Dog Rose
Dog Rose
Shrub
The wild climbing rose of British hedgerows — armed with curved thorns and famous for its vitamin-C-rich red hips.
💡 Fun Facts
- This wild climbing rose scrambles up through hedges using curved thorns like grappling hooks.
- Its red autumn fruits, called hips, are packed with vitamin C.
- In World War Two, children collected rosehips to make a vitamin-rich syrup.
📅 Through the Year
- Flowering:June to July
- Fruiting:September to November
Name Story
Rosa canina
means “the dog rose”
a traditional storyThe reason for the 'dog' in the name is a traditional story, not a proven fact — nobody is certain why it stuck.
What does its name mean?
- Rosa — roseLatin
- canina — of a dog, dog-likeLatin canis, 'dog'
Rosa canina means 'the dog rose'. One old story says its root was once believed to cure the bite of a mad dog; another says 'dog' was simply an old way of saying 'common' or 'ordinary'. Either way, it is a lovely scrambling wild rose of the hedgerows, with pink-white flowers and bright red hips.