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Rosa pisocarpa (Clustered Rose, Swamp
Rose, Peafruit Rose)
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Kingdom
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Plantae
– Plants
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Subkingdom
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Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
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Superdivision
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Spermatophyta – Seed plants
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Division
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Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
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Class
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Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
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Subclass
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Rosidae
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Order
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Rosales
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Family
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Rosaceae
– Rose family
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Genus
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Rosa L. –
rose
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Species
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Rosa pisocarpa A. Gray – cluster rose
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A beautiful native rose that has several clustered instead of solitary pink
flowers. It blooms from May-July and often for a second time in fall.
The leaflets are sharply pointed and have hints of blue, while the branches are
long and arch gracefully. They are armed with vicious thorns, providing birds
and small wildlife a safe haven from predators. A
riparian species, the Clustered Rose loves moist, even waterlogged, soils and
will grow well in a wet garden where other roses would fail.
It is found along the Pacific Coast to the Cascade Mountains, USDA zones 7-8.
This is a superior variety for crafters and lovers of rosehip jelly as the yield
of rosehips are immense! Save some for the birds, though! |
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The following article was written by
Colleen Stuckey, who lives on Vancouver
Island, British Columbia, Canada.. |
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Description:
The Cluster Rose branches arch outward and bend down in a glorious display. A
grape vine from an old farmstead, now gone wild, intertwines with the
rose. From their branches we can hear the familiar clicking and demands of
“who are you? who are you?” from the California Quail who have lived
in these bushes as long as we have lived here. They will scamper in front
of us when they are feeling particularly bold only to flutter into the
branches of another Cluster Rose at the slightest inclination.
This rose is simply resplendent, with its
gracefully bowing branches, its delicate foliage, its summertime posies and its
masses of rosehips. In comparison to the fancy hybrids, the Cluster Rose
requires minimal care in terms of fertilization, disease and pest control and
pruning. |
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On the other hand, the blooms of the
Cluster Rose are simpler and the plant itself is less amenable to training than
the fancy hybrids. However, the Cluster Rose is not to be overlooked as a garden
plant. It offers two distinct characteristics that make it as desirable as the
most glorious roses: its unique shape and its preference for moist, even swampy,
locations.
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At maturity, the Cluster Rose can reach heights of 10’, with a spread
of 3-6’. The branches tend to grow straight and then bend down, almost
touching the ground. Branches are dark red or sometimes green and are
armed with sharp (indeed vicious) thorns, growing in pairs at the leaf
axils. On occasion, the branches are completely free of thorns.
The leaves
are alternate, pinnate (featherlike) and compound, with five to seven
serrated leaflets measuring ¾” - 2½” long. The foliage of the
Cluster Rose is unique, being more dense than other wild roses in the
Pacific Northwest and having a slightly bluish hue.
The flowers form in
late May to July, depending upon exposure to sun. This variety flowers later
than the Baldhip, Wood’s or Nootka Roses–another distinguishing factor–and
occasionally will bloom again in autumn. The flowers are small, pink, and form
in clusters of 3 - 6 blooms. Each flower has five petals, each approximately 1”
across. After flowering, small, oblong fruit called hips form. The hips are
initially green, turning purplish red (darker than other wild roses of the
Pacific Northwest) at maturity. In their immature, green state, the hips
resemble peas, leading to the other common name for Rosa pisocarpa – the
Peafruit Rose. The seeds are stored inside the hips, surrounded by coarse hairs. |
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All wild roses spread by suckering and can form dense stands. While
humans cannot negotiate these thickets (especially with the often tangled,
arching branches of the Cluster Rose and its nasty thorns), they offer
fantastic nesting sites and ground protection to a myriad of birds and
small mammals.
Like all wild roses, the Cluster Rose hybridizes freely. In this case,
it tends to cross with the Nootka Rose. This makes positive identification
rather challenging as hybrids abound.
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Habitat and Range: The Cluster Rose has a limited range, found in only
the southern-most stretches of coastal British Columbia south to
California and west to the summit of the Cascade Mountains, in zones 7 –
8. This rose is found at elevations less than 5,000 feet.
Unlike other
roses whose roots rot in excessively wet locations, the Cluster Rose is a
Riparian species, preferring moist soil or swamps and is tolerant of
seasonal flooding. They are found on the shores of streams, lakes,
wetlands and floodplains.
Ornamental Value: The Cluster Rose is a beautiful plant, with its masses of fragrant
flowers and long blooming cycle. The unique growing habit of this plant,
with its gracefully bowed branches, makes it a lovely landscape addition.
Consider this variety if you are planning to construct a pond, a wetland
garden or if you are fortunate enough to have a stream or creek in your
backyard. Not only will this plant help stabilize the banks but it will
attract butterflies, bees, birds and mammals. Furthermore, you will be
graced with masses of sweet-smelling roses with a minimal amount of work.
