June 2006

Carolina Rose, Pasture Rose
Rosa carolina

A slender wild rose to 36 inches tall with straight, narrow thorns. The leaves are compound, with 5-7 dull
green, coarsely toothed leaflets. The flowers are usually solitary, pink, and about 2 inches wide. Each
blossom is composed of 5 petals with numerous yellow stamens in the center.
This common species can be found in dry woods, pastures, and fence rows throughout most of the eastern
and central US and throughout Tennessee.
The Rosa genus includes perennial shrubs and woody vines with showy flowers. Wild roses have 5 petals,
while cultivated roses have flowers with many overlapping layers of petals. Seven species are found in
Tennessee.
Many parts of various Rosa species are edible, including the young shoots, petals, and the false fruits or rose
hips, which may vary in size and flavor. Some rose hips taste like sweet raspberries, while others are bitter.
Rose hips soften after a frost and generally acquire a sweet, acid, and aromatic flavor. To extract the
pleasant-tasting pulp, gently press the hip between the fingers and the pulp will come out at the base; it is
delicious raw.