Rosa canina
| Rosa canina | |
 | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 3 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 10' |
| Width: | 10' |
| Speed: | Fast |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Rosa canina (common name: dog rose)
Propagation: Seed. Rose seed often takes two years to germinate. This is because it may need a warm spell of weather after a cold spell in order to mature the embryo and reduce the seedcoat[1]. One possible way to reduce this time is to scarify the seed and then place it for 2 - 3 weeks in damp peat at a temperature of 27 - 32°c (by which time the seed should have imbibed). It is then kept at 3°c for the next 4 months by which time it should be starting to germinate[1]. Alternatively, it is possible that seed harvested 'green' (when it is fully developed but before it has dried on the plant) and sown immediately will germinate in the late winter. This method has not as yet(1988) been fully tested[1]. Seed sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame sometimes germinates in spring though it may take 18 months. Stored seed can be sown as early in the year as possible and stratified for 6 weeks at 5°c[2]. It may take 2 years to germinate[2]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Plant out in the summer if the plants are more than 25cm tall, otherwise grow on in a cold frame for the winter and plant out in late spring.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel, July in a shaded frame. Overwinter the plants in the frame and plant out in late spring[3]. High percentage[3].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth. Select pencil thick shoots in early autumn that are about 20 - 25cm long and plant them in a sheltered position outdoors or in a cold frame[3][2]. The cuttings can take 12 months to establish but a high percentage of them normally succeed[3].
Division of suckers in the dormant season. Plant them out direct into their permanent positions.
Layering. Takes 12 months[4].
Cultivation: Succeeds in most soils[4][2]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers a circumneutral soil and a sunny position with its roots in the shade[4][2]. When grown in deep shade it usually fails to flower and fruit[5]. Succeeds in wet soils but dislikes water-logged soils or very dry sites[5]. Tolerates maritime exposure[5].
The fruit attracts many species of birds, several gall wasps and other insects use the plant as a host[5]
A very polymorphic species, it is divided into a great number of closely related species by some botanists[6][7].
The leaves, when bruised, have a delicious fragrance[8]. The flowers are also fragrant.
Grows well with alliums, parsley, mignonette and lupins[9][10]. Garlic planted nearby can help protect the plant from disease and insect predation[9][10]. Grows badly with boxwood[9].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[1].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[2].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to N. Africa and southwest Asia.
Habitat: Hedges, scrub, woods, roadsides, banks etc[11].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[12][13][14]. It can be used in making delicious jams, syrups etc[15]. The syrup is used as a nutritional supplement, especially for babies[16]. The fruit can also be dried and used as a tea[11][17][18]. Frost softens and sweetens the flesh[17]. The fruit is up to 30mm in diameter[2], but there is only a thin layer of flesh surrounding the many seeds[K]. Some care has to be taken when eating this fruit, see the notes above on known hazards.
The seed is a good source of vitamin E[19], it can be ground and mixed with flour or added to other foods as a supplement. Be sure to remove the seed hairs[19].
The dried leaves are used as a tea substitute[20][21][18]. A coffee substitute according to another report[15].
Petals - raw or cooked[22]. The base of the petal may be bitter so is best removed[18]. Eaten as a vegetable in China[23]. The petals are also used to make an unusual scented jam[15].
Medicinal: The petals, hips and galls are astringent, carminative, diuretic, laxative, ophthalmic and tonic[15][11][24][25][26]. The hips are taken internally in the treatment of colds, influenza, minor infectious diseases, scurvy, diarrhoea and gastritis[16]. A syrup made from the hips is used as a pleasant flavouring in medicines and is added to cough mixtures[16].
A distilled water made from the plant is slightly astringent and is used as a lotion for delicate skins[15].
The seeds have been used as a vermifuge[15].
The plant is used in Bach flower remedies - the keywords for prescribing it are 'Resignation' and 'Apathy'[27].
The fruit of many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. It is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is fairly unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated as a food that is capable of reducing the incidence of cancer and also as a means of halting or reversing the growth of cancers[28].
Usage: Plants make a dense and stock-proof hedge, especially when trimmed[5].
Pollinators: Bees, flies, beetles, lepidoptera, self, apomictic
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates strong winds
Seed Ripens: Mid Fall-Early Winter
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Known Hazards: There is a layer of hairs around the seeds just beneath the flesh of the fruit. These hairs can cause irritation to the mouth and digestive tract if ingested.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 McMillan-Browse, Philip. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books, 1985.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Beckett, Kenneth and Gillian Beckett. Planting Native Trees and Shrubs. Jarrold, 1979.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Philbrick, Helen and Richard Gregg. Companion Plants. Watkins, 1979.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Riotte, Louise. Carrots Love Tomatoes. Garden Way, 1978.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Triska, Jan. Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn, 1975.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Loewenfeld, Claire and Philippa Back. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Kavasch, Barrie. Native Harvests. Vintage Books, 1979.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Freethy, Ron. From Agar to Zenery. The Crowood Press, 1985.
- ↑ Hylton, Josie and William Holtom. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press, 1979.
- ↑ Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ Mills, Simon. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
- ↑ Chancellor, Philip. Illustrated Handbook of the Bach Flower Remedies. C W Daniel, 1985.
- ↑ Matthews, Victoria. The New Plantsman Volume 1. Royal Horticultural Society, 1994.