Rosa coriifolia

Rosa coriifolia
Wikimedia Commons — Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz — CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

At a glance

Lifecycle
Perennial (hardy)
Exposure
Full sun
Frost limit
−28.9 °C

Cultivation

Succeeds in most soils. Grows well with alliums, parsley, mignonette and lupins. There is a lot of confusion over the correct name for this species with some authorities placing it under R. dumalis and others saying that it is no more than a sub-species of R. dumalis. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.

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. 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. 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. Division of suckers in the dormant season. Plant them out direct into their permanent positions. Layering. Takes 12 months.

Edible uses

Fruit - raw or cooked. A good source of vitamin C, but there is only a thin layer of flesh surrounding the many seeds[K]. Some care has to be taken when eating this fruit, see the notes above on known hazards. The seed is a good source of vitamin E, it can be ground and mixed with flour or added to other foods as a supplement.

Medicinal uses

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.

Habitat

Woods, hedges and scrub.

Native range

Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to the Pyrenees, Greece and W. Asia.

Same genus