CALIFORNIA WILD ROSE

Rosa californica

Chumash: watiq̓oniq̓on

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Plant Description

Category: Shrub

Origin: California streambeds and moist areas

Evergreen: yes
Height: 3-6 feet

Flower color: white to deep pink blossoms; rich rose scent; colored fruit or “rose hips” with the fragrance of raspberries

Bloomtime: Mid-spring through the summer

Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Drought tolerant: yes

Irrigation: Low to moderate

water needs

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Fruit of the California Wild Rose, known as the hip, is said to contain more vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, and iron than oranges. During WWII in England, hips were gathered for their abundance of these vitamins and minerals. Hips can be dried for tea or used for jelly or sauce. They resemble a small, dry apple in appearance and taste. Flowers have long been used in folk recipes for butter, perfume, candy, jelly, and tea.

Cahuillas (California native Indians) picked buds and ate raw or soaked blossoms in water to make a drink. Some tribes made tea from roots for colds and from leaves and fruits for pain and colic. The wood was used for arrow shafts and fiber (from bark) used in making twine and other goods.

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