Rosehips are the colourful fruits that develop after the flowers of wild roses have been pollinated. Depending on the species, they may be round, oval or bottle-shaped and can ripen to orange, scarlet or deep red.
Dog rose, Rosa canina, is one of the most familiar wild roses in European hedgerows. Its ripe hips have a pleasantly tart, fruity flavour and a long history of use in syrups, jams, teas, soups and preserves.
The fine hairs surrounding the seeds can strongly irritate the skin, mouth and throat. They must be removed completely or filtered out carefully before rosehips are eaten.
Ripe hips: September to November
Firm fruits may remain into winter
Hedgerows, woodland edges, scrub, dunes, field margins, embankments and old gardens
Usually 1–3 metres
Long stems may scramble higher through surrounding vegetation
Ripe hip flesh after removing the seeds and hairs
Rosehips are produced by many plants in the rose genus, and their size, shape and flavour differ considerably. Dog-rose hips are usually smooth, red and oval, while Japanese rose produces much larger, rounder and often slightly flattened fruits.
Wild roses provide nectar and pollen for insects during spring and summer. Their hips later supply autumn and winter food for birds and mammals.
For people, rosehips are especially valued for their tangy flavour, vivid colour and versatile culinary uses. They can be processed fresh, frozen for later use or carefully dried.
Dog rose is a deciduous, scrambling shrub with long arching stems. It commonly grows through hedgerows and surrounding vegetation rather than forming a perfectly upright bush.
The stems carry strong, curved prickles with broad bases. These prickles help the plant climb and anchor itself among neighbouring shrubs.
The leaves grow alternately along the stems. Each leaf is divided into five or seven oval leaflets with sharply serrated edges. The upper surface is green, while the underside may be slightly paler.
The flowers usually appear from late spring into early summer. They generally have five pale pink or white petals surrounding numerous yellow stamens. The open flowers are typically several centimetres across and have a light rose fragrance.
After pollination, the base of the flower develops into a fleshy hip. Dog-rose hips are normally smooth, oval or slightly elongated and ripen from green through orange to bright or deep red.
The remains of the sepals may fall away as dog-rose hips mature. Inside each hip are several hard, pale seeds surrounded by numerous fine, stiff hairs.
Use the complete plant for identification: its scrambling growth, curved prickles, alternate pinnate leaves, five-petalled flowers and red hips.
Do not identify an unknown fruit by its red colour alone.
Japanese rose has heavily wrinkled leaves, densely prickled stems and large pink or white flowers. Its hips are normally much larger, rounder and more flattened than those of dog rose.
Correctly identified hips are edible after the seeds and irritating hairs have been removed. However, Japanese rose can spread aggressively in coastal and dune habitats. Follow local guidance and never deliberately introduce it into wild areas.
Field rose is a trailing or scrambling wild rose with white flowers and curved prickles. Its hips are generally smaller and rounder than typical dog-rose hips.
Correctly identified field-rose hips are edible after careful preparation. Distinguishing closely related wild roses can be difficult, so use several characteristics and do not rely only on the fruit.
Hawthorn produces small red fruits called haws. These commonly grow in clusters and contain a hard stone rather than numerous hairy seeds.
Hawthorn has distinctly lobed leaves and woody branches bearing sharp thorns. It does not have the divided leaves or arching prickly stems of a wild rose.
Correctly identified haws have culinary uses, but they are a different fruit and require their own identification and preparation guidance.
Rowan produces dense hanging clusters of orange-red fruits. Its leaves are divided into many narrow, serrated leaflets, but the tree has no scrambling prickly stems.
Rowan fruits should not be confused with rosehips and are normally cooked before culinary use.
Cotoneaster, firethorn and several ornamental shrubs also produce red or orange fruits. Some may cause illness when eaten, particularly in quantity.
Never collect an unfamiliar red fruit simply because it resembles a rosehip. Confirm the leaves, stems, prickles, flowers and internal fruit structure.
The fleshy outer part of correctly identified rosehips is edible after the internal seeds and irritating hairs have been removed or completely filtered out.
Rosehips have a tart, fruity flavour that may become slightly softer and sweeter as the fruits ripen. You do not need to wait for a natural frost. Firm ripe hips can be harvested earlier and frozen at home if a softer texture is wanted.
When preparing individual hips, cut off the stalk and dark flower end, split the fruit and scrape out all seeds and hairs. Rinse the remaining flesh carefully.
For syrups, jellies and strained drinks, whole or roughly chopped hips may be simmered before the liquid is filtered through several layers of muslin, a jelly bag or another suitably fine filter. An ordinary kitchen sieve may not remove all the tiny hairs.
