Common Name: Memorial Rosa

General Information

Rosa luciae is a prickly deciduous shrub with stems up to 5 metres long that can be prostrate, sprawling or procumbent, sometimes rooting at the nodes to form dense, impenetrable patches. The plant can be evergreen in mild winters[, , ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It can be used for soil stabilization projects and is also grown as an ornamental in gardens, where it can be used to form a ground cover.
Rosa luciae is often grown as an ornamental, often escaping from cultivation and becoming naturalized[].

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 - eastern China, Japan, Korea, Philippines.

Habitat

Thickets in lowland and low mountains, especially abundant near sea-shores, C. and S. Japan[]. Thickets, sea cliffs, coasts, on limestone; at elevations from sea level to 500 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Rosa luciae 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[, ].. Judging by the plants native habitat, it should be resistant to maritime exposure[].
This species usually has a procumbent habit, the stems growing along the ground and rooting at intervals. It can be trained, however, to climb and can then reach a height of 6 metres[, ]. A fast-growing plant, annual growth can reach 4 metres in length[].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[].
This species has very fragrant flowers, which are produced later in the season than most species roses. The leaves are also immune to mildew[]. For these reasons it has been much used in hybridisation programmes for producing new ornamental cultivars[].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Young shoots - raw or cooked[]. They need to be peeled before use.

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.
The purple-black-brown, globose or subglobose fruit is about 6 - 18mm in diameter[].

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[].

Medicinal

Purgative[].

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:

An excellent ground cover for producing a low covering on sunny banks[, ]. With spreading stems to 6 metres long, this species is a typical stoloniferous plant forming carpets of colorful groundcover[]. It is used along the sides of highways where it also serves to stabilize the verges[].
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 flowers, leaves and stems is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner[].
An extract of the stems is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an antioxidant, astringent, emollient and hair conditioner[].

This species has been much used in breeding programmes for improved horticultural varieties, being valued especially for its late show of very fragrant flowers and its resistance to mildew[].

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 shorten 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 should 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[].