Description
Ah, yes……….. the perfection of a rose in mid-summer. The sweet fragrance emitted from perfectly formed petals is why this is the flower of choice for many.
But, to obtain the perfect rose one needs to have the perfect soil, a perfect watering regimen, and a lot of time. For those of you who don’t fall into this category, consider the species Rosa rugosa. It is not as neat and upright the hybrid teas, and the flower petals tend to go helter-skelter. It sometimes has a kind of shaggy, unkempt look about it. That’s what gives this plant its character. Named for the wrinkled (rugose) surface of its glossy green leaves, this rose is a charmer that can soften and naturalize any area.
It’s a carefree rose, picky only about drainage. It will grow in salty conditions, shade, full sun, and poor soil, so long as it’s well-drained. Along the East Coast it even grows right in the sandy beaches! Large blooms cover this plant in early summer, giving way to sporadic blossoms up to the first frost. The fragrance is sweet and pleasant. The blooms later give way to lucious brick-red rose hips so large that they look like cherry tomatoes. Yellow to orange to red fall color.
The stems on this rose are incredibly spiny, densely covered in short, gray, needle-like thorns about 1/4 to 1/2″ long. There is an advantage to this prickly barrier—Rabbits and Deer will pretty much leave it alone. Need a hedge that no one will cut-through? This makes a very dense hedge that can also be sheared (within reason) to create quite the barrier. The rose hips (fruit) are often used for teas and other herbal remedies.
48-60″ high and wide if not pruned.
Culture:
This is a very easy-to-grow species, although well-drained soil is key to its success. Slightly acidic soil is preferred, although the plant is adaptable enough for this not to make that much of a difference. It is extremely salt tolerant and can grow well in pure sand.
Hardy USDA Zones 2a-8b
Choose from Mixed (mostly pink), Red, or White in drop down box
Packet contains 50+ seeds. Seed requires stratification to germinate
