EDIBLE PLANTS

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Rosa rugosa

Other Names

Ramanas Rose, Japanese rose, Rosa ferox, Beach Tomato, Sea Tomato, Saltspray Rose, Beach Rose, Hamanasu (Japanese - "Shore Pear"), Haedanghwa (Korean - "flowers near seashore")

Cultivars

Edibility

Flowers, Fruit (hips), Young spring suckering shoots, Seed (with caution)

Fruit - The fruit on Rosa rugosa has more flesh than a normal rose. The taste is sweet and unusual with a typical bite of vitamin C rich foods. It is edible raw and cooked. The red hip itself is large and has a fairly thick layer of flesh. This layer is little more than skin on some roses. Take care to remove the irritating hairs before eating or processing.

Flowers - Good in jellies and preserves giving an aromatic flavour. Be sure to remove the bitter white base of the petals.

Young shoots - Harvested when still tender in spring, as they burst through the ground. Cook and use as a potherb.

Seed - good source of vitamin E, it can be ground into a powder and mixed with flour or added to other foods as a supplement. Be sure to remove the seed hairs.

Leaves - tea can be made from the leaves

Nutritional Content Includes

Vitamin C (containing up to 2.75% dry weight), vitamin D, vitamin E, and a form of safe vitamin A, vitamin K, and iron.

Also contains carotenoids, catechins, flavanoids, leucoanthocyanins, pectins, polyphenols, and some essential fatty acids.

Rose hip Supplements

LitoZin, gopo, rosehip extract, rose hip powder

Medicinal Properties and Health Benefits

Always seek advice from a qualified professional before using a plant medicinally

Flowers affect the spleen and liver, encouraging healthy circulation. Leaves have been used to treat fevers. The root has been used to treat coughs. Rosehips are also being studied as a food which may reduce the risk of cancer and stop or reverse cancer growth.

The rose hips of many members of this genus are a potent source of vitamins and antioxidants, which boost the immune system. The high pectin content is good for a healthy heart, blood pressure, cholesterol and digestion. Pectin also promotes fullness and suppress hunger cravings, making it useful for dieting and weight loss. Research from Germany and Denmark has suggested rose-hips could offer a cheap and effective way of treating debilitating rheumatoid arthritis. The name of the rosehip supplement in the research was LitoZin, which contains a type of sugary fatty acid known as GOPO. Scientists have said this substance acts like a plant version of fish oil.

 

Rosa rugosa, known hazards

The irritating hairs around the seeds, inside the fruit, can cause discomfort to the mouth and digestive tract if eaten.

Cultivation details

Performs well in light, well drained soils but actually very tolerant and thrives in most soils including dry ones and heavy clays, but not water-logged soils. Prefers soil to be roughly neutral and likes a sunny position. Tolerates salt spray and coastal exposure. Hardy to -50Ðc. Spreads by suckers freely. Grows well with alliums, parsley, mignonette and lupins. Dislikes boxwood. Garlic and alliums planted nearby can help protect from disease and insect predation. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Susceptible to honey fungus. It is in flower from late spring to mid summer and seeds ripen from late summer to mid autumn. The plant is self-fertile.

Propagation

Rose seed in general often takes two years to germinate. This is due to the dormancy of the seed. Some notes say Rosa rugosa needs a cold spell at 3°c for up to 17 weeks. Others add a seed scarification and 3 week warm spell for 2 - 3 weeks at 30°c , prior to the cold spell. Cuttings are best from semi-ripe growth with a heel, in July. Suckers root easily and are frequently produced, these are by far the most immediate method of propagation.

Characteristics

Low maintenance, tough and trouble free, widely used in landscaping and often planted in large numbers. Rosa rugosa is a decidious suckering shrub with very spikey stems and forms dense thickets due to it's suckering nature. Individually it grows to 2m by 2m at a medium rate. The plant also makes a good low hedge. The only drawback is it provides little interest in winter, due to it's deciduous cycle. The flowers are fragrant and dark pink to white, from summer to autumn.

The hips are large, and round unlike most other rose hips. Late summer and early autumn the plants often bear fruit and flowers at the same time. The leaves turn bright yellow in autumn. Rosa rugosa has considerable resistance to rose rust and rose black spot. Also very tolerant of seaside salt spray and storms, making it a succesful in planting schemes on the coast, (hence some of the names - Beach Tomato, Sea Tomato, Saltspray Rose, Beach Rose). Its salt tolerance also makes it useful for planting beside roads which need de-icing with salt regularly.

Suitable for - Sunny woodland edge, dappled shade, hedge, coastal planting, Best in full sun any soil other than waterlogged soil

Other Notable Species in the Genus

References

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