Grandmother Rose
After last weeks post on the negative impacts of the commercial rose industry, I wanted to shine the light onto grandmother rose- the wild rose species ! She’s smells of the most delicate rose perfume, gives in abundance, has great culinary recipes, and can heal you when you’re feeling low.
The Canadian Wildlife Federation (2019) documented several species of native roses inhabiting Canada: the provincial flower of Alberta, prickly wild rose (Rosa acicularis), prairie rose (Rosa arkansana), meadow rose (Rosa blanda), pasture rose (Rosa carolina), baldhip rose (Rosa gymnocarpa), shining rose (Rosa nitida), nookta rose (Rosa nutkana), swamp rose, marsh rose (Rosa palustris), climbing prairie rose (Rosa setigera), virginia rose (Rosa virginiana), and woods rose (Rosa woodsia). The Canadian Wildlife Federation (2019) reported that while wild rose species have beneficial value for people, they also have essential ecosystem functions. The pollen from anthers is a valued food source for pollinators, especially bee populations. Also, the fruits of wild roses called rose hips are winter food for mammals and birds. For example, skunks, coyotes, rabbits, grouse, pine grosbeaks, and waxwings depend upon rose hips for winter sustenance (Canadian Wildlife Federation, 2019).
Wild rose flowers have five separate sepals, five distinct petals, and numerous stamens of varying styles. Flowers of the Rose family that grow fruits, especially those of the Rose subfamily (Rubus. spp), have several pistils united at the base of the flower, making a single compound pistil distinctive of plants in the Rose family. There are many small, fleshy, wild fruits related to the Rosaceae family, both wild and cultivated, that grow in Canada and are also very salient wild food sources and traditional medicines.
Remember, when am I mentioning that grandmother rose also picked us up when we are feeling low? Well, that’s because the fruits (rosehips) that develop in late summer through fall, pack a punch of Vitamin C- even more than oranges; 426 mg of vitamin C in 100 grams of dried rose hips. I like to make rose hip tea with honey in the winter months. It’s a wonderful local alternative for those of us living in the northern hemisphere.
I have done some more in-depth academic research on the ethnobotanical uses of wild rose species. Please read on if you’re interested…
*I am not a doctor or a physician of any kind. I am not prescriptive in any of my research- just sharing. It’s always advisable to speak with a professional if you are suffering from an advanced ailment. I encourage you to do your own research too.
Ethnobotanical Uses of Wild Rose
In 77 A.D., the Roman diarist Pliny recorded more than 30 disorders that could be 'cured' with different rose species (Hass, 1995). Foraged rose petals were encouraged in Britain during World War II as a vital source of vitamin C (Hass, 1995). The British government was unable to import citrus fruits during the war; therefore, wild rose hips were used as starvation food. Rose petals were included in the British pharmacopeia as an astringent until the 1930s. It was said that the astringency of the rose could help relieve dysentery and diarrhea (Hass, 1995). Also, the traditional procurement of rose syrup made from preserved rose hips was known to help prevent or combat infections, colds, flu, and pneumonia due to its high vitamin C content (Hass, 1995). Rose hips have a mild laxative and diuretic properties, helping in the treatment of urinary tract infections (Hope, 2013). Rose hips contain iron, which also makes them an excellent supplement during times of menstruation (Hope, 2013). Furthermore, the seed can be extracted from rose hips, which aid in the reduction of scar tissue, due to its regenerative properties (Hope, 2013). The prevalence and use of the Rosa genus can be conclusively supported by both Indigenous and European cultures. The ethical use of wild roses in ethnomedicine research could be considered as an economically beneficial plant.
The dog rose (Rosa canina) has ethnobotanical origins dating back to Hippocrates in ancient Greek times (Hass, 1995). Prescriptions of dog rose were employed. However, its precise use still unknown (Hass, 1995). "Rosehip extracts are currently used in traditional European folk medicine as a diuretic, laxative, for kidney and lower urinary tract disorders, arthritis, gout, fever, colds, and for vitamin C deficiency.
Hybrid wild rose varieties have an ancient history in Iran and the Middle East. The damask rose (Rosa damascena), otherwise known as Castile Rose (Rosa gallica X rosa moschata), also the national flower of Iran, has recorded utilities that date back to at least 1,500 years (Nikbakht & Kafi, 2004). In 'A Study of the Relationships between Iranian People and Damask Rose (Rosa damascene) and Its Therapeutic and Healing Properties,' (2004), Nikbakht and Kafi provide a history of damask rose and uses of rose oil in the ancient civilizations of Persia. "Avicenna, the 10th-century Persian physician, distilled its petals for medicinal uses and commercial distillery existed in 1612 in Shiraz, Persia. This plant is called "Flower of Prophet Mohammad" in Iran because people believe it is a sacred and therapeutic plant (Nikbakht & Kafi, 2004;1). Nikbakht and Kafi's study described many medicinal uses of rose oil and rose water. Rosewater was documented to soothe the mind and heal depression, grief, nervous tension, and stress.
Additionally, rose oil and water help in ailments of digestion- dried petals are added to yogurt and used in culinary dishes (Nikbakht and Kafi, 2004). Further therapeutic effects were documented, such as problems regarding menstruation, of the respiratory system, wound healing, and skin health. Please refer to Table 1 below (Nikbakht and Kafi, 2004;252;2) for a further in-depth investigation of the uses and importance of different products of Damask Rose that are Used in Iran.
Table 1: USAGES AND IMPORTANCE
Different Products of Damask Rose are Used in Iran
1. Rose Water. Its product of damask rose in Iran. It contains 10-50% rose oil. Its primary usage is in religious ceremonies. The highest quality rose water is produced in Kashan. Kaaba (God House) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is washed yearly by unique and special rose water of Kashan. It is used in mosques especially at mourning ceremonies, to calm and relax people. It is also of high value in the food industry. Some special foods are prepared using rose water.
2. Rose Oil. It is not the first product of damask rose in Iran, although it is produced mainly in distilleries and is one of the components of many perfumes. It has a substantial part (Stearoptene) and a liquid one (Oleoptene). The delicate odor of rose oil is due to the latter component, which itself is composed of Geraniol (45-75%) and Citronellol (20- 40%) (Momeni and Shahrokhi, 1991).
3. Dried Flowers. Two kinds of dried flowers are produced in Iran. A) Dried bud, which is mostly for export. B) Dried petals for different purposes; the primary use is for eating, as it can solve problems with the digestive system. Some Iranian people eat it with yogurt. The other goal is drying petals when distilleries cannot accept the whole produced flower crop, consuming them later for distillation.
4. Hips. The hip of Rosa canina and Rosa damascena (Fig. 2) is rich in vitamin A, B3, C, D, and E. So both dried and fresh ones, processed or not processed, are used in Iran. In the central parts of Iran, local research showed that the healthier body of local villagers is chiefly because of a particular food habit. They eat the extract of the hip with bread as a meal.
Some other products, such as rose vinegar and rose honey, are produced in some areas.
Every year at the festival of Roses and Rose Water in Kashan, some 80,000 people from various countries visit from abroad for the traditional ceremony in Iran. Firouzeh Mirrazavi, a deputy editor of the Iran Review, reported that in early May, rose water is made and used in various traditional dishes and sweets. It has also been used as a perfume among Muslim people (Mizzazavi, 2016). Traditional rose water production occurs at family homes and gardens: "The people of Ghamsar collect roses, boil them in special pots and collect their water in beautiful containers. It is a pride for the city that year, the most sacred place on earth, Kaaba (Mecca), is washed with rose water from the ancient city Ghamsar- like a shining star on the central Iranian desert" (Mizzazavi, 2016;2). The Mohammadi Rose or Damask Rose (Rosa damascene) has been famous around the world due to its extraordinary fragrance. Damask Rose has been cultivated in Iran, dating back over 2,500 years (Mizzazavi, 2016). Damask Rose has also been produced in Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, India, the United States, Canada, France, Britain, and Japan (Mizzazavi, 2016). However, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, and India are the pioneer producers of this species of rose (Mizzazavi, 2016). Before rose water was used for commercial purposes, rose water was created by small distillation equipment for local usage (Mizzazavi, 2016). Damask rose was used in traditional Iranian medicine to treat rheumatic heart disease, to strengthen gastric nerves, and treat headaches (Mizzazavi, 2016).
