Common Name: White Rose

General Information

Rosa × alba is a prickly, spreading, deciduous shrub with robust, arching stems; it can grow up to 2.5 metres tall[].
The plant is only known in cultivation, where it is grown for its essential oil and also as an ornamental. It is also harvested from the garden for use as a food and a medicine[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

A hybrid of garden origin, possibly naturalized in central Asia.

Habitat

Not known in the wild

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental

Cultivation Details

Rosa × alba is a very cold-hardy plant, being able to tolerate temperatures down to around -30°c when fully dormant[].
Most Rosa species require a sunny position if they are to flourish and flower well. They prefer a circumneutral pH, succeeding in a range of soil texturess so long as they are moist but well-drained[, ].
A very ornamental plant with a long history of cultivation as an ornamental in European gardens. The typical form is little known, though there are many forms that have been derived from it[]. The plant is also sometimes cultivated for its essential oil[].
The plant often does not ripen its fruits[].
Rose species will often hybridize freely with other members of the genus[].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Young shoots, harvested in spring, are eaten as a vegetable with rice[]. They are used in Indonesia as a lablab (a vegetable salad that is served with sambal and is often eaten with rice)[].

The seed of roses is generally a 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[].

We have no specific information regarding the edibility of this species, but the fruits (more correctly the hips) of all rose species are edible, thogh often rather less than desireable. The best forms develop a sweet, soft flesh that is very rich in vitamins and minerals, though in many species the fruits remain hard and dry. Some care has to be taken when eating the fruit, see the notes above on known hazards.

Medicinal

The flowers and fruit are used medicinally[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Rose species in general grow well with alliums, parsley, mignonette and lupins[, ]. Garlic planted nearby can help protect the plant from disease and insect predation[, ]. Roses often grow badly with boxwood[].

Other Uses

An essential oil is obtained from the flowers[]. It is used in perfumery etc[]. The oil produced is less precious than that obtained from Rosa damascena, but the plants are more resistant to weather calamities and thus the harvest is more certain[].

An extract of the flowers is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an emollient and perfume[].
An extract of the leaves is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an antioxidant and skin protector[].
An extract of the leaves and stems is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a humectant and skin conditioner[].

Propagation

Seed - This is a hybrid species and does not breed true from seed.
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[]. 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[]. 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[]. 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[]. It may take 2 years to germinate[]. 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[]. High percentage[].
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[, ]. The cuttings can take 12 months to establish but a high percentage of them normally succeed[].
Division of suckers in the dormant season. Plant them out direct into their permanent positions.
Layering. Takes 12 months[].