Himalayan rose, Maltese cross rose, Silky rose
Rosa sericea

Family: Rosaceae

What it is like

A shrub. It is spiny with many branches. It grows about 2-3 m high. It spreads 2.4 m wide. The prickles are brown and straight. The leaves have stalks. The leaves are divided into an odd number of leaflets. There are normally 7-9 leaflets with short stalks. These are oblong and with teeth towards the tip. They have long, soft hairs, often on both surfaces. The flowers are in the axils of leaves. They occur singly on side shoots. They are white or yellowish. The fruit is round or pear shaped. It is red. The fruit are edible.

There are about 150 Rosa species and many cultivated varieties.

Where it is found

A temperate plant. In Nepal plants grow between 1700-4200 m altitude. In the Indian Himalayas it grows between 2,700-3,000 m above sea level. They grow in exposed places. It suits hardiness zones 6-10. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Bhutan, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, SE Asia, Sikkim, Tibet

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are eaten. Pregnant ladies eat with caution. The tender stems is eaten as a vegetable. Flowers are used for herbal teas.

The fruit are especially eaten by children.

Edible parts

Fruit, seeds, stem

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed or cuttings.

Its other names

Local names

Bhaisi kanda, Bhotey gulab, Ca ci zhu, Chapala, Darimpate, Dhar-Kunja, Dhurkunja, Durkunja, Jangali gulaf, Jangali gulab, Manger, Sae, Se ba, Sepala, Seva, Sewa, Se-wai-metog

Synonyms

Rosa tetrasepala Royle;