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Native Plant Gardening / Wildlife Habitat: The Cluster Rose is browsed by deer and domestic livestock while the
hips are eaten by birds, squirrels, deer, coyotes and bear. Small mammals
and birds find protection from predators in the thorny branches. The
pollen in the flowers feeds bees in summer and the nectar feeds the
hummingbirds.
Restoration and Mitigation Value:
The Cluster Rose is a riparian species, absolutely invaluable in watershed
or wetland restoration and protection projects. Riparian (meaning located
on or relating to the edge of a body of water, be it a lake, stream,
river, marsh or swamp) areas are extremely critical for erosion and flood
control and pollution reduction. After a period of heavy rain or a storm,
the runoff or excess water begins to drain out of the main body of water
into subsidiary streams and creeks. The roots of the plants found in the
riparian zone bind the soil to prevent it from being washed away while
simultaneously slowing the flow of water to prevent flooding. Furthermore,
the plants here catch sediment before it enters the smaller waterways and
chokes them out.
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As many mammals and birds travel along streams or rivers in their
migrations and their search for food or a mate, the riparian zone is of utmost importance to wildlife. It is also important to animals who come
to drink water to have a safe place to hide from predators. The Cluster
Rose offers not only protection in its thorny branches for birds and small
mammals, but also browse and food for deer and food for coyotes, bear and
grouse in the hips.
Historical / Cultural uses:
Very few First Nations
people used the hips of Rosa pisocarpa as a food source, preferring those
of the Nootka Rose instead (and they were doubtless easier to harvest in
wet, winter weather).
The Cluster Rose was more commonly used as a
medicine. Women used infusions of the bark after birthing and leaves were
placed in moccasins to prevent fungal infections [Turner, Ethnobotany.
p.267].
Edible and Medicinal Uses:
The Cluster Rose can be used as a food source and vitamin supplement,
although great care must taken at the identification and preparation
stages. Do not replace conventional medicines with a wild plant without
consulting a health care professional.
Do not over-harvest: make sure to
leave an adequate supply of plant material for wildlife to feed on and for
the plant to set seed for the next generation of plants. Rosehips are best
gathered in the late fall, after a frost, which softens them and increases
the sugar content. These can be used to make jams, jellies, teas and
syrups.
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In summer, the petals can be used as a
garnish or dried for potpourris. Or try making a rose petal syrup for special
occasions by infusing petals in a mixture of boiling water and sugar to taste
and steeping overnight. But be warned: this syrup requires a great many petals
and you may not want to impress people with it once you go to such an effort!
What if they want you to make it again! Pour it on custards, light cakes, ice
cream or as a base for sorbet (see Creasy for recipe details). |
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Propagation Techniques: The seeds of the mature Cluster Rose can be collected and sown outdoors
in the fall. Germination is slow, often taking two years. Scarification
(nicking the seed with a knife or rubbing them with a nail file or sand
paper) and stratification (packing seeds in a bag of moist peat moss in
the freezer for two or three weeks) are two methods that can speed
germination.
Semi-ripe cuttings can be taken in July, although these may
take as long as a year to become established. The cuttings may be more
successful if soaked in a tea made from the leaves [Howarth and Keanne].
By far the easiest way to propagate wild roses is to gently dig up the
suckers and transplant.
Pests and Diseases: The Cluster Rose is affected by a variety of diseases, although it
generally continues to grow even while fighting disease or pest attack,
unlike the more fragile exotic garden plants.
For a short comparison of northwest native roses,
click here. |
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Bibliography:
Creasy, Rosalind. The Edible Flower Garden. Vancouver, BC: Raincoast
Books, 1999
Delesalle, Bruno in cooperation with Ducks Unlimited and Environment
Canada. Understanding Wetlands: A Wetland Handbook for British
Columbia’s Interior. BC, Canada: Ducks Unlimited Canada, 1998
Hardy, G. and W. Hardy. Illustrated by F. Beebe. Wild Flowers in the
Pacific North West. Saskatchewan, Canada: H.R. Larson Co., 1964
Howarth, D. and Keanne, K. The Native Garden: Propagating and
Wildcrafting of Native Plants. Canada: D. Howarth and K. Keanne, 1995
Toogood, Alan. Plant Propagation Made Easy. London, England: Dent Co.,
1993
Turner, Nancy J. Food Plants of British Columbia Indians. Victoria, BC:
British Columbia Provincial Museum, 1978
Turner, Nancy J., Laurence C. Thompson and Terry Thompson et al. Ethnobotany: Knowledge and Usage of Plants by the Thompson Indians of
British Columbia. Victoria, BC: Royal British Columbia Museum, 1990
Plants for a Future (September, 2001) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf
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