NPS Photo/Tiffany Zadi Nootka RoseRosa nutkana C. Presl General DescriptionFlowers, which are usually solitary and large, occur at the end of branches with petals 1" - 1.6" long and ranging from light to dark pink. Stems are slender, often very dark brown to black and have straight thorns, or are sometimes without thorns. The flowers have numerous stamens and pistils, and the styles are deciduous as the fruit matures. The fruit is a bright red to reddish purple round to pear-shaped hypanthium (hip) measuring 0.5 to 0.8 inch wide. HabitatRosa nutkana is an understory plant in dry and moist forest communities, including ponderosa pine, redwood and western sequoias. It also grows in sagebrush and in mountain and plains grasslands. Plant LoreNutkana is derived from Nootka Sound, a waterway on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia that was named after the Nuu-Chah-Nulth tribe that live in the area. Some Native Americans ate the hips or used them to make tea. However, parts of the plant are known to cause irritation to the mouth and digestive tract. Further Reading |
Last updated: April 30, 2023