Rosehip, (Rosa rubiginosa)

The rust-colored rosehip, apple-scented rosebush or rusty rosebush (Rosa rubiginosa) is a species of rosebush belonging to the Caninæ section, native to Europe and western Asia, from France and the British Isles to to southern Scandinavia, Turkey and western Russia. It is sometimes called rubiginous rose. Hardy in zone 3a.

It is a shrub forming a dense, deciduous bush, two to three meters high and wide, whose stems are equipped with numerous hooked prickles. The foliage gives off a strong apple scent. The imparipinnate leaves, 5 to 9 cm long, have 5 to 9 oval or rounded leaflets with tight edges, and are covered with numerous glandular hairs. The flowers, 1.8 to 3 cm in diameter, have five pink petals, white at the base, and numerous yellow stamens; they are grouped in corymbs of 2 to 7 flowers and appear from late spring to mid-summer. The fruits are globose to oblong rose hips, 1.2 cm in diameter, red when ripe. In addition to its pink flowers, this species is appreciated for its fragrance and for its fruits which form after the flowers and persist throughout the winter.

It is a species that tolerates soils of high alkalinity and does not require fertile soil or good drainage. It is drought tolerant and resists disease well. The fruits of this rose bush are edible and can be prepared into preserves or jams. The fruits are sweeter when they have suffered frost. We also make infusions. They are slightly astringent and acidic and contain carotenoids, flavonoids and a fragrant essential oil.