Orange Balls on Rose Bush: What Are They and Should You Remove Them?

If you’ve grown rose bushes, you may have noticed peculiar orange or red balls forming on the plants after the flowers fade. These little globes are a natural part of the rose’s reproductive cycle, but they divert energy from further flowering. Should you remove them or let them be? Let’s find out what they are and what to do about them.

What Are the Orange Balls on Rose Bushes?

The orange or red round balls that form on rose bushes after the flowers drop are called rose hips

Rose hips form when the flower is pollinated and the ovaries begin developing into a fruit. They enclose and protect the seeds inside.

Botanically speaking, rose hips are the fruit of the rose plant They form only when roses are successfully pollinated. If not pollinated, the flowers simply shrivel and fall off

Common Features of Rose Hips:

• Usually red or orange in color but can also be purple, black, yellow, etc.

• Round or oval in shape, can be up to an inch wide

• Have a leathery outer skin and juicy pulp inside

• Contain tiny seeds embedded in the fleshy inner layer

• Form after flowers fade, mature in late summer or fall

• Remain on the plant through winter and into spring

Should You Remove the Rose Hips?

While rose hips are interesting from a botanical perspective, most gardeners prefer to remove them. Here’s why:

• They divert energy from repeat flowering. Plants focus on fruit and seed production instead of blooming again.

• Can look unsightly on ornamental rose bushes. Some hips remain on the plant even after drying.

• Not needed for reproductive purposes. Hybrid rose varieties don’t breed true from seed.

• Take up space. Removing hips allows room for new canes and flowers.

• Reduce appeal. Bushes with many hips look unkempt and neglected.

So for most home gardeners, regularly removing rose hips as they form encourages more prolific blooming in garden roses. It’s part of good rose bush care and maintenance.

When and How to Remove Rose Hips

It’s best to remove rose hips when they are young and just starting to enlarge. Use bypass pruners to snip them off at the base, taking care not to damage new buds forming below.

Prune back to just above an outward facing leaf bud to encourage bushy growth. Removing spent flowers promptly after they fade prevents hips from developing.

Do this throughout the bloom season. Check bushes weekly and remove new hips and deadhead faded blooms. This will promote continuous flowering.

Can You Eat Rose Hips?

While ornamental rose hips aren’t very palatable, some species produce flavorful hips perfect for harvesting.

Rosa rugosa, R. canina, R. mollis and R. rubiginosa hips are commonly used:

• Can be eaten raw, made into tea, jelly, jam, syrup, wine, etc.

• High in vitamin C and antioxidants. Often used medicinally.

• Have a tart, floral flavor. Need to remove the seeds and skin before eating.

So while you want to remove hips from garden roses, consider enjoying the tasty hips from hips from edible varieties!

Other Uses for Rose Hips

Aside from removing them from ornamental bushes, rose hips can be used:

• In flower arrangements and potpourri – add visual interest

• Craft projects – their round shape lends well for decoration

• Potpourri – add fragrance when dried

• Grow new plants – seeds can be extracted and grown. Species roses breed true.

• Feed birds – birds enjoy eating the small seeds inside dried hips

So don’t let all those rose hips go to waste – take advantage of these ways to use them!

The Bottom Line

Those round orange or red balls on your rose bushes are called hips. They contain seeds and form after flowering. It’s best to remove them to promote repeat blooms. But they can be used in cooking, crafts, bird feeders and more once picked. Check your rose bushes weekly and prune off new hips as they appear.