Rosa canina
ROSACEAE
Dog Rose
Native to Europe, North West Africa & Western Asia. Escaped from cultivated gardens of settled European gardens in Eastern & Southern Australia.
Scrambling, deciduous shrub 1.5m with small sharp prickles.
Egg shaped leaves are arranged in pairs opposite to each other, 5 -7 leaflet pairs, with sharp serrated edges.
Pink 5 petalled flowers, 2.5cm across on hairless stalks clustered at the ends of branches. Late Spring to early Summer.
Red – orange oval fruit or hip, 1.5 – 2cm. Fruit is high in vitamin C & antioxidants, used for syrup, tea, marmalade & wine. Used in homeopathic medicine. Hips where gathered & used during WWII in Britain to supplement scarce citrus fruits.
Forms of this plant are used for grafting or budding of cultivated rose varieties.
Pollinated by bees, flies, Lepidoptera & self pollinated. Weedy & invasive in some regions.
Plants can be dug out of the ground, slashed or mowed in Spring, then spray the re-emergent shoots with a herbicide. Continual control measures must be adhered to for many years to be effective against this plant. Considered a minor or potential weed in SA.