Common Name: Himalayan Rose

General Information

Rosa sericea omeiensis is an erect deciduous shrub with slender branches that are often free of petals; it can grow 1 - 4 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. The plant is often grown as an ornamental, valued especially for its fragrant flowers.

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 Himalayas, southern China

Habitat

Forests, shrubberies and alpine slopes to 4500 metres[]. Abies forests, thickets, scrub, pastures, hillsides, slopes; at elevations from 700 - 4,000 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Pollinators	Insects, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Rosa sericea omeiensis is a moderately cold-hardy plant, being able to tolerate temperatures down to around -20°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[, ].
A very ornamental plant[]. The flowers are fragrant[].
This sub-species is often treated as a distinct species, Rosa omiensis[, , ]. This form has larger and tastier fruits than the species[].
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[, , , ]. The fruit has a sweet flavour[]. The fruit is also used to ferment wine[]. The red or yellow, pear-shaped, fleshy fruit is about 8 - 15mm in diameter, with a fleshy yellow pedicel 6 - 20mm in diameter[, ]. 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 into a powder and mixed with flour or added to other foods as a supplement[, ]. Be sure to remove the seed hairs[].

Medicinal

A paste of the flowers is applied to the forehead to treat headaches[]. It is also taken internally in the treatment of liver complaints[].

The sweet, edible fruit is used medicinally[].
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:

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

The root-bark contains around 16% of 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[].