ROSA CANINA

Description

The lovely "Dog Rose" is native to Europe, North West Africa and western Asia. It makes a perfect addition to a wild garden and is often used for hedging. The flowers are usually pale pink, but can vary from deep pink to white, maturing into an oval 1.5–2 cm red-orange fruit, or hip or hep! The flesh of the fruit is noted for its high vitamin C level, and is used to make syrup, tea and marmalade, and indeed it has been grown or encouraged in the wild for the production of vitamin C from its fruit (often as rose-hip syrup), especially during conditions of scarcity or during wartime.

Sowing Advice

These seeds have already been thoroughly cleaned and cold-stored for several months. They should be sown into well-drained, sandy compost at any time of the year, and covered to their own depth with sand or grit. No artificial heat is needed; the seed tray is best left in a cool spot outside and kept moist. Seeds germinate very slowly indeed in the spring after a chilling in the cold compost, regardless of when they are sown. Some seeds may take more than a year to germinate.

Key Facts