Rose

Basic Plant Profile: Rose

🌱 Botanical Basics

1. Common Name(s): Rose, wild rose, dog rose (hips), cabbage rose, Damask rose
2. Folk Name(s): Queen of Flowers, Bride of the Sun, Eglantine (sweetbriar), Sub Rosa
3. Scientific/Latin Name: Rosa spp. (notably R. damascena, R. centifolia, R. gallica, R. rugosa, R. canina)
4. Family: Rosaceae
5. Plant Type: Deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub; many cultivars; often thorned (prickles)
6. Botanical Description: Compound, serrated leaflets; showy single to many-petaled flowers (white/pink/red/yellow); hips (berry-like fruits) follow bloom; prickled stems.
7. Growing Zones/Climate: Broad; species-dependent. Many shrub roses hardy USDA Zones 4–9; R. rugosa can handle colder (to 3/2), tea roses prefer warmer (7–10).
8. Best Zones for Growth: 4–9 for most garden/shrub roses; select species/cultivars for local climate.
9. Habitat & Range: Native across the Northern Hemisphere; naturalized widely. Hedges, meadows, woodland edges, coastal dunes (R. rugosa).

🌿 Cultivation & Harvest

1. Soil & Sun Requirements: Full sun (6–8+ hrs) for best bloom; well-drained loam; pH ~6.0–6.5; steady moisture; mulch to keep roots cool.
2. Propagation:
   
3. Cuttings (semi-hardwood, late spring–summer)
4. Layering (simple layering in spring)
5. Grafting/budding onto hardy rootstocks (common in nurseries)
6. Seeds (species roses; need cold stratification)
   
7. Companion Planting: Alliums (garlic, chives) deter aphids; underplant with lavender, catmint (Nepeta), yarrow, and marigold for pollinators/beneficials; avoid overcrowding (airflow prevents mildew/blackspot).
8. Harvesting Guidelines:
   
9. Petals: Pick newly opened, unsprayed blooms mid-morning after dew dries; pinch off the white petal base to reduce bitterness.
10. Hips: Harvest when fully colored (red/orange), typically after first light frost; firm, not mushy.
11. Always avoid florist roses (often treated).
    
12. Drying/Preservation:
    
13. Petals: Dry in a single layer in shade or at ≤95°F/35°C; store airtight, dark.
14. Hips: Halve and remove seeds/hairs (irritant), then dry gently; or cook into syrup/jam; freeze hips to retain C before processing.
    

🌸 Traditional & Historical Use

1. Cultural Significance: Symbol of love, beauty, secrecy (“sub rosa”), and devotion—from Sumer and Egypt to Greece/Rome, Persia, and medieval Europe; sacred in Sufi poetry and Marian iconography.
2. Traditional Medicine: Astringent, cooling, and soothing; petals for sore throats, mild diarrhea, and inflamed eyes/skin; rosewater as toner; hips rich in vitamin C for winter tonics.
3. Symbolism: Love (earthly and divine), heart-healing, purity (white), passion (red), grace (pink), protection (thorns), secrecy (under the rose).

🌼 Medicinal & Practical Properties

1. Active Constituents:
   
2. Petals: Volatile oils (citronellol, geraniol, nerol, phenethyl alcohol), flavonoids, anthocyanins, tannins.
3. Hips: Ascorbic acid (vitamin C), carotenoids (β-carotene, lycopene), pectin, polyphenols, galactolipids.
   
4. Medicinal Uses (evidence & tradition):
   
5. Petals/rosewater: Mild astringent/anti-inflammatory for skin; soothing to nerves (aromatic), grief/heart tending; gargle for sore throat/mouth ulcers.
6. Rosehip (tea/powder): Joint comfort in osteoarthritis; antioxidant support; gentle immune support in food-like doses.
   
7. Preparation Methods:
   
8. Infusion (petals): 1–2 tsp dried per 8 oz hot water; cover 10–15 min.
9. Gargle: Strong petal tea cooled with a pinch of salt or honey.
10. Rosehip tea: 1–2 tsp crushed hips per cup; gentle simmer 10–15 min (or steep hot to preserve more C).
11. Syrup/Oxymel: Hips simmered and strained; sweeten with honey (or vinegar+honey).
12. Rosewater: Simmer fresh petals gently; or use hydrosol from distillation.
13. Oil infusion: Dry petals → cover with carrier oil (e.g., jojoba, sweet almond, or your hemp oil; add vitamin E), infuse low-heat or solar; use in serums, salves, balms.
14. Aromatherapy: Rose otto/absolute highly concentrated—use sparingly, well-diluted.
    
