Sweetbrier rose, Eglantine Rose, Briar rose
Rosa rubiginosa

Family: Rosaceae

What it is like

An erect shrub. It can be straggling. It grows 3 m high and spreads 3 m wide. The stem arch over and have prickles. The leaves are made up of 5-7 leaflets. There are teeth along the edges. The leaves have rusty reddish hairs underneath. It loses its leaves during the year. The leaves have an apple scent. The flowers are pink. They are 3 cm across. They occur either singly or in groups on short branches. The fruit are oval and orange-red. The fruit are called hips.

There are about 150 Rosa species and many cultivated varieties. The hips are high in Vitamin C.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows well in high rainfall areas. It grows on lime rich soils. It is often in dry rocky places. In Argentina it grows below 600 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 4-10. Melbourne Botanical gardens. Tasmania Herbarium.

Countries/locations it is found in

Argentina, Asia, Australia, Baltic, Britain, Canada, Caucasus, Chile, Colombia, England, Europe, Falklands, Luxembourg, Mediterranean, New Zealand, North America, Norway, Russia, Scandinavia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South America, South America, Sweden, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, USA

How it is used for food

The rose petals are used for tarts, jams and ice cream. The rose hips are used for soup, jelly and drinks. They are cooked.

Edible parts

Fruit, flowers

How it is grown

It can be grown from seed or roots. It can spread by root suckers. They can also be grown by cuttings or grafting.

Its other names

Local names

Mosqueta, Rosa mosqueta, Rosa silvestre

Synonyms

Rosa eglanteria;