Beginner of summer is celebrated with blossoming roses, dancing maidens and
this wonderful, elegant Wild Rose Sangria.
Wild Rose Sangria
Wild Rose Sangria, the tribute to the Goddess in you.
Recipe:
4 parts still or seltzer water
1 part fresh wild rose petals
Splash of wild rose petal syrup
Splash of red wine (adult version)
Mix in a glass container and let sit for at least 2 hours at room temperature.
Add ice and serve.
They will never forget you.
Rosa rugosa wild rose syrup
Rose Petal Syrup.
One of the great ways to preserve a divine flavor of a wild rose is in form of simple syrup:
1 part sugar, 1 part water and 2 parts of freshly picked wild rose flowers.
Add few drops of lemon juice to bring out a more pronounced flavor.
You can use this wonderful ingredient to make haunting drinks, marvelous ice cream or use straight-up on pancakes.
Rose family contains hundreds of wild varieties worldwide, all has been popular ingredients in food, medicine and cosmetics since long ago, worldwide.
Japanese Rosa Rugosa, invasive and delicious
Japanese Rose (Rosa rugosa), one more beautiful noxious weed, is a native of Asia. It is called “hamanashi” in Japan, which means “shore pear”. It can be found alone the shoreline and was introduced for erosion control here in the US. This deciduous bush develops new plants from the roots and forms dense thickets 1–1.50 m tall with stems densely covered in numerous short, straight prickles. The leaves are 8–15 cm long, pinnate with 5–9 leaflets, most often 7, each leaflet 3–4 cm long, with a distinctly corrugated (rugose, hence the species’ name) surface. The flowers are scented, pink to white, 6–9 cm across, with somewhat wrinkled petals; flowering occurs in late spring and early summer. The hips are 2–3 cm in diameter, round and bright orange to red when ready to harvest in late summer and fall.
Rosa Multiflora is another highly invasive species, native to Asia. It can be recognized by clusters of small white flowers, and like all wild roses, multitudes of thorns. Fruit (hips) are edible, but the flowers do not have significant amount of perfume. The plant was originally introduced from Asia as a soil conservation measure. It can be distinguished from American native roses by its large inflorescences, which bear multiple flowers and hips, often more than a dozen, while the American species bear only one or a few on a branch.
Medicine: The fragrant petals of Wild Roses act as an aphrodisiac agent, especially for women. Its perfume has a relaxing and beautifying effect, opening channels of self- realization in the path of remarkable inner beauty.
The plant is astringent, carminative, diuretic, tonic.
Due to high content of volatile essential oils, wild rose petals have antibacterial and antifungal properties. Cold water extract helps to calm down internal and external inflammations- including sore throat. The flowers, hips or roots to make a wash to treat eye inflammations. and acts as a nervine tonic, promoting emotional balance and health. As an old saying goes: “Roses are good for the skin and the soul”.
The flowers, hips and unpealed roots are steeped to make a wash to treat eye inflammations and for sore throat, to treat diarrhea and stomach trouble.
The botanical name of the Wild Rose R. canina species is reflected in its use by the Romans as a remedy for rabid dog bites.
Food: Rose hips contain citric acid, flavonoids, fructose, malic acid, sucrose, tannins, vitamins A, B3, C, D, E, and P, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc. Rose hips are used as healing antioxidant tea, which is especially delicious when sweetened with raw honey. Medicinally it is used for kidney and bladder inflammations. By eliminating uric acid accumulations, rose hips help in gouty and rheumatic complaints. A decoction of crushed fruit is also sometimes used for fever and as a beverage tea.
The Rose varieties used for their hips include Rock-rose (Helianthemum canadense); Rosa californica; Cabbage rose (Rosa centifolia); Rosa Damascena; Rosa eglanteria; Rosa gallica; Rosa laevigata; Rosa roxburghii; Large-hip rose (Rosa rugosa); Rosa chinensis.
Do not use roses that have been treated with pesticides or pesticide-containing fertilizers.
Sources:
Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants, by Steven Foster and James A. Duke
The Herb Book, by John Lust
USDA, NRCS (2012). “Rosa rugosa Thunb. rugosa rose”. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC, USA.
Multiflora Rose. U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved March 27, 2006.
V I Farms 