Additionally, the alkalinity of damask rose petals were known to be a remedy for stress, flatulence, abdominal colic, depression, insomnia, diarrhea, sickness, blood abnormalities, sore throat, and inflammation (Mizzazavi, 2016). Furthermore, the petals of damask rose to contain tannin, gallic acid, fatty acids, pigments, and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), making an excellent product for rose petal jam (Mizzazavi, 2016). The traditional use of damask rose has been sustained from ancient to contemporary times and has proved its abundant applications in food, medicine, and perfume industries around the world.
Renowned North American ethnobiologist Nancy Turner has done extensive research with the Indigenous peoples of British Columbia. In Turner and Harriet's article, 'Rational Plant Foods of Canadian Indigenous Peoples: Nutrition, Botany, and Use,' prickly rose (Rosa acicularis) is documented as a wild food source (1991;163). Turner and Harriet's research provides evidence that roses of various species are used as a wild food source, which is eaten by Indigenous peoples across the country (Harriet & Turner, 1991). Furthermore, Turner and Harriet claim "that prickly rose was probably the most widely used species" by Chipewyan, Cree, Blackfoot, Stoney (Assinibonin), Gitksan, Okanagan-Colville, Lillooet, Chilcotin, and various Inuit and Indigenous peoples of Alaska (Harriet & Turner, 1991;163). Prickly rose (Rosa acicularis) can be described as a deciduous shrub upwards of three feet tall, with stems densely covered with prickly thorns. The leaves are divided into 5-7 elliptical, doubly toothed leaflets (Harriet & Turner, 2011;163). The flowers of the prickly rose are characterized by five pink petals and a yellow center with numerous anthers. Wild rose species develop fruits, known as rose hips, which are reddish in colour and round or pear-shaped. The preferred habitat of the prickly rose is open woods, thickets, and the rocky slopes from interior British Columbia, Alaska, the Yukon, and Southern Northwest Territories, and as far as New Mexico to Vermont (Harriet & Turner, 2011;164).
Rose hips have been considered "important as a starvation food," since they remain on the bushes during the winter (Harriet and Turner, 1991; 163). The petals were eaten fresh during June and were sometimes used for tea (Harriet & Turner, 1991). Rose hips were also boiled to make a tea and were said to be "good for the stomach" for a starving person (Harriet & Turner, 1991; Lamont, 1977; Turner et al., 1980; Marles, 1984; Johnson, 1987; 163). Rose hips flavor improve with exposure to frost (Harriet & Turner, 1991). Traditionally, the rose hips used to be dried or frozen for storage. Presently, it has been more common for rose hips or petals to be made into syrups, jellies, jams, marmalade, catsup, and sometimes mixed with other fruits (Harriet & Turner, 1991; Heller, 1976; Jones, 1983). Harriet and Turner also recorded that the Blackfoot mixed crushed rose hips with pemmican (Johnson, 1987).
The Tanaina eat rose hips combined with grease or fish eggs or whip them into a fat source, making an "ice cream" (Harriet & Turner, 1991; Kari, 1987). Similarly, the Inupiaq Inuit people eat the rinds of fresh rose hips and also mash them with seal oil and water, add sweetener, then was eaten as a pudding (Harriett & Turner, 2011).
