Common Name: Cherokee Rose

General Information

Rosa laevigata is a prickly, evergreen shrub with a rhizomatous rootstock, forming a cluster of robust stems that climb into the surrounding vegetation, attaching themselves by means of their prickles; the stems can grow up to 10 metres high in the surrounding vegetation. Plants can form dense, impenetrable thickets[].
This species is one of the major wild sources of commercial rosehips being harvested for medicinal use and as flavourings in various foods[]. It is also harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. The plant is considered to be one of the most beautiful and cherished of roses in China, where it also has a long history of herbal use[]. The plant is often grown as an ornamental, and can be used to form a prickly hedge[].
Rosa laevigata is widely grown as an ornamental and hedging plant and can easily escape from cultivation. It has become naturalized in many areas of the warm temperate and subtropical zones[].

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

E. Asia - Southern China from Sichuan and Hubei to Taiwan, Vietnam.

Habitat

Rocky places at low altitudes[]. In thickets, scrub, open montane areas, open fields, farmland; at elevations from 200 - 1,600 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	6.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Rosa laevigata is only hardy in the milder regions of the temperate zone, tolerating short periods in winter with temperatures falling to around -10 to -15°c[].
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[], but it is not very hardy in Britain and only succeeds outside in the warmer parts of the country[]. It can be cut back to the ground even in southern England in cold winters, though it will usually resprout from the base[].
Although a native of Asia, this species was first named in N. America where the plant was then believd to be native. It had been taken there at some time before the nineteenth century as an ornamental hedging plantand had thrived so well that it appeared native[].
This is the state flower of Georgia[] and is also the parent of several modern garden cultivars[].
The flowers have a clove-like fragrance[].
If any pruning is necessary then this should be carried out immediately after the plant has finished flowering[].
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[]. Sugar can be extracted from the fruit, it is also used to ferment rose wine[]. The purple-brown, pear-shaped fruit is up to 40mm long and 15mm wide[], 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[].

Medicinal

The fruits, root and leaves are emmenagogue and depurative[]. Their use stabilizes the kidneys[]. A decoction is used in the treatment of chronic dysentery, urinary tract infections, wet dreams, prolapse of the uterus, menstrual irregularities and traumatic injuries[].

The leaves are a famous vulnerary[].

The root is used in the treatment of uteral prolapse[].

The root bark is astringent and used in the treatment of diarrhoea and menorrhagia[].

The flowers are used in the treatment of dysentery and to restore hair cover[].

The fruit is antibacterial, anticholesterolemic, astringent, carminative, diuretic, haemostatic and stomachic[, , , ]. Regarded as a general tonic, it is used internally in the treatment of urinary dysfunction, infertility, seminal emissions, urorrhoea, leucorrhoea, enteritis and chronic diarrhoea[, ].
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[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is grown as a hedge in Vietnam[].
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 extract of the fruit is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner[].

The root bark contains tannin[].

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[].