This taxon is often spelled Rosa × borboniana.

Common Name:

General Information

Rosa × burboniana is a prickly, deciduous shrub with green, arching stems.
The plant is a hybrid of garden origin. It and its many horticultural forms are grown as ornamentals, and the plant is also cultivated, especially in India, as a source of essential oils[]. The plant is also used in some areas to make hedges.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

A hybrid of garden origin, it is not known in the wild.

Habitat

Not known

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	0.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental

Cultivation Details

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[, ].
Rose species will often hybridize freely with other members of the genus[].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

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

We have no specific information for this species, but the fruit of many members of this genus is a rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially 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. Rose fruits are 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[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant has been used to make prickly, stock-proof hedges,
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 obtained is obtained from the flowers. It is used in perfumery.
An extract of the flowers is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner[].
An aqueous solution of the steam distillate of the flowers is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner, masking agent and perfume[].

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[].