Rosa carolina

Rosa carolina, commonly known as the Carolina rose, pasture rose, or prairie rose, is a perennial shrub in the rose family native to eastern North America. It can be found in nearly all US states and Canadian provinces east of the Great Plains. It is common throughout its range and can be found in a wide variety of open habitats, from thickets and open woods to roadsides and along railroads.

Description

A low shrub. It grows 1-1.5 m high. The branches are slender and arch over. They have stiff hairs and curving spines. The leaves are compound with 3-9 leaflets. They are alternate and fall off during the year. Each leaflet is widest near the middle. They are 2-4 cm long. They are pointed at the tip and have teeth along the edge. The flowers occur singly. They have 5 pink petals. The fruit are round and red and fleshy. They are 5-10 mm across. They contain several small seeds.

Edible Uses

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked — it is tasty but sour, and can be made into syrup and jam. It is about 8mm in diameter but has only a thin layer of flesh surrounding the many seeds — care should be taken when eating it (see known hazards). Flowers are edible raw or cooked and make a delicious addition to salads. Normally only the petals are eaten, with the white base removed as it often tastes bitter. The seeds are a good source of vitamin E and can be ground and mixed with flour or added to foods as a supplement; be sure to remove the seed hairs first.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are processed into syrup or jam. The flower petals are used in tossed salads or made into jelly or wine. The leaves are washed and dried and used for tea.

Medicinal Uses

The fruit skins have been eaten to treat stomach complaints. The fruit is a very rich source of vitamins A, C, and E, flavonoids, and other bio-active compounds, and is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated for its potential to reduce the incidence of cancer and to halt or reverse cancer growth.

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.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It grows in open woodlands and on the edge of fields. It suits hardiness zones 4-8.

Where It Grows

Australia, Canada, North America, USA,

Cultivation

Succeeds in most soils, preferring a circumneutral soil and a sunny position. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Dislikes water-logged soils. Grows well with alliums, parsley, mignonette and lupins. Garlic planted nearby can help protect the plant from disease and insect predation. Grows badly with boxwood. Plants produce suckers. There are some named forms selected for their ornamental value. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.

Propagation

Rose seed often takes two years to germinate, as it may need a warm period following a cold one to mature the embryo and soften the seedcoat. To speed this up, scarify the seed and place it in damp peat at 27–32°c for 2–3 weeks until imbibed, then hold at 3°c for four months, by which time germination should begin. Alternatively, seed harvested green — fully developed but not yet dried on the plant — and sown immediately may germinate in late winter, though this method had not been fully tested as of 1988. Seed sown as soon as ripe in a cold frame sometimes germinates in spring, but may take 18 months. Stored seed should be sown as early as possible and stratified for 6 weeks at 5°c; germination may still take 2 years. Prick seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle. Plant out in summer if over 25cm tall; otherwise overwinter in a cold frame and plant out in late spring. Half-ripe cuttings with a heel taken in July in a shaded frame, overwintered and planted out in late spring, give a high success rate. Hardwood cuttings of pencil-thick shoots, 20–25cm long, taken in early autumn and planted in a sheltered spot outdoors or in a cold frame, take up to 12 months to establish but normally succeed at a high rate. Suckers can be divided and replanted directly in their permanent positions during the dormant season. Layering takes 12 months.

Other Uses

None known.

Notes

There are about 150 Rosa species and many cultivated varieties.

References (9)

• Bodkin, F., 1991, Encyclopedia Botanica. Cornstalk publishing, p 888
• Elias, T.S. & Dykeman P.A., 1990, Edible Wild Plants. A North American Field guide. Sterling, New York p 223
• Esperanca, M. J., 1988. Surviving in the wild. A glance at the wild plants and their uses. Vol. 2. p 346
• Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 206
• Hibbert, M., 2002, The Aussie Plant Finder 2002, Florilegium. p 256

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