Welcome to the season of the rose hip-at least here on the California coast. This is the time of year when you see the petals of roses developing into hips. These juicy, red, vibrant hips are an amazing plant part for supporting vitality. Rose hips support the vitality not only of our immune systems but also other organ systems and tissue states. The rose hips have a moistening affect that soothe mucous membranes and support overall function, nutrition, and immunity. It has even been proven through studies, that rose hips naturally enhance collagen production. To read more on how rose hips “stimulate the synthesis and restoration of collagen,” you can head over to the National Library of Medicine.
Rose hips as we know them are high in vitamin C. We often think of vitamin C in regards to our immune system but did you know vitamin C is a key factor in digestion. Vitamin C is a water soluble compound that is key in the processing of nutrients. This vitamin C helps our body to absorb nutrients that we are ingesting so that our body can process them and assimilate them.
In a recent herbal conference with Herbal Academy Mimi Hernandez talks about how during WWII people were encouraged by the British Ministry of Food and Health to go out and pick rose hips for vitamin C. There is even a famous recipe for herbal syrup that was popular in England during this time. According to the Woodland Trust “During World War II, a national week for the collection of rose hips was established in late September. Scouts, guides and other groups would head out to harvest the nation’s hedgerows. In 1941 this produced a 200 ton haul of hips which made 600,000 bottles of commercially produced syrup!”
Rose hips are supportive to the respiratory system and even the cardiovascular system. Thus being immune medicine, heart medicine, and lung medicine alike! How cool is that.
If you break one of these hips in half you will see they are full of seeds and small hairs. These seeds and hairs need to be removed before this plant can be safely ingested. Otherwise the small hairs can irritate your digestive lining. If you are working with this plant fresh you can cut them in half and simply scoop these hairs and seeds out. You can also purchase this plant part pre-sifted and processed in a dried form.
I love communing with rose hips in the fall and winter. I have a beautiful patch growing near my house. This patch is in a protected zone as to promote biodiversity so I don’t harvest from this patch. I simply watch them grow each season and learn from them. Sharing that wisdom with this community as well!
We have a very young patch of rosa californica growing on the lavender farm I tend to and I hope that one day I will get to see this patch growing prolifically.
This weekend I made the most amazing medicinal syrup I have ever made! A nourishing and warming syrup made with rose hips, ginger, cinnamon and cardamom. Below the herbal monograph you will find this recipe for you to add to your home apothecary this fall/winter!
——————
Rose hips can be found on all roses, it is up to you to be sure that the varietal you are using is edible. In this herbal monograph I am referring to our California native rose varietal.
California wild rose is a beautiful perennial shrub that grows native here in California as well as in Oregon and Baja Mexico, California. It likes to grow near water sources like river beds. In the spring you can find pale to bright pink 5 petaled flowers. The leaf structure contains 5-7 pinnate leaves on a terminal stem and are finely toothed. In fall these flowers turn into beautiful bright red rose hips. Creatures love these hips and this plant is really great for promoting biodiversity. As when creatures eat the hips they spread the seeds through their waste back into the soil.
So if harvesting wild rose hips fresh, please be sure to leave plenty for animals and others!
Rose- (rosa californica)
Family: Rosaceae
Native habitat:
California, Oregon, Baja California and parts of Mexico
Parts Used:
Flower petals and buds
Rose hips
Herbal Energetics:
Rose buds & petals:
Temperature: Cooling
Moisture: Drying
Tone: Astringinent
Rose hips:
Temperature: Cooling
Moisture: Moistening
Tone: Astringinent
Tastes:
Floral & bitter & sweet
Herbal Actions:
Anti-inflammatory, astringent, diuretic, blood tonic, immune supporting, nervine, cardiovascular, nutritive tonic (rose hips)
Tissue States:
Rose may help balance these tissue states:
-damp/stagnant
-lax/relaxant tissue states
-wind tension
-dry/atrophy
Subtle body wisdom from Rose:
It is healthy to set and keep boundaries
Remain soft and open to love and remain in integrity with your values and boundaries.
Be sensitive to self and others.
Give yourself grace.
Love is your birthright.
You can be both delicate & strong.
Listen with your heart and act with intention & awareness.
Rose hip syrup recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup rose hips (dried or fresh & processed)
3 cups water
½ tablespoon cinnamon powder
½ tablespoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
¾ cup honey, molasses or maple syrup
Directions:
In a small saucepan add your rose hips, spices and 2 cups of water.
Let this simmer on low for 30-40 minutes until those rose hips are almost mushy and most of the water has reduced.
Then add the last cup of water to your sauce pan and stir all of your ingredients.
Now use a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth and a measuring pitcher or bowl to strain out all of the liquid from the plant material.
Compost the plant material.
Return the liquid extraction to a clean sauce pan and add your sweetener until it has become incorporated into your liquid.
Remove from heat and bottle in jars.
Let cool on countertop before storing fridge for up to 3 months.
You can even add a splash of brandy if you want to preserve this syrup for longer.
Enjoy a spoonful of this syrup when you are sick, or use regularly by adoring yogurts and oatmeals with this nutrient rich syrup. Voila!
Please remember to always use at least 3 identification sources when wildcrafting. Also be mindful of where you are harvesting. For example, making sure the plants are not near roadways or somewhere they can become polluted by exhaust or pesticides.
Disclaimer: These articles are for educational purposes only, they are not a substitution for professional medical advice, and as the reader you are responsible for your own health decisions.
