Appearance: This plant has clusters of pink flowers atop long canes that can be trained along fences. The flowers change from deep to pale pink, giving the shrub an interesting look. Larger leaves than the other species mentioned. Grows to 120 to 240 centimetres.

• Native to: sOnt., Que., N.L., N.B., P.E.I. and N.S.
• Habitat: shores, swamps, thickets and clearings — sun to partial shade, dry to moist soil
• Appearance: a tall shrub that can grow 60 to 180 centimetres; pink flowers and interesting fall foliage.

• Native to: southern Yukon, swN.W.T., B.C., Alta., Sask. and Man.
• Habitat: roadsides, prairies, thickets, clearings, and sandy or rocky slopes — sun to partial shade, dry to moist soil
• Appearance: pink; 30 to 240 centimetres