Wild Rose

Commercial roses are a frequent treat that have been bred constantly with some alterations to produce genetic variations. However, wild roses are a bit different. They are holarctic species which has seen ages without facing any purposeful alteration. 

Wild rose is a deciduous shrub with long leaves and pink hermaphrodite flowers with five petals and plenty of stamens. It belongs to the family Rosaceae and can be approximately 9 feet tall. Other names associated with wild rose are prickly rose, prickly wild rose, bristly rose, and arctic rose. It possesses spines in its defensive arsenal against herbivory which harden with as the plant ages. Wild rose is a perennial that form a long, dense network of roots that can reach as far as 4.5 feet in the soil.

The sweet citrusy taste of the hips makes it favorite among the gourmets. The only thing that people need to watch out for is the fine hair on the seed that can cause mouth irritation and digestive problems.

Medicinally, wild rose teas and tonics can treat sore muscles, diarrhea, cold, flu, bee stings, and burns. It was anciently used to treat sorer throat, stomachache, and ease the process of childbirth.

Wild roses prefer full sun exposure and well-drained, heavy, circumneutral soil. This exquisite botanical is quite trouble-free. When wild rose plants establishes a proper root system, it is free to go on its own without asking for much maintenance.

Wild roses can be grown both indoors and outdoors. For indoor plantation, the pot should be allowed to sit on a sunny window sill to provide the wild rose plant the only thing it asks for properly. Or some artificial form of sunlight can also be given to containerized plant to keep up with the healthy growth.

The stratified seeds of wild rose are sown in early spring to sprout more quickly. It can take as long as two years or as short as two weeks for the wild rose seeds to germinate, depending upon the favorable conditions provided. The plant can be propagated by cuttings as it is a bit less time consuming and gives approving results.

Wild rose plant sexually reproduces by seeds and vegetatively reproduces by its roots.

The appealing scent promises the availability of plenty of nectar to the pollinators. The pollination and fertilization lead to hips formation which bears fine seeds that surely serve as a medium for the further perpetuation of the life cycle.

Spring and summer are the best time to harvest this beauty. During this time, the flowers are very much fragrant and stir the mind with its eye-catching properties.

The flowers, leaves, and hips of the wild rose plants are usually harvested with pruning shears.

To harvest the roots for the propagation of wild roses, the whole plant has to be dug up to grab the beauties.

The hips of wild roses are better used fresh while the petals can be dried to be used later in winters. The petals are simply splayed on the screen or newspaper and can either be air-dried or dried in a dehydrator to speed up the task.

The petals can then be stored in an airtight glass jar.

Wild roses do not just provide a splash of colors but they also impart health benefits when incorporated into various preparatory forms.

• Tea - Fresh wild rose hips, honey, and water are boiled together and strained to form wild rose tea.
• Tincture - Infuse freshly chopped wild rose flowers and leaves in grain alcohol for 4 to 6 weeks. Strain the liquid and place it in a dark and dry place.
• Decoction - Dried wild rose petals or hips are decocted with water to formulate a decoction.
• Salve - Wild rose oil is used to make a salve.
• Syrup - Fresh wild rose petals, honey, brandy, and water are boiled together until the liquid thickens and the mixture is then strained to be labeled as a wild rose syrup.
• Infused oil - Fresh and chopped wild rose petals are infused with carrier oil in a warm area for just 24 hours to from wild rose oil.

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