The Lillooet uses the leaves and twigs of wild rose species for tea (Harriet & Turner, 2011; Turner et al. unpubl. notes, 1987). The leaves, twigs, and petals of Nootka rose (Rosa nutkana) are made into a beverage by the Lillooet, Ditidaht (Nitinaht) (Turner et al., 2011; Turner et al., 1983, unpubl.notes, 1987). The young leaves and stalks of dwarf wild rose, or baldhip rose (Rosa gymnocarpd) are used for tea by Upriver Halkomelem, Sechelt, Nlaka'pamux, and Okanagan-Colville Nations. The small hips of the baldhip rose are also eaten raw or dried for tea (Turner et al., 2011; Turner, 1975, 1978; Turner et al., 1980; Galloway, 1982; Turner et al. unpubl. notes, 1987; Turner et al., 1990). Wood's rose (Rosa woodsia) and swamp rose (Rosa pisocarpa) are used by Indigenous people living in British Columbia. Furthermore, the bud of Virginia rose (Rosa virginiana) is eaten by the Ojibwa (Turner et al.,2011; Reagan, 1928). The hips of many other indigenous rose species are used in similar ways to the prickly rose. For example, the prairie rose (Rosa arkansana) hips were documented as an emergency food for the Blackfoot, Hidatsa, Crow, Assiniboin, Pawnee, Omaha, Dakota, Ponca, Osage, and Cheyenne (Turner et al., 2011; Hellson and Gadd, 1974; Hart, 1976, 1981; Johnston, 1987; Kindscher, 1987).
Lori Synder, a traditional Indigenous herbalist, has harvested wild foods and medicines around the greater Vancouver area. "Gesturing toward a native rose, she notes the petals can be left in honey for four days, resulting in rose-infused honey that people go crazy for. In the spring, the leaves are used for cleaning the blood and the flowers for cosmetics. Rosehips, the red or orange fruit of the plant, are picked in the fall after the first frost or a lot of rain" (Hui, 2014;2). Synder remarked that three rose hips are equivalent to one orange, "that's how much vitamin C is in it" (Hui, 2014;2). Similarly to other Indigenous cultures, Synder noted that the dehydrated flesh of rose hips used in tea during cold and flu season and the seeds help fight parasites (Hui, 2014).
Uses of wild food medicine of Rosa acicularis or prickly rose were documented in Gwichya Gwich'in communities in Andre Alestine and Alan Fehr's article in Gwich'in Ethnobotany (2002). Rose hips were recorded as a traditional remedy for colds and are fried or eaten fresh. The seeds are removed, as it was known that swallowing the seeds made for "itchy bums" (Alestine & Fehr, 2002). Rose hips are mashed and strained through a cheesecloth to remove the seeds, the strained juice could be made into a syrup, jelly, or jam (Alestine & Fehr, 2002). Gwich'in people pick green rose hips, which they pickle, boil, and strain to be used as a thickening agent (Alestine & Fehr, 2002). The rose petals of the wild rose (Rosa acicularis) are used to make an eye or face wash (Alestine & Fehr, 2002). The recipe for making wild rose eyewash is as follows:
Ruth said it will take a few days to make the wash. Water that is boiled and cooled to room temperature is used. A jar that contains warm water and rose petals is sealed with a lid. The pot is set on a windowsill or kitchen counter, and the pot is given a shake or turned upside down and then back the other way at least four times a day for about three to five days. The water is then strained into a sterile bottle. The water can be heated up and then allowed to cool down again. To bathe the eyes, use tepid water or water that is skin temperature. The wash will clear red-eye or cloudy eye conditions or refresh tired eyes. (Andre, Alestine, Nan t' aih nakwits' inahtsìh (The Land Gives Us Strength, 2006).
Many cultures around the world use wild roses for wild foods, medicines, beauty, and ceremonially. Those who know me personally know my obsession with wild roses. They have many benefits to landscape design as well, which I will dive into in another post. I hope you found my research interesting. As the rose season slowly comes into season. I hope to share with you my many applications of wild roses so that you can apply them to your life too!