Rosa canina seeds (Dog Brier Rose)

Description

Since antiquity this rose has been a source of food and medicine, and useful enough to be included in Victory Gardens.  In May, the plant is clothed in pale pink 10cm flowers with a sweet clear spicy perfume that is not as intense as R. gymnocarpa, but just as nice.  Once removed of seeds, the rose hip shells are used for tea, wine, syrup, marmalade, or powdered to be used as a supplement for its high Vitamin C content as well as its beta carotinoids, Vit E and B.

In the landscape, it forms a nice tidy mound with arching canes up to 3m in length.  Useful in erosion control in wide variety of soils from well maintained gardens to open sites with average soil with no care. It just needs good spring moisture to thrive. Considered invasive in New Zealand.

• Seed Count: 15-20
• Collection Date: Sept 2021
• Hardiness Zone: 4-9
• Height and Width 3m x 3m
• Germination test type: hand sort
• Family: Rosaceae

How to germinate Rosa canina seeds:

Soak seed 24 hours in warm water. Sow 6mm deep, tamp firm and apply mulch. Rose seed sometimes needs 18 months to germinate…a bane for rose breeders who don’t keep meticulous records and use sunlight fade resistant marking pens! Another method for ALL rose seed sown anytime of year is to place the seed: place seed in baggies of sterile medium and warm stratify at 60-68°F (15- 20°C) then place in a plastic bag for ten weeks, then refrigerate for ten weeks. Sow in containers and expose to Spring like conditions.