Eglantine Rose

Rosa rubiginosa
[RO-zuh roo-bij-ih-NO-suh]

 

 

Family: Rosaceae 

Names: Sweet briar, Egelantier, Nisrin, Sweet Briar Rose

Description: Dense, arching to upright, deciduous shrub with hooked thorns. Divided, apple-scented leaves bear rust-colored sticky hairs on undersides,.  Fragrant, bright pink flowers appear in summer, followed by scarlet round to ovoid hips.  Height and spread 8 feet.  The leaves are apple-scented. The flowers are slightly scented. 

Cultivation: Succeeds in most soils, preferring a circumneutral soil and a sunny position. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Dislikes water-logged soils. Grows well with alliums, parsley, mignonette and lupins. Garlic planted nearby can help protect the plant from disease and insect predation. Grows badly with boxwood. Grows well on chalk.  Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus.  Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.  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. 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 81 - 90°F (by which time the seed should have imbibed). It is then kept at 37°F for the next 4 months by which time it should be starting to germinate. 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. 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 41°F. It may take 2 years to germinate. 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.  Take 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. The cuttings can take 12 months to establish but a high percentage of them normally succeed.  Division of suckers in the dormant season. Plant them out direct into their permanent positions. Layering takes 12 months.  

History: This is a vigorous grower and possesses a strong fragrance which can be smelled at a distance, characteristics which led to its use as a hedging plant from early times.  The common and specific names come from the medieval Latin aculentus meaning thorny.  Formerly classified as Rosa rubinginosa spp, and subdivided into two species, R eglanteri.  Herb of Jupiter 

Properties: Aperient; Astringent; Stomachic.  

Constituents: Tannins; essential oil 

Medicinal Uses: 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. A decoction of the petals is used to treat mouth sores.  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. The fruit of many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavonoids 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.

Culinary Uses: The fruit us cooked. It is used in making jellies etc. The taste is best after a frost. The fruit is up to 25mm in diameter, but there is only a thin layer of flesh surrounding the many seeds.  A pleasant tasting fruity-flavored tea is made from the fruit, it is rich in vitamin C.  The petals can be eaten raw or cooked. Remove the bitter white base. Used in confectionery. The young shoots can be 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. Be sure to remove the seed hairs.  

Other Uses: The prickles on the stem make it a useful security hedge.

References:
Plants for a Future Database