Roses Are Really HIP!

Ok, so your roses have pretty much stopped blooming right now. If you have perhaps ignored them a bit lately and not bothered to deadhead the bloom, you might have some of these little beauties, rose hips.

Rose hips (or rose heps) are the seed pods or fruit of roses. Some varieties have hips are larger or more colorful than others. They really add to the season of color one gets from roses and here in the desert, more color, especially in fall and winter is quite welcome.

Did you know that both rose petals and rose hips are edible? And roses are in the same family as apples so it is no wonder the rose hips resemble a small apple. Rose hips are high in vitamin C and kind of tart like a crabapple. Remember to only consume from plants that have not been treated with pesticides.

Rose hips also have been known to be beneficial in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis apparently due to their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. A small study was conducted of 74 Rheumatoid arthritis sufferers who were  followed for 6 months by Charite University Medical Centre in Berlin. Half of the group took rose hips and half used a placebo. In the group treated with rose hips, activity increased by 20-24% and the number of joints causing pain, decreased by 40% over the placebo group. And with their vitamin C content, rose hips are sometimes used to help prevent colds and flu.

Wait until after the first frost to harvest rose hips to discourage any unwanted new growth on your rose. Harvest firm, colorful fruits. Slice in half and remove the seeds as they are unpleasant to eat. The seeds have been know to be used to make itching powder. The best use for rose hips is to make a tea. Steep 4-8 fresh rose hips in one cup of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes. Use about half the rose hips when using dried rose hips.