Dog Rose
Rosa canina
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Pale pink, faintly scented, and armed with hooked thorns that climb by hanging on.
A vigorous, arching, thorny shrub of hedgerow, scrub and woodland edge, with pinnate leaves and single flowers of five pale pink or white petals around a boss of yellow stamens. The hooked, downward-curving thorns let it scramble up through other shrubs. In autumn it carries glossy scarlet hips. Dog rose is common in hedges throughout the Dumfries area.
Behaviour
The thorns are not for defence so much as for climbing — they hook over other branches and let the long, whippy stems haul themselves up into the light. The hips are rich in vitamin C and were gathered nationally for rosehip syrup during the Second World War. Robins, blackbirds and finches feed on them, and the seeds are dispersed after passing through.
When to see it
Quick facts
- Family
- Roses (Rosaceae)
- Height
- Scrambles to 3 m or more
- Status
- Native; common in hedgerow and scrub
Photo by Roberta F., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons