Beach Rose
Rosa rugosa is a thorny shrub that produces beautiful, pink, sweet smelling flowers.
Scientific Name: Rosa rugosa
Common Name: Beach Rose, Beach Tomato, Japanese Rose
Plant Family: Rosaceae (Rose family)
Etymology: Rugosa is the Latin word for wrinkled, referring to the texture of the leaves. In Japan the plant is called Hamanasu.
Traditional Uses
The flowers of Rosa rugosa have traditionally been used to make jams, desserts, and pot-pourri in China. The rose hips have been used to make jams or teas but are also eaten raw.
Medicinal uses ranged from treating stomach aches and diarrhea, relieving menstrual pain, help skin conditions, and general anti-inflammatory properties. These uses benefits received by drinking a tea made from dry rose petals or eating the rose hips.
Edible Parts
This plant produces two edible parts, the rose flower, and “hips.” The flowers bloom from May to July and once picked, the petals can be dried and turned into tea. The rose hips should ripen by late summer to early fall and can be eaten in a variety of ways.
Gathering and Using
The rose hips should be harvested in late summer through the fall after they reach a dark ripe color. The ripe rose hips can be picked by hand or cut from the plant. You can eat them directly after harvesting or process them to make tea or jam. They can be processed by cutting in half and scooping out the seeds and hairs. The flesh can then be dried and used for tea or boiled for jam. After blooming the rose petals can be plucked and dried to be used for tea.
Permaculture Functions and Considerations
Edible rose hips, medicine, wildlife food, biomass, organic matter, pollinator habitat, shelterbelt, rootstock, erosion control, dune stabilization, thorny barrier. This plant can work well to prevent erosion in loose soil. It can be paired well with other perrenials such as garlic, geranium, lavender, or sage.
Habitat
Rosa rugosa can thrive in a wide variety of habitats. It can survive on coastal dunes or in your backyard garden. It is a drought tolerant plant that prefers sandy, well drained soils and full sun.
How to Identify
The beach rose is a shrub that tends to form thickets. Its flowers can come in a variety of colors from pink to yellow or white. Like most roses it is covered with thorns approximately 0.25 inches long. The leaves are 1 to 2 inches long and dark green with a wrinkled surface. The plant also produces a cherry like fruit approximately 1 inch in diameter.
Wildlife Support
The thick shrubbery of Rosa rugosa provides shelter and nesting opportunities for birds. The flowers attract many pollinators including bees and butterflies. The rose hips offer a good source of energy for small mammals preparing for the winter months.
Additional Information
Rosa rugosa was first introduced to North America in 1845 and is now naturalized throughout several parts of the continent.