Rose Hips (Rosaceae spp.) Did you know that there are over 2500 species in the rose family and all of them bare some sort of fruit. Maybe some of them you wouldn’t think belongs to this family:
Almonds
Stone fruits such as peaches, apricots, choke cherries and the like.
Apples
Hawthorn
Loguats
Berries such as blackberry, raspberry, strawberries and so many more.
Even goatsbeard belongs to this family.
Pretty interesting huh! Now did you know that the beautiful rose that is so commonly used as a gift to show your love to another also bares Edible fruits? These fruits are known as rose hips and they appear after the flower has formed on the rose plant, the petals fall off and then a rose hip (or edible fruit) starts to emerge.
These delicious fruits are extremely high in vitamin C, contain astringent properties and are very restorative to the sickened body. They are also wonderful to steep in a honey or mash up to make a vinegar or delicious syrup and then added to any regiment while one is ill. Rose hips are also said to be especially good for calming babies who are sick with colic.
I will use these delicious rose hips I harvested in the San Francisco peaks near Flagstaff last weekend to make a delicious honey that will be infused with a few other medicinal herbs. So stay tuned for the release of a delicious honey blend and quite a few more that have been steeping for a while now 😉