A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME…

The rose is perhaps the most often mentioned flower symbol in literature, legend and song. It is associated with love, feasting, and purity, and hence such figures as Venus, Bacchus, and the Virgin Mary. Cleopatra sought to draw on the rose’s power of love by covering her floors knee deep in petals when she invited Mark Antony to her palace. Nero is said to have spent the equivalent of $150,000 on roses to supply a single banquet in ancient Rome. They were scattered as a signal that all happenings from then on were to be kept secret. One explanation for the term sub rosa is that a rose was suspended over the dinner table in medieval England to signify that conversations would be held in confidence.

Rose petals and leaves are the source of a perfume traditionally produced in Bulgaria, Turkey, southern France, Morocco, and India. The first known preparation of rosewater was in the 10^th century and oil of roses, also called Otto or Attar of roses, dates back to about 1600. Extracts of red rose flowers were used medicinally as a conserve, cordial, gargle or ointment for many purposes, including fevers and inflammation. The petals are edible and can be used in salads or as a garnish. Rosewater is used in confections, especially in India. Dried petals add a scent to potpourri.

Other useful parts of the rose are its fruits, called "hips." They are an excellent source of vitamin C and also reportedly contain vitamins A, E, B-1, niacin, calcium, phosphorus and iron. During World War II, disruptions in shipping prevented adequate citrus from reaching northern Europe and children were beginning to show signs of scurvy, a disease caused by deficiency of vitamin C. Based on the experience of British sailors, who had found green plants in places such as New Zealand that could be made into a tea containing vitamin C, the British began testing plants and found that the hip of the briar rose in English hedgerows contains high concen-trations. The hips were made into a syrup to prevent scurvy in children.

Rose hips can also be made into jelly, jam and tea. Rose rugosa, or the beach rose, is an excellent source of hips because they are so large. Adelma Simmons suggests steeping rose hip tea 20 minutes on a hot plate, or adding fresh hot water for each cup all day, because the hips are slow to yield their essence. Dried hips are also decorative in wreaths and arrangements.

One final note that all is not rosy! The hedge rose is an eastern Asian species introduced in North America in the 1860s as a rootstock for grafting ornamentals. It was widely planted in the 1930s and subsequent decades as a living fence for livestock, food for birds, and as a crash barrier that would reduce headlight glare on divided highways. It has now naturalized widely and you can see it in the countryside, covered with small white flowers in the spring. It is unfortunately an invasive pest that is difficult to eradicate from pastures and fields.

 

| Herb of the Month | |

Last updated by rauchfus@uiuc.edu