In early summer, the wild rose was still radiant and fragrant with its delicate blossoms. It is now late summer and the rosehip fruits are ripening. They can stay on the plant well into winter.
In autumn, the wild rose bush is full of edible rose hips
What do the rosehip fruits look like?
Like strawberries, rose hips are so-called aggregate fruits. They look different depending on the species. But the rose hips of all wild rose species combine these characteristics:
- coral red
- smooth-skinned
- hanging on green stalks
- old sepals of the flowers are often still arresting
The rose hips can be round, oblong, ovoid or, like the potato rose, round and flattened. They grow between 1.5 and 2.5 cm long. Under the shell lies a red fruit pulp in which numerous white-yellow nuts are embedded.
Edible, tasty and healthy
If you like rosehip tea from the tea bag, you will love rosehip tea made from fresh rosehips! The fruits can be easily collected and processed into tea. They can be used both fresh and dried. All you have to do is cut the fruit in half and fill it with hot water in a teapot. Infuse and enjoy. The tea has a diuretic and laxative effect, among other things.
You can also use the rose hips to make jam. For this, however, the contained nuts should be scraped out. The fruits are then boiled down and, if necessary, sweetened in addition to their pleasant natural sweetness.
Rose hips also taste delicious on their own. The later they are picked, the sweeter they are. For pure, raw consumption, however, they should be soft and glassy. The red fruit pulp, which has mostly softened due to frost, is squeezed out at the end of the stem with thumb and forefinger. Try it!
As decoration and birdseed
These fruits, which are enormously rich in vitamin C, are popular with animals. Birds and other small animals appreciate this food source in winter. They like to sit in the hedge with relish and feast on the rose hips. Furthermore, the fruits can serve as a decoration in autumn. Simply cut off a fruit-bearing branch and place in a vase.
tips
The entire plant is often referred to as rosehip. This includes all wild rose species.