Common Name: Dog Rose

General Information

Rosa canina is a prickly, deciduous shrub with long, arching branches that can sprawl over the surrounding area; it usually grows from 1 - 2.5 metres tall, occasionally reaching 5 metres[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental in wild gardens, where it can be used as part of a hedge. and source of materials.

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.

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Europe, excluding the far north; southwest and central Asia - Turkey to Kazakhstan and Pakistan; Northwestern Africa - Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia

Habitat

Hedges, scrub, woods, roadsides, banks etc[]. Forest edges and thinned-out forests, shrubs, open slopes, banks of mountain streams and brooks, felled areas, pastures, roadsides, fences[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Beetles, Lepidoptera, Self, apomictic
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Rosa canina is a very cold-hardy plant, being able to tolerate temperatures down to around -35°c when fully dormant[].
Succeeds in most soils[, ]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers a circumneutral soil and a sunny position with its roots in the shade[, ]. When grown in deep shade it usually fails to flower and fruit[]. Succeeds in wet soils but dislikes water-logged soils or very dry sites[]. Tolerates maritime exposure[].
The fruit attracts many species of birds, several gall wasps and other insects use the plant as a host[]
A very polymorphic species, it is divided into a great number of closely related species by some botanists[, ].
The leaves, when bruised, have a delicious fragrance[]. The flowers are also fragrant.
Rose species will often hybridize freely with other members of the genus[].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, , ]. It can be used in making delicious jams, syrups etc[]. The syrup is used as a nutritional supplement, especially for babies[]. The fruit can also be dried and used as a tea[, , ]. Frost softens and sweetens the flesh[]. The bright or pale red, globose or elongate-ovoid fruit is up to 30mm in diameter[], but there is only a thin layer of flesh surrounding the many seeds[]. Some care has to be taken when eating this fruit, see the notes above on known hazards.

The seed of roses is generally a good source of vitamin E[], it can be ground and mixed with flour or added to other foods as a supplement. Be sure to remove the seed hairs[].

The dried leaves are used as a tea substitute[, , ]. A coffee substitute according to another report[].

Petals - raw or cooked[]. The base of the petal may be bitter so is best removed[]. Eaten as a vegetable in China[]. The petals are also used to make an unusual scented jam[].

Medicinal

The petals, hips and galls are astringent, carminative, diuretic, laxative, ophthalmic and tonic[, , , , ]. The hips are taken internally in the treatment of colds, influenza, minor infectious diseases, scurvy, diarrhoea and gastritis[]. A syrup made from the hips is used as a pleasant flavouring in medicines and is added to cough mixtures[].
A distilled water made from the plant is slightly astringent and is used as a lotion for delicate skins[].

The seeds have been used as a vermifuge[].

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[].

Moderate evidence exists for the efficacy of the powdered achenes and hip receptacles to treat patients suffering from osteoarthritis, specifically of the knee and hip[].

The plant is used in Bach flower remedies - the keywords for prescribing it are 'Resignation' and 'Apathy'[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Plants make a dense and stock-proof hedge, especially when trimmed[].
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

Various parts of the plant are used as ingredients in commercial cosmetic preparations[].
The flowers and their essential oils are used as astringents, emollients, skin conditioners and masking agents[].
The fruit and its extracts are used as astringents, emollients, skin conditioners and tonics[].
The seeds and their oil are used as abrasives, emollients, humectants and skin conditioners[].

The plant is often used as a rootstock forhorticultural varieties of 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[]. 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[].