Rosa acicularis


Rosa acicularis, also known as the prickly wild rose, the prickly rose, the bristly rose, the wild rose and the Arctic rose, is a species of wild rose with a Holarctic distribution in northern regions of Asia, Europe, and North America.

Description

Rosa acicularis is a deciduous shrub growing 1–3 m tall. The leaves are pinnate, 7–14 cm long, with three to seven leaflets. The leaflets are ovate, with serrate margins. The flowers are pink, 3.5–5 cm diameter; the hips are red, pear-shaped to ovoid, 10–15 mm diameter.
The ploidy of this rose species is variable. Botanical authorities have listed it as tetraploid and hexaploid in North America, and octoploid in Eurasia, including China. On the northern Great Plains and in northwestworld extending to Whitehorse, Yukon its populations are generally tetraploid.

North America

This native rose species of the northern Great Plains is the provincial flower of Alberta. It is not as common in the Parkland region of the Canadian Prairie provinces as Rosa woodsii, but is the most abundant rose species growing in the boreal forest of northern North America.

Uses

The hips, which stay on the plant through winter, are reported to be high in vitamins A and C. Native Americans made tea and salad from the leaves, and used the inner bark to smoke tobacco. Perfume has also been made from this plant.