Rosa gymnocarpa

Nutt. ex Torr. & A.Gray

Wood rose, Baldhip rose

Rosaceae Edible: Flowers, Fruit, Seeds, Stem Potential hazards — see below 13,792 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Rosa gymnocarpa is a species of rose native to western North America. It is known by the common names dwarf rose, baldhip rose, and wood rose. It grows in shady, damp, and rich forests.

Description

A small plant. It grows up to 2 m high. It has many soft prickles. The flowers are in small clusters 2-3 cm wide. The rose hips are 5-10 mm wide.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked and is best after a frost, when it becomes sweeter and softer. It measures about 10mm in diameter, with only a thin layer of flesh surrounding the many seeds. Care should be taken when eating the fruit due to known hazards. A tea can be made from the young leaves and stalks. Young shoots are eaten raw, and the petals can also be eaten raw, though the white base of each petal is bitter and should be removed. The seeds are a good source of vitamin E and can be ground and mixed with flour or added to other foods as a supplement; seed hairs must be removed before use.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are occasionally used as food. The young leaves and stalks are boiled and drunk as a tea.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

A poultice of chewed leaves has been used to relieve the pain of bee stings. A decoction of the bark can be used as a wash for sore eyes. A decoction of the stems has been used as a tonic for general indisposition. The fruit is also a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids, and other bio-active compounds, and is 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. In Canada it grows in open forests.

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. Suitable for the rock garden. 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. 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 require a warm period following a cold spell to mature the embryo and break down the seedcoat. One way to reduce this time is to scarify the seed and place it for 2–3 weeks in damp peat at 27–32°c until it has imbibed, then keep it at 3°c for the following 4 months, by which time germination should begin. Seed harvested green — fully developed but before drying on the plant — and sown immediately may germinate in late winter, though this method had not been fully tested as of 1988. Seed sown fresh in a cold frame sometimes germinates in spring but may take 18 months. Stored seed should be sown as early in the year as possible and stratified for 6 weeks at 5°c; it may still take 2 years to germinate. Prick out seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle. Plant out in summer if plants exceed 25cm, 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 give a high success rate; overwinter in the frame and plant out in late spring. Mature cuttings of the current season's growth, selected as pencil-thick shoots around 20–25cm long in early autumn, can be planted in a sheltered spot outdoors or in a cold frame; they take up to 12 months to establish but succeed at a high rate. Suckers can be divided during dormancy and planted directly into permanent positions. Layering takes 12 months.

Other Uses

None known.

Notes

There are about 150 Rosa species and many cultivated varieties.

References (7)

Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994)
MacKinnon, A., et al, 2009, Edible & Medicinal Plants of Canada. Lone Pine. p 84
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
J. Torrey & A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1:461. 1840
Moerman, D. F., 2010, Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press. p 483

Show all 7 references

Turner, N., 1995, Food Plants of Coastal First Peoples. Royal BC Museum Handbook p 117
Turner, N., 1997, Food Plants of Interior First Peoples. Royal BC Museum Handbook p 149