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Nootka Rose

Rosa nutkana

A hardy wild rose with large, fragrant single pink blooms and big red hips that feed birds and make tea. Suckers into thickets that shelter wildlife along forest edges and wetlands. The hips are edible and very high in vitamin C, but the layer of fine hairs around the seeds irritates the mouth and gut, so strain any tea or puree before using it.

Family

Rosaceae

Type

shrub

Lifespan

perennial

Height

10–10 ft

Spacing

4–8 ft apart

Light

sun, part shade, shade

Soil moisture

dry

Soil pH

neutral

Bloom

May, June, July

Bloom colors

pink

Wildlife value

butterflies, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~135 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

specimen, hedge or screen, erosion control

Native states

AK, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY