Rosa rubiginosa
Sweet Briar
a perennial woody deciduous member of the Rosa genus in the family Rosaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
Uses
Toxicity
Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
There is a layer of hairs around the seeds just beneath the flesh of the fruit. These hairs can cause irritation to the mouth and digestive tract if ingested.
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Fruit - cooked[12][21]. It is used in making jellies etc[3][10]. The taste is best after a frost[7]. The fruit is up to 25mm in diameter[14], but there is only a thin layer of flesh surrounding the many seeds[K]. Some care has to be taken when eating this fruit, see the notes above on known hazards. A pleasant tasting fruity-flavoured tea is made from the fruit, it is rich in vitamin C[15]. Petals - raw or cooked. Remove the bitter white base[7]. Used in confectionery[8][10]. Young shoots - raw[7]. Used as they come through the ground in spring. The seed is a good source of vitamin E, it can be ground into a powder and mixed with flour or added to other foods as a supplement[2][10]. Be sure to remove the seed hairs[2].
- Plant part
- Flowers
- Plant part
- Fruit
- Plant part
- Seed
- Plant part
- Stem
- Product or use
- Tea
Medicinal uses
Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The flowers and hips are aperient, astringent and stomachic[15][20]. An infusion of dried rose petals can be used to treat headaches and dizziness, with honey added the infusion is used as a heart and nerve tonic and a blood purifier[15]. A decoction of the petals is used to treat mouth sores[15]. The seed is rich in vitamin E and an oil extracted from the seed is used externally in the treatment of burns, scars and wrinkles[17]. The fruit of many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. It is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is fairly unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated as a food that is capable of reducing the incidence of cancer and also as a means of halting or reversing the growth of cancers[16].
- Product or use
- Aperient
- Product or use
- Astringent
- Product or use
- Cancer
- Product or use
- Skin
- Product or use
- Stomachic
Material uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The plant makes a good low hedge[1][4]. The prickles on the stem make it a useful security hedge[18].
Ecology and functions
Environment
- Range
- Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain, the Caucasus and Himalayas.
- Habitat
- Open copses and old hedgerows[19]. Usually found on calcareous soils, it is one of the first shrubs to colonize chalk grassland[4][6].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 4+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed. Rose seed often takes two years to germinate. This is because it may need a warm spell of weather after a cold spell in order to mature the embryo and reduce the seedcoat[23]. One possible way to reduce this time is to scarify the seed and then place it for 2 - 3 weeks in damp peat at a temperature of 27 - 32°c (by which time the seed should have imbibed). It is then kept at 3°c for the next 4 months by which time it should be starting to germinate[23]. Alternatively, it is possible that seed harvested 'green' (when it is fully developed but before it has dried on the plant) and sown immediately will germinate in the late winter. This method has not as yet(1988) been fully tested[23]. Seed sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame sometimes germinates in spring though it may take 18 months. Stored seed can be sown as early in the year as possible and stratified for 6 weeks at 5°c[14]. It may take 2 years to germinate[14]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Plant out in the summer if the plants are more than 25cm tall, otherwise grow on in a cold frame for the winter and plant out in late spring.Cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel, July in a shaded frame. Overwinter the plants in the frame and plant out in late spring[22]. High percentage[22]. Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth. Select pencil thick shoots in early autumn that are about 20 - 25cm long and plant them in a sheltered position outdoors or in a cold frame[22][14]. The cuttings can take 12 months to establish but a high percentage of them normally succeed[22]. Division of suckers in the dormant season. Plant them out direct into their permanent positions. Layering. Takes 12 months[4].
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Succeeds in most soils[4], preferring a circumneutral soil and a sunny position[5][14]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Dislikes water-logged soils[14]. Grows well with alliums, parsley, mignonette and lupins[9][13]. Garlic planted nearby can help protect the plant from disease and insect predation[9][13]. Grows badly with boxwood[9]. Grows well on chalk. A very ornamental plant[1]. The leaves are apple-scented[11]. The flowers are slightly scented[18]. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[23]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[14].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Kavasch. B. Native Harvests. Vintage Books 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-394-72811-4
Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00
Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00
Holtom. J. and Hylton. W. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-87857-262-7
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00
Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Matthews. V. The New Plantsman. Volume 1, 1994. Royal Horticultural Society 1994-00-00 ISBN 1352-4186
Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00
Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009
Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00
McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-901361-21-6