Dog rose

Seeds: 50  / Botanical name: Rosa canina

A wildly romantic vitamin C bomb with thorns and charm

The dog rose is a robust, deciduous perennial shrub with delicate blossoms and bright red rose hips. A classic among medicinal plants, it has served as a natural pharmacy for centuries. 
Depending on the location, the shrub grows to between 1 and 3 meters tall. The pale pink to white, five-petaled flowers appear from May to July and have a subtle fragrance. After pollination, the characteristic rose hips develop, ripening from September onwards and remaining on the branches well into winter. 
Rose hips contain up to 20 times more vitamin C than lemons – a true immune booster! Traditionally, it is used for colds, to strengthen connective tissue, and as a mild diuretic.

Natural habitat: The dog rose is native to all of Europe, North Africa, and West Asia and grows wild on forest edges, in hedgerows, on fallow land, or on sunny slopes.