Back Dune/ Salt Spray Rose

OTHER COMMON NAME(S): Wrinkled Rose, Japanese Rose, Large Hip Rose

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Rosa rugosa

FAMILY: Rosaceae

COMMUNITY: Secondary Dune

STATUS: Non-native

LIFESPAN: Perennial

HEIGHT: To six feet

FLOWERING TIME: June-September

FRUITING TIME: July to October

DISTRIBUTION: Found along coast

IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: Dense bristles and thorns cover upper branches ~ large white or magenta flowers ~ fleshy seed pod or rose hip resembling cherry tomatoes follow flowers.

GENERAL INFORMATION: Most people appreciate roses for their scent and lovely flowers, though their herbal value comes only after the flowers fade. The “Queen of Flowers”, long associated with love and romance, has an equally long history as a medicine, food, cosmetic, liquor, potpourri and love potion. The Salt Spray Rose is as well known for its large, showy flowers as it is for its large rose hips. Their taste has been compared to a tomato or persimmon/apricot. 19th and early 20th century herbalists largely ignored roses until the 1930’s when it was discovered that the hips were rich in Vitamin C. While practitioners disagree, it has been estimated that a handful of rose hips has the Vitamin C equivalency to a dozen oranges. The potency of Vitamin C fades rapidly during the drying process, so most rose hip products are mixed with ascorbic acid. The hips are also high in Vitamin E, B3 and D, as well as pectin, malic and citric acids, fructose, sucrose and zinc. As a result, they have been used to treat scurvy, infections, congestion, stress and gastrointestinal upset.

Please note: While harvesting wild berries/fruit is permitted at Island Beach State Park, visitors must adhere to park regulations at all times and must not damage vegetation or go off designated trails. This information is presented for educational purposes only.ark. New Jersey, 08752.