Rose hips are the fruit of the rose plant that form after the flowers fade. They offer visual interest in the garden and have many uses – from edible ingredients to crafts projects. If you want to grow your own rose hips at home, you’ll first need to find the right rose hip plants for sale Here’s an overview of popular rose hip plant varieties and where you can find them for purchase.
What are Rose Hips?
Before diving into sources for rose hip plants, it helps to understand what exactly rose hips are
Rose hips form after pollination occurs and the petals drop from the flowers. The base of the flower starts swelling and develops into a round or oblong fruit.
Inside the hip are tiny seeds coated in a juicy, fleshy pulp. Rose hips can range in size, shape, and color depending on the variety. Their skin can be smooth, fuzzy, or covered in prickles.
Rose hips are packed with vitamins A, B, C, D, and E. They also contain beneficial antioxidants and compounds like lycopene and beta-carotene.
In addition to nutrition, rose hips offer creative possibilities. Their showy fruits shine in floral arrangements and craft projects. Dried rose hips make pretty additions to potpourri. The hips can also be infused into jams, jellies, syrups, tea, and wine.
Best Rose Varieties for Rose Hips
Nearly all rose shrubs produce hips. But some varieties are better suited for hips than others. Here are top performers to consider:
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Rugosa Roses: This species roses native to Asia are prized for their large, tomato-shaped rose hips. ‘Hansa’ and ‘Blanc Double de Coubert’ are two excellent hip-producing rugosa cultivars.
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Shrub Roses: Many hardy shrub rose varieties produce a good rose hip display. Knock