Description:
The rose hip, or rose haw, is the fruit of the rose plant that is typically red-to-orange, but ranges from dark purple to black in some species.
A few rose species are sometimes grown for the ornamental value of their hips, such as Rosa moyesii, which has prominent large red bottle-shaped fruits.
Usage:
Rose hips are commonly used as a herbal tea, often blended with hibiscus and as an oil. They can also be used to make jam, jelly, marmalade and wine. Rose hip soup, “nyponsoppa,” is especially popular in Sweden. Rhodomel, a type of mead, is also made with rose hips.
They are sold for primitive crafts and home fragrance purposes. Rose hips are scented with essential oils and can be used as a potpourri room air freshener.
Rose hips have recently become popular as a healthy treat for pet chinchillas and guinea pigs. These small rodents are unable to manufacture their own vitamin C and are unable to digest many vitamin C rich foods. Rose hips provide a sugarless, safe way to increase their vitamin C intake.
They have also been fed to horses. The dried and powdered form can be fed at a maximum of 1 tablespoon per day to improve coat condition and new hoof growth.
The fine hairs found inside rose hips are used as itching powder.
Rose hips were used in many food preparations by the indigenous peoples of the Americas. They are used to make Palinka, a traditional Hungarian alcoholic beverage.
Medical uses:
Rose hips are particularly high in vitamin C content, one of the richest plant sources available. However, RP-HPLC assays of fresh rose hips and several commercially available products revealed a wide range of L-ascorbic acid content, ranging from 0.03 to 1.3%.
Rose hips of some species, especially Rosa canina (Dog Rose) and R. majalis, have been used as a source of vitamin C.
Rose hips also contain some vitamin A and B, essential fatty acids and antioxidant flavonoids.
A study of a rose-hip preparation for treating rheumatoid arthritis concluded that there was a benefit, apparently due to both anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects.
Rose hips are used for colds and influenza.
Propagation:
Roses are propagated from hips by removing the achenes that contain the seeds from the hypanthium (the outer coating) and sowing just beneath the surface of the soil. The seeds take at least three months to germinate. Most species require chilling and many will not germinate until the second spring after planting in a climate that has cold winters.
