I'm a hip mama!

Rugosa Rose

Given Name: Rosa rugosa

Nicknames: beach rose, Japanese rose, Ramanas rose, or letchberry

Hello Dearie,

Do you need a place to stay? I know what it's like to be away from home. I came all the way from Asia and I still miss those beaches and sand dunes where I naturally grew. But I've gotten used to life here and now I want to look after you. So, don't fret. Let my thorny branches protect you from danger. What about a bite to eat? Try some of my red fruit that often remains on my branches all winter, when other food is scarce. Just think of me as a hotel and buffet for birds. Oh- you're human? Well, no worry. I can still take good care of you. Just curl up in a blanket on a comfy couch with a warm cup of rose hips tea.

Yes, yes, I do have big hips but, just like if I were a woman with "childbearing hips", I love their voluptuous femininity. And although I don't bounce my babies on my hips, my hips are for child bearing too. They are where my seeds (my children) grow. But lucky for you, my sizable hips (about grape-sized) are full of nutrients, including bioflavonoids and vitamin C so they can nourish you.

If you want to use them, wait to pick them until after the first frost: the cold shock makes me sweeter. Make sure you save my babies (my seeds) by scooping them out (and maybe planting them) before eating the hips fresh, making a jam or drying them for tea. And if you want to be pampered (you deserve it!) try some of my petal potions (rose water or rose vinegar) on your skin. The luxurious smell of my petals will calm and uplift you while I tighten your pores and moisturize your skin.

Please let me take care of you. We all need mothering sometimes.

Be Well,

Mama Rose

Resources:

Crawford, M. (2010). Creating a Forest Garden: Working with nature to grow edible crops. Cambridge: Green Books Ltd., pp 173-4.

Jacke, D., Toensmeier, E. (2005). Edible Forest Gardens: Volume Two. White River Junction: Chelsea Green Publishing Company, pp 486.

de la Forest, R. (2017). Alchemy of Herbs: Transform everyday ingredients into foods and remedies that heal. Carlsbad: Hay House, Inc., pp 229-37.

Shababy, D. (2010). The Wild and Weedy Apothecary. Woodbury: Llewellyn Publications, pp 243-4.