15. Dosage & Guidelines (food-like, gentle):
    
16. Petal tea: 1 cup up to 3×/day.
17. Rosehip tea/syrup: 1 cup or 1–2 tsp syrup up to 2–3×/day.
18. Rosehip powder: commonly 1–3 g/day with food (start low).
19. Essential oil: topical 0.5–2% dilution (≈3–12 drops EO per ounce carrier); patch test.
    
20. Safety/Precautions:
    
21. Generally food-safe; avoid plants treated with pesticides.
22. Rosehip seeds’ hairs are irritating—remove before teas/foods.
23. Warfarin/anticoagulants: high-vitamin C or vitamin K–containing products may affect therapy—monitor with a clinician.
24. Kidney stone history: high vitamin C may increase oxalate—moderate intake.
25. Pregnancy/Lactation: Culinary use is fine; essential oils only at low dilution with guidance.
26. With your medical sensitivities and GI history, keep doses small, herb-as-food style, and check in with your clinician before internal use.
    

🌙 Magical & Spiritual Properties

1. Elemental Association: Water (primary); also Earth (roots/thorns).
2. Planetary/Deity Correspondence: Venus; deities include Aphrodite/Venus, Freyja, Hathor, Isis, Mary, Eros, Inanna/Ishtar.
3. Magical Correspondences: Love, attraction, self-love, beauty, emotional healing, compassion, protection (thorns), purification, grief support, peace.
4. Ritual Use:
   
5. Bath for heart-healing/self-love; anointing oil for beauty & confidence.
6. Petal circle or sachet for attraction or reconciliation.
7. Rosewater for space cleansing/altar blessing.
8. Sugar jar with petals for sweetness in relationships/communications.
   
9. Symbolism in Divination/Dreams:
   
10. Fresh bloom = new love/beauty unfolding; thorns = healthy boundaries; falling petals = release/closure; white roses in dreams = peace/purity; red = passion/courage; pink = gentleness/forgiveness.
    

🌍 Ecological & Culinary Uses

1. Pollinator Value: High—especially single-petaled species (easier nectar/pollen access). Very beneficial for native bees.
2. Wildlife Uses: Hips feed birds (finches, thrushes), small mammals; dense hedges provide nesting/cover.
3. Culinary Uses: Petal tea, syrups, cordials, jams/jellies; rose sugar; candied petals; rosewater in pastries, custards, rice dishes; hips for syrup, chutney, ketchup, tea. Remove petal bases to avoid bitterness; always deseed hips.
4. Household/Practical Uses: Potpourri, drawer sachets, linen spray (hydrosol), facial toners, hair rinse (rose vinegar), natural pink dye; thorny living fences for privacy and deer deterrence.

⚡ Fast Facts

1. Quick Uses:
   
2. Skin soother/toner (petal tea or hydrosol).
3. Grief & heart-calming aromatics (petal tea, rose oil at 0.5–1%).
4. Joint comfort (rosehip powder/tea, food-like doses).
   
5. Notable Traits: Exceptionally aromatic; hips are one of the classic winter vitamin C foods; strong folklore link to love & protection.
6. Special Notes: Harvest at dawn for peak fragrance; dry gently; for oil infusions with hemp oil, refrigerate and add a dash of vitamin E to slow oxidation.

Other things I have written about Roses:

https://wanderersrantsandraves.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-subtle-magic-of-rose-how-scent-may.html?m=1

📖 Supporting Notes

1. References:
   
2. Hoffmann, D. Medical Herbalism. Healing Arts Press.
3. Mills, S. & Bone, K. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy; and The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety.
4. Chevallier, A. Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine.
5. Upton, R. (ed.). American Herbal Pharmacopoeia: Rosa spp. (monograph).
6. Peer-reviewed snapshots: rosehip for osteoarthritis; rose aromatherapy for anxiety and dysmenorrhea; rosewater/petals as mild astringent/anti-inflammatory (I can pull specific study links if you want).