Habitat

Ecozone(s):

Taiga Plains
Boreal Shield
Atlantic Maritime
Mixedwood Plains
Boreal Plains
Prairies
Boreal Cordillera
Pacific Maritime
Montane Cordillera
Hudson Plains

Natural Habitat(s):

Woodland (35-60% cover)
Savannah (25-35% cover)
Forest Edge
Wet Meadow/Prairie/Field (less than 25% cover)
Lakeshores

Habitat Garden(s):

Hedgerow / Thicket / Windbreak / Screening
Woodland
Prairie/Meadow

Erosion Control? Yes

Characteristics

Growing Conditions

* Plant Type:

Shrub

Moisture Requirements: Dry, Normal, Moist, Wet

Light Requirements: Sun

Soil Requirements: Clay, Sand, Loam

Temperature Zone: 3

Evergreen?

No

Average Height:

30 to 200 cm

Tolerances:

Drought Tolerant
Salt Tolerant

Flower Info

Fruit/Seed Info

Showy flowers?

Yes

Showy fruit/seeds?

Yes

Bloom time:

May to Jul

Edible for humans?

Yes

Flower Colour(s):

White/Cream, Pink

Fruit/Seed Colour(s):

Red, Orange

Miscellaneous

Uses

Fragrant Flowers?

Yes

Urban Oasis, Stewards in the City, and Eco Superior are specific Evergreen programs that some plants are used in.

Fragrant Foliage?

No

Program & Other Uses:

Dyes
Culinary
Aboriginal

Fall colours?

No

Distinctive bark?

No

Poisonous to humans?

No

Thorns or prickles?

Yes

Attracts wildlife?

Squirrels
Birds

Larval host for:

Provincial tree/flower?

Alberta

Plant Watch species?

No

Interesting Tidbits

References

Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.

Juice extracted from hips by boiling and used to make jellies and syrups. Pulp from the hips, after seeds and skins are removed, used to make jams, marmalades, and catsup. Other juice or fruit is sometimes added for flavoring.

Rose hips may be preserved by drying and then ground into a powder that may be added to baked goods.

Green hips can be peeled and cooked, and young shoots have been eaten as a potherb.

Leaves, flowers, and buds can be used to make tea; teas made from flowers and buds may relieve diarrhea. Flower petals are also sometimes eaten raw and may be used for perfume.

Hips are high in vitamin A and and are a winter source of vitamin C.

An orange dye is obtained from the fruit.

Aboriginal peoples made medicinal tea from wild roses which was used as a remedy for diarrhea and stomach maladies. They sometimes smoked the inner bark. The Crow used a solution made by boiling rose roots in a compress to reduce swelling. The same solution was drunk for mouth bleeding and gargled as a remedy for tonsillitis and sore throats; vapor from this solution was inhaled for nose bleeding.

The Prickly Wild Rose could be confused with the Common Wild Rose, also called Wood Rose, but the upper stems of that species lack the many small bristles and prickles that cover the stems of the Prickly Wild Rose. Instead, the Common Wild Rose has a few scattered thorns, usually at stem nodes. It is found infrequently across the boreal forest from southern Manitoba to eastern Alaska. Despite its name, the Common Wild Rose is by far the less common of the two species in our region.

This plant is the floral emblem of Alberta.

Native American Ethnobotany Da

Wetland Plants of Ontario
Steven Newmaster, Allan Harris and Linda Kershaw
Lone Pine Publishing
1997
ISBN: 1-55105-059-5

Shrubs of Ontario
Soper, J.H. and M.L. Heimburger
ROM
1982
ISBN 0-88854-283-6