The red rose hips which brighten our hedgerows in Autumn have been part of our diet since at least 2,000BC, the petals and leaves can be brewed for tea, and the flowers added to salads or used to make syrup. See link below for recipes ,herbal medicine uses and safety advice. Rosehips should be collected after the first frost, and not eaten raw.
A cup of rose hip pulp provides as much Vitamin C as 40 oranges. In 1941, with citrus fruit imports disrupted, voluntary groups and schoolchildren were paid to collect rosehips. Collecting rose hips for National Rose Hip syrup went on until early 1950s. Within the edible fleshy hips are seeds covered in highly irritant hairs, a source of fun for children to make itching powder.
Look out for Robin’s pincushions (last photo) formed by the reaction of the plant to the gall wasp Diplolepis rosae laying its eggs in buds in the spring. The grubs develop and overwinter inside. Harmless to the plant, just part of the biodiversity it supports. Of topical interest in view of the outbreak of whooping cough in the village, robin’s pincushions were once carried to prevent catching the illness, and used as a treatment.
Food and herbal medicine advice, recipes