Common Name: Sweet Briar

General Information

Rosa rubiginosa is a prickly, much-branched, deciduous shrub producing a cluster of erect or scrambling stems that can grow around 50 - 300cm tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. A very ornamental plant, often grown in gardens, where it can be used to form a hedge.
Rosa rubiginosa is often grown as an ornamental and easily escapes from cultivation. It is a declared noxious weed in southeast Australia[].

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

Throughout Europe except Portugal and northern Russia to the Caucasus; Madeira

Habitat

Open copses and old hedgerows[]. Usually found on calcareous soils, it is one of the first shrubs to colonize chalk grassland[, ].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	2.50 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Rosa rubiginosa is a very cold-hardy plant, being able to tolerate temperatures down to around -30°c when fully dormant[]..
Succeeds in most soils[], preferring a circumneutral soil and a sunny position[, ]. Favours calcareous soils in the wild[]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Dislikes water-logged soils[]. Plants are tolerant of atmospheric pollution in cities[].
A very ornamental plant[].
The crushed foliage has a sweet, apple-like smell[, ]. The leaves of the growing plant have a sweet fragrance that is most perceptible after a shower, and whenever the atmosphere is fresh and moist[].The flowers are slightly scented[].
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 - cooked[, ]. It is used in making jellies etc[, ]. The taste is best after a frost[]. The blood-red, globose or ovoid-globose fruit is up to 25mm 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.
A pleasant tasting fruity-flavoured tea is made from the fruit, it is rich in vitamin C[].

Petals - raw or cooked. Remove the bitter white base[]. In the Middle East, a mixture of the petals and honey, known as 'gulangabin' is used in confectionery[, ].

Young shoots - raw[]. Used as they come through the ground in spring.

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

The flowers and hips are aperient, astringent and stomachic[, ]. An infusion of dried rose petals can be used to treat headaches and dizziness, with honey added the infusion is used as a heart and nerve tonic and a blood purifier[]. A decoction of the petals is used to treat mouth sores[].

The seed is rich in vitamin E and an oil extracted from the seed is used externally in the treatment of burns, scars and wrinkles[].

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 makes a charming low hedge if clipped back annually in spring before growth recommences[, ]. The prickles on the stem make it a useful security hedge[].
This is one of the first shrubs to colonize chalk grassland[] and is thus of value for creating conditions suitable for the re-establishment of native woodland in such a habitat[].
The plant has been grown to stabilize soils on slopes or other areas liable to erosion, especially in places such as industrial centres, because of its resistance to air pollution)[].
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 leaves, flowers and stems is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a masking agent[].
The oil obtained from the seeds is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an emollient and skin conditioner[].
An extract of the fruit is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an emollient and skin conditioner[].

The plant has been used as a rootstock for growing horticultural varieties of roses[].

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[].