Wonderfully wild


The wild and prickly rose of Alberta By Tania Moffat


Rosa acicularis blossoms. T


he prickly wild rose is synony- mous with the rolling plains and mountainous regions of Alberta.


It’s no wonder that this beautiful and fragrant rose is the national flower of Alberta. The prickly rose, Rosa acicu- laris, was officially adopted as the floral emblem in 1930; the choice was made by school children in a vote for the provincial flower.


The prickly rose’s fragrant blooms


can range in colour from very pale to deep pink and begin to adorn the shrub in late May, lasting until early August. Unlike the roses found in florist shops these wild beauties have single petals three to five centimetres in size. This deciduous shrub can be found through- out most of Alberta and can reach heights of five feet.


Other wild roses


found throughout Alberta


• Prairie rose (Rosa arkansana) found in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.


Rosa arkansana. 8 • Fall 2016


• Wood rose, desert wild rose (Rosa woodsii) native to southern Yukon, southwestern North West Terri- tories, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.


Once in bloom, its intoxicating


fragrance, which is used for the manu- facture of perfume, attracts bees and other insects to distribute its pollen. At the end of its life cycle, the bloom with- ers and turns into a small oval-shaped seed container called a rosehip, which is an important food source for wildlife. Wild rose hips are known for their high vitamin C content and can be used


Rosa woodsii. localgardener.net


Photo by Benet.


Photo by Malcom Manners.


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