Latin name: Rosa rugosa
Common names: beach rose, wrinkled rose, Asian beach rose, seaside rose, coastal rose
Seasons: Spring (flowers), late summer and fall (fruit/hips)
Edible: Yes, fruit and flower petals (but not seeds)
Medicinal: Immune support, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging
Nutritional: Vitamin C, A, E, K, B 1-3, polyphenols
Identification difficulty: Beginner
Roses are one of humankind's oldest plant allies and their use is also among the most widespread. Ancient Egyptians, Chinese and Persians used parts of roses as topical and internal medicine and even as offerings to royalty or the Gods, starting as much as 5000 years ago. And when it comes to rose hips--the fruit of the rose (more on that later)--they were consumed as a food by prehistoric people of all temperate climates, dating back at least 10,000 years. Roses are still being used as a food today, albeit in a much-reduced fashion, primarily as an ingredient in herbal teas.
And when we get to the greater rose family (Rosaceae), many of our planet's most valuable food crops are members. Did you know that apples, pears, plums, apricots, peaches, blackberries, raspberries, juneberries, and even almonds are all part of the greater rose family? Well, now you do!
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| Beach rose bud |
Beach rose quick history
The beach rose, Rosa rugosa, is unlike any other rose species you'll encounter in North America. That's because the beach rose isn't from around here. Native to Japan and China, the beach rose was imported to America in the early 1900s (perhaps as early as 1908), to combat erosion along our Atlantic coastline. Possibly introduced broadly to the States in either the 1858 or 1874 World's Fairs (both held in Philadelphia), this plant would be imported wholesale as an erosion solution during the 1920s. Many will argue that beach rose has become "invasive", but I would claim that to be a misunderstanding in the United States, at least. (I don't know enough about other countries to say one way or another for them). Beach rose was heavily planted as erosion control along the coasts of New England, the Mid-Atlantic states, down as far as Virginia, and up into Canada in Quebec, New Foundland, Labrador, Nova Scotia and P.E.I. Further, it was planted as an ornamental in Ontario, Canada, and the northern mid-west and great lakes states of the U.S.A.
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| Beach rose forms dense mats on coastal sand dunes, earning a reputation as an invasive species |
As an invasive species
Beach rose has gotten a lot of bad rap in the past few decades (since around the late 1980s) as an invasive species. Today it can be found throughout Europe, the above-mentioned parts of North America, Central America, northern South America, and much of S.E. Asia. For this reason, it's considered invasive in many U.S. states. But here's the thing: I grew up in New York, New Jersey and many states in New England, where beach rose is often planted as an ornamental plant, and I've only ever seen it become a monoculture in unnatural, man-made or man-influenced environment.
Not only have I never seen it spreading uncontrollably out of people's gardens, I've never seen it in the wild, outside of sand dunes. While sand dunes are natural, the dunes of New England are highly human-influenced and maintained by dumping non-native sands to preserve the beaches that are so crucial for tourism. (For what it's worth, I have no issue with man-made beach interference, but I do think it needs to be mentioned. In fact, beach rose is considered endangered in its native country of China--which doesn't imply invasive behavior.
Identifying beach rose
Ok, coming down off my soapbox, let's get to what I'm sure y'all are here for: How to identify beach roses and how to use them in the kitchen or as medicine. The good news is that beach rose is arguably the very easiest rose species to identify.
Beach rose distribution, environment and growth patterns
Beach roses are found in the New England and Mid-Atlantic states south to Virginia and west to Missouri, and north into the eastern Canadian provinces, west to Ontario. It can also be found in Washington, Oregon, Alaska and northern California. It's spread broadly throughout South and Central America in recent years, including Mexico, Cuba, Panama, Argentina, Chile, Boliva, Peru, Columbia and Venezuela, among others.
Rosa rugosa can grow in many environments, including both acidic and alkaline soils, in full sun to partial shade, inland or costal (it can survive salt spray), and in nutrient-rich or nutrient-poor soils. It can only survive in moderate temperatures but can survive in lower moisture environments--not in semi-arid or deserts though.
