Common Name: Swamp Rose

General Information

Rosa palustris is a prickly, deciduous shrub producing a cluster of sparsely-branched, erect stems from 100 - 250cm tall[]. The plant can spread vigorously by means of suckers to form thickets[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine.

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

Eastern N. America - Ontario and Quebec, south to Arkansas, Mississippi and Florida

Habitat

Swampy woods and pastures, marshes, edges of ponds, springs, lakes, backwaters, sloughs, streams, ditches; at elevations up to 700 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Rosa palustris is a very cold-hardy plant, being able to tolerate temperatures down to around -30°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 swampy places in the wild but does not need a wet soil if cultivated[].
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 hips, including their achenes, are gathered towards the end of winter, flattened, dried, and then ground into flour for use with ground wheat in order to make a leavened bread. The bread has a red colour and a fine taste reminiscent of tomatoes[]. The deep red, usually globose to subglobose, rarely elongate fruits are around 7 - 11mm 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

Decoctions of the root have been drunk in the treatment of diarrhoea[].

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

None known

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[].