[Roses: The Genus Rosa West of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]


Dog Rose

Rosa canina

Synonyms: Rosa canina var. dumetorum, Rosa corymbifera

Flower and pinnately-compound leaves of Dog Rose: Rosa canina (Synonyms: Rosa canina var. dumetorum, Rosa corymbifera)

A close-up of the flower and pinnately compound stem leaves of dog rose as seen along Marine Drive in Troutdale, OR.


Characteristics:

1. Woody shrub with moderately large 5-petaled pink or white flowers. The flowers are often solitary or in small clusters. Blooms in May.

2. Leaves with 5-7 pinnately compound leaflets. The leaflets are ovate and with sharply toothed margins. Leaflets may be up to 4 cm long and 2.5 cm wide.

3. Numerous curved prickles on the stems.

4. Flowers form round to ovoid red hips. The hips and flowers are usually solitary or in clusters.


Habitat:

An escaped domestic plant from Eurasia, found naturalized in thickets and along roadsides at low elevations west of the Cascade Mts, and in northern Idaho.


Range:

In Oregon and Washington, dog rose may be found primarily west of the Cascade Mts. It may also be found in northern Idaho, and in the eastern U.S.


Uses:

1. Dried flower petals for scents, potpourri .

2. Rose hips are high in vitamin C, may be made into jam, tea, and used as flavoring.

3. This is an escaped domestic plant.


Leaf of the Dog Rose: Rosa canina (Synonyms: Rosa canina var. dumetorum, Rosa corymbifera)


Paul Slichter