Common Name: French Rose

General Information

Rosa gallica is a suckering, deciduous shrub producing a cluster of prickly stems; it can grow from 40 - 100cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It has been grown in the past for medicinal use, is cultivated for its essential oil in Eastern Europe[], and is often grown as an ornamental.

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

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Range

Europe - Germany and France, east to Romania, Bulgaria and Greece; eastern European Russia, the Caucasus, Turkey and Iraq.

Habitat

Hedges and woods, usually on calcareous soils[]. Open broad -leaved forests, shrubby formations, roadsides and forest edges, open slopes[].

Properties

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

Cultivation Details

Rosa gallica is a very cold-hardy plant, being able to tolerate temperatures down to around -25°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[, ]. This species is often found in the wild growing in calcareous soils[].
A very ornamental plant[], the flowers have a spicy fragrance[]. The glands in all parts of the inflorescence are aromatic, with a balsamic odour[].
The plant is cultivated for its essential oil in Eastern Europe[]. There are some named varieties[].
'Officinalis' is the Apothecary's rose, it has been cultivated for its medicinal virtues[].
Plants produce suckers[].
Rose species will often hybridize freely with other members of the genus[].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Petals - raw or cooked. They are used for making jam[]; they can be added as a decorative garnish to salads[]; can also be crystallised or preserved in syrup; and are also dried and used as a flavouring in tea, beverages, cakes, marzipan etc[, , ]. The dried petals and flower buds are an important ingredient in the Northern African spice mixture 'ras-el-hanout'[].
Rose water, made by cold-infusing the petals, is used as a flavouring in various confections, especially 'Turkish Delight'[].

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[].

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 petals are antibacterial, a mild astringent and tonic[, , ]. Rich in tannins, the petals are either dried or converted into conserves or syrups They are taken internally in the treatment of colds, bronchial infections, tuberculosis, gastritis, diarrhoea, depression and lethargy[, ].
Applied externally, the petals are used to treat eye infections, sore throats, minor injuries and skin problems[].

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[].

The essential oil from the flowers is used in aromatherapy to counter depression, anxiety and negative feelings[].

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 obtained from the flowers is used in perfumery[], as an additive to bath water and in skin care preparations[]. Rose water, made by a cold infusion of the petals, is also added to bath water and skin care preparations[].

Various extracts of the flowers are used as ingredients in commercial cosmetic preparations as astringents, emollients, flavourings, masking agents, perfumes, skin conditioners and tonics[].

The dried petals and buds are used in pot-pourri[].

Various parts of the plant are rich in tannins[].

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[].