Rosehips can be used in:
Syrups and cordials
Jams and jellies
Fruit purées
Herbal and fruit teas
Sauces and compotes
Chutneys and ketchups
Rosehip soup
Vinegars and shrubs
Fruit leather
Cakes, desserts and sweet fillings
Fermented drinks and fruit wines
Dried fruit mixtures and powders
Fresh rosehip flesh may be eaten only when every seed and irritating hair has been carefully removed. For most people, cooked and properly strained preparations are easier and safer.
Unsprayed petals from correctly identified fragrant roses are also edible. Do not gather petals from florist roses or ornamental plants that may have been treated with pesticides.
The fine hairs surrounding the seeds can irritate the skin, eyes, mouth, throat and digestive tract. They were historically used as itching powder.
Always remove the hairs completely or filter cooked preparations through a very fine cloth. Do not rely on a coarse sieve alone.
Avoid rubbing your eyes while processing the fruits. Wash your hands, knife, chopping board and work surface thoroughly afterwards.
The hard internal seeds are not normally eaten as part of ordinary culinary preparations. Rosehip-seed oil is a separately manufactured product and should not be confused with homemade whole-seed food preparations.
Only gather hips from a rose that has been confidently identified. Avoid ornamental roses when you do not know whether they have been sprayed or chemically treated.
Do not harvest beside busy roads, on industrial or contaminated land, near polluted water, from recently sprayed hedges or directly beside frequently used dog-walking routes.
Pick only sound fruits. Discard rosehips that are mouldy, blackened, leaking, fermented-smelling or heavily damaged.
Rosehips can contribute useful nutrients, but they do not prevent or cure colds, influenza or other illnesses. Their vitamin C content varies and may decline during storage, drying and prolonged heating.
Eating ordinary culinary amounts is different from taking concentrated rosehip powders, extracts or supplements. Anyone who is pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or managing a medical condition should seek qualified advice before using concentrated products regularly.
Stop using the fruit and seek medical advice if an allergic reaction or other unexpected symptoms occur.
Only harvest where collecting is allowed and obtain the landowner’s permission where required.
Choose large, healthy rose bushes and take a modest quantity from several plants. Avoid stripping one bush of all its fruit.
Leave plenty of hips for birds and mammals, particularly as other wild foods become scarce during autumn and winter.
Use small scissors or secateurs when necessary. Do not snap complete branches or drag stems from a hedge to reach the fruit.
Take care around nests and animals sheltering within dense rose bushes. The tangled stems provide valuable protection for wildlife.
Do not harvest every flower in spring. Flowers supply nectar and pollen, and each flower removed prevents the development of a later hip.
Japanese rose can be invasive in some coastal habitats, but harvesting the hips is not a substitute for proper ecological management. Do not spread its seeds or plant it in wild areas.
Rosehips have traditionally been valued as autumn and winter food, especially when fresh fruit was less readily available.
The fruits were traditionally used in:
During the Second World War, rosehips were widely collected in Britain for syrup because imported citrus fruit was scarce. This helped establish rosehip syrup as a familiar household preparation for children and families.
European herbal traditions associated rosehips with winter strength, recovery and general nourishment. They were also used in preparations for colds, digestive complaints and aching joints.
These traditional uses form an important part of the plant’s history. They should not be interpreted as proof that homemade rosehip preparations can prevent, treat or cure medical conditions.
Rosehip-seed oil has also been used in cosmetic preparations for dry skin. Commercially produced seed oil is different from the fruit flesh, tea or syrup and requires specialised processing.
Rosehips can contain substantial amounts of vitamin C, although the amount differs greatly between species, individual plants, ripeness, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
The fruits also contain carotenoids, including lycopene and beta-carotene, which contribute to their orange-red colour.
Other naturally occurring constituents include flavonoids, phenolic compounds, organic acids, pectin and dietary fibre.
The fleshy part contains sugars and acids that create its characteristic balance of sweetness and tartness.
The seeds contain oils rich in fatty acids and are used commercially to produce rosehip-seed oil. They are not the same ingredient as the prepared outer flesh.
Heating, drying and long storage can reduce some heat-sensitive compounds, particularly vitamin C. Rosehips remain a useful seasonal food, but exact nutrient amounts should not be assumed from a single general figure.
The presence of antioxidants or other plant compounds does not by itself prove that rosehips can prevent or treat disease.
Bright orange-red hips remain visible after the flowers have faded.
The prepared flesh works in drinks, preserves, sauces and desserts.
The flowers feed insects and the hips provide autumn and winter food.
Rosehips contain vitamin C, carotenoids, pectin and polyphenols.
Learn how to recognise and explore wild plants, fruits and trees safely.
A rosehip is not a true botanical berry.
The colourful fleshy part develops from the flower’s receptacle. The small hard structures inside are the plant’s true fruits, each containing a seed.
The familiar “seeds” are surrounded by stiff hairs that can cause intense itching. This is why careful preparation and fine filtering are essential.
A natural frost is not required before harvesting. If the hips are already fully coloured and healthy, you can pick them while firm and freeze them at home when a softer texture is preferred.
