Prickly Rose

Rosa acicularis

APPEARANCE

The prickly rose is a shrub that can grow to be quite large reaching up to 15 metres tall. The average size is 1.5 metres and it is covered with prickly stems that have beautiful, pink fragrant flowers.

RANGE & HABITAT

This shrub is found throughout B.C. in open areas in floodplains, on open rocky slopes and in disturbed areas. It is a very common plant occurring almost around the world in these types of habitats.

LIFE CYCLE

The flowers of the prickly rose appear in late May through to July. These flowers eventually turn into the bright scarlet red seed pods called ‘hips’ by the fall which then remain on the rose bush all winter long.

ANIMAL USES

Animals like coyote and bear and other wildlife eat these bright scarlet hips through the autumn. The stems and leaves are also food for some animals.

TRADITIONAL USES BY INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

The hips of the rose are very high in Vitamin C and other vitamins and minerals. The rind of the hip can be eaten when other food is scarce and sometimes just as a treat, but the seed is never eaten. Arrows can be fashioned from rose wood and the cambium is processed to make an ointment for the eyes.

OTHER USES

The hips are used to make jams, jellies and syrups. Tea is also made from the petals, leaves and roots of the plant as a way to get the nutritional value from them.