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| On sandy soil, beach rose grows low and dense, like a ground cover |
Where the soil is rich, water is plentiful, and sunlight is dappled, it will grow into an impressive bush, as much as 6' high and over 10' wide, though about half that is more common. When the soil is poor, sandy or loamy, the available moisture is rich with salt, winds are strong, and sun is bright and there's no shade, beach rose grows low to the ground (rarely more than 18" high), and spreads into dense matts of overlapping plants.
Leaf, thorn and stem features
The stems of beach rose are green and bendable for generally about the first year. They also don't develop thorns until after the first year. As the stems age they become a brown/red shade, then brown/grey and eventually a charcoal grey. The thorns also become denser. Unlike the hooked or curved thorns of cultivated roses, beach rose thorns are straight or conical. The thorns grow from all sides of the stem.
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| Thorn features |
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| Oddly pinnately compound leaves (9 leaflets for this example) |
Beach roses have oddly pinnately compound leaves that have 5 to 9 leaflets, with the overwhelming majority being 7. Compound leaves mean that the leaf is actually made up of multiple "leaflets" that might each appear to be individual leaves. Oddly compound leaves feature parallel pairs and one extra leaflet that sticks out at the end, opposite the leaf stalk.
Unlike the leaves for cultivated roses, tea roses and native wild roses, which appear basically flat, smooth and glossy, the veins on beach rose leaflets are deeply creased, creating a textured, almost crinkled effect for the whole leaf. Beach rose leaflets are lime green when young or old and dark olive when mature and healthy. Leaflets do NOT have thorns on their back or the back of their veins. As with all roses, beach rose leaflets have serrated edges.
Flower, fruit and seed features
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| White variant |
Beach rose flowers range from white to deep magenta, even burgundy, but are most commonly a mid-tone bubble gum or "Barbie" pink. There are also specially bred, cultivated variations that are red, baby pink or even yellow. Flowers can grow individually but are more often found in clusters. The bloom is around 2" in diameter. Wild varieties generally have 5 thin, fragile petals but often loose some to strong coastal winds. Cultivated varieties often have more petals or even double rows of petals; wild and cultivated varieties might hybridize, so it's not unheard of to find 7-10 petal variants in the "wild". The petals surround a circular cluster of bright yellow stamens and feature a deep central crease that ends in either a point that sticks out past the main edge of the petal or a notch that dips into it. The flower calyxes are unobtrusively smaller than the blooms.
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| Fruit ripening progression |
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| Fully ripe rose hip fruits |
The fruits, called hips, start out hard and green, then yellow and slowly ripen to orange, dappled red and eventually fully red and waxy looking or even almost translucent. They generally aren't truly ripe until they are red and soft, though you can also ripen them off the plant. While the hips of native and cultivated roses are smaller than a pea, beach roses have large, fleshy fruits that are much easier to harvest and process. Each is generally around the diameter of a nickel to a quarter (3/4 to 1.25") at its widest point. Some plants have fruit that's wide than long and sometimes it's the opposite. The sepals form an elongated "crown" on the bottom of each fruit, away from the stem. The crown starts out as light green and soft but will turn brown and eventually dried out when the fruit ripens. The crown is essential for safe identification.
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| The sepals that form an elongated "crown" or perhaps tentacles that come out of the bottom of the fruit are essential for identification. |
Beach roses flower from mid spring to mid summer and start fruiting from late spring onward, so you can often expect to find plants with both flowers and fruits simultaneously, helping to aid your identification.
Look-a-like plants
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| Small fruit of the common wild rose, Rosa virginiana |
Here are the key things to look out for to ensure you are ruling out potentially dangerous plants:
- Thorns on the stems but not on leaves
- Leaves are oddly pinnately compound
- Fruit has a bottom "crown" of elongated sepals
- 2" diameter blooms with a single row of 5-petals surrounding yellow sepals
Beach rose foraging, in the kitchen, and nutrition information
Beach rose is best harvested in the fall when the fruit has gotten soft but not mushy and is bright red with a waxy or translucent sheen. If you wait till after a frost the sugars will be released and the product will be sweeter, though this is hardly necessary and waiting so long increases the likelihood of missing out. If you want to harvest them earlier, you can get a decent result by harvesting the mostly-red but hard fruit and storing in paper bags at room temperature until softened. You may want to cut off the sepal "crown" before you do so as if it has fungus on it will spread to the fruit.
As many herbal tea blends contain rose petals or hips, as do many Indian and Middle Eastern sweets and desserts, you may have already had some and not known it!
Ethical foraging
Because beach rose is naturalized and/or invasive, large harvests aren't problematic for the environment. The fruit is not an essential food product for native songbirds (too large), like the fruit of native wild roses are. For cultivated plants in gardens, the fruit is appealing to squirrels, racoons, deer and possums, but these species aren't commonly found on the coast. Rabbits love to make their homes under beach roses but rarely seem to sample the fruit (and even then, only after it's fallen). Rabbits can hardly eat the massive quantities that cover coastal dunes.
Eating beach rose
With beach rose, the hips are more prized than the blooms and are the most commonly eaten part of the plant. It's important that you scoop out and don't eat the seeds. Beach rose seeds have fine hairs that can cause irritation to the mouth and throat. Scoop them out even when making teas as they are fine enough to bypass straining. The remaining fruit is fleshy, moist and flavorful with a sweet-tart profile. If you are on the northeastern coast, it's generally easy to gather more than you would need for most applications. Common uses for both fruit and flowers are:
- Jams, marmalades and preserves, flowers can also be used for jellies
- Sugar syrups and infused honey
- Tossed in salads
- Infused into teas and lemonades
- Pureed into desserts such as custards, ice cream, sorbet, mousse, panna cotta
- Hips coated with chocolate (popular in Europe)
- Dried and powdered to add as an ingredient in dry rubs
- Dried, powdered and mixed with sugar to use as a dusting or coating, such as for sugar cookies
Nutritionally, rose hips are one of the best sources of vitamin C you can find, having more than four times the amount (by weight) than oranges have. Rose hips are also one of the best sources of the whole suite of vitamins, being rich in E, A, K and Bs 1-3. While rich in carbohydrates, rose hips are low in sugars, making them a solid choice for dietary fiber (over 80% by weight) and are considered a moderate glycemic load. Finally, rose hips are rich in polyphenols, the most potent of antioxidants, including all four polyphenol "families".
Please note, my data comes primarily from this analysis and this analysis of the European "dog rose" (Rosa canina) which is the closest relative to the beach rose that I can find that has had a proper analysis done.
Medical and nutritional benefits of rose hips:
- Immune support (Vitamin C primarily, but also A)
- Skin health through tissue repair support and collagen formation (Vitamin A, C and K, polyphenols)
- Eye health (Vitamins A and E)
- Cell growth and DNA support (Vitamins A and E)
- Brain health, including reducing the impact and incidence of Alzheimer's (Vitamins E and K)
- Glycemic and metabolic support (all, but especially polyphenols, vitamin K, vitamin B1/thiamine and B2/riboflavin)
- Bone health (Primarily vitamin K, also A and E)
- Blood health and wound healing (Vitamins A and K, polyphenols)
- Arterial plaque reduction (Vitamin K)
- Antioxidants and associated anti-aging (almost all the compounds in rose hips support this, but especially polyphenols)
- Petals are boiled or steamed to create rosewater, which has many uses, including in foods and beauty products
A note of caution for people with medical conditions
Given the high dose of vitamin C and the amount of ascorbic acid, rose hips should be avoided by people with kidney or liver issues, but conversely probably should be eaten (in moderation) by people undergoing dialysis as the process often robs them of vitamin C. I am not a medical professional so please consult with your physician before consuming if you have any underlying medical conditions.
Topical health and beauty uses for roses
Rose petals and hips have been a part of cosmetics and health and beauty products dating back at least as far as the 10th century in Europe and North Africa and there is evidence that the use may date back even further. Roses were often used in conjunction with other plants, especially those in the coffee (Rubiaceae) and lily (Liliaceae) families, as well as other members of the rose (Rosaceae) family. In fact, until the relatively modern era, all external treatments were based on plants, charcoal and powdered stones--but the chemical industry changed that, starting in the 1700s and exploding in reach by the early 1900s. While a better understanding of what chemicals do and how we can manipulate them has saved lives and ultimately done more good than harm, we don't always need to be putting the harshest options on our faces or in our bodies, and some doctors are quick to jump to the most nuclear option.
Today, of course, we can draw the parallels between the nutritional properties of roses and the effects on the human body. For example, we know that Vitamin A includes retinol which is key to skin health. Retinol reduces discoloration, improves elasticity and can help stave off wrinkles. It helps clean out pores, reducing acne. If you're looking for gentler or supportive approaches to skincare, consider exploring roses for some of the following:
- In daily face washes and lotions: Vitamin A helps clear pores and reduce the signs of aging, while antioxidants help protect against sun damage, and the astringent tannins tightening and firming skin, temporarily reducing fine lines, pore size and puffiness while rinsing away extra oil
- Rosewater applied directly: The anti-inflammatory properties and fatty acids (see making rosewater below) sooth and support healing for skin conditions including eczema, psoriasis, allergic reactions, insect bites and more
- In salt or sugar scrubs: Dried ground rose petals, fruits, and even seeds can be added to improve performance, providing many of the benefits of a wash or lotion
- In balms and salves: Distilled rosewater provides all of the topical benefits previously mentioned, but when used in conjunction with the oils and waxes of balms or salves, the terpenes are better activated and can really penetrate the skin in the most effective manner
Making rosewater
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| Making topical rosewater is a perfect use for past-their-prime blooms |
Most topical uses (and many culinary ones) depend first on the ancient practice of making rosewater. There are two methods, but the distilled method is best for preserving the essential fatty acids which are best activated in balms and salves, and provide superior benefits to face washes, lotions and straight rosewater use.
Most recipes for rosewater involve using only the freshest petals, and I agree if the rosewater is to be used for culinary purposes as fresh petals offer the best flavor. For topical uses, consider older, "smushy" petals. These are more likely to have active yeasts that will help make nutrients more bioavailable. You can also use the water from rinsing the fruits as the water in your rosewater, for the same reason.
For all rosewater, you can include the seeds in the process, but ONLY if the rosewater will be exclusively used externally.
Distilled method
Distillation provides the best concentration of any at-home method and preserves much of the fatty acids and essential oils. If you plan on distilling plants regularly, kits can be purchased for under $100, though you can also create a makeshift system with what you may have laying around.
Distillation involves gently boiling rose petals, (and seeds, if you like), in a lidded container, with just enough water to cover. The cover needs to have a small tube but long tube that let's steam vent and another container to catch the liquid that comes out of this tube. As the steam passes through the tube it will cool and nutrient-and-oil-rich liquid will condense along the tube eventually dripping into the storage container. This is your concentrated, distilled rosewater.
As you can imagine in makeshift scenario, it may be difficult to ensure that the steam is only escaping through the tube, making it likely that you will lose some of the exact benefits you are trying to preserve.
Boiled method
An easier way to make rosewater is to simply boil the petals and seeds until the liquid concentrates by reducing then carefully straining the solids and discarding them. While simpler, there are drawbacks to this approach. Some of the fatty acids and the essential oils will escape with the steam and be lost forever while others will be diminished or destroyed entirely by the higher level of heat needed to reduce the liquid. Additionally, this method can promote spoilage, especially if the solids aren't properly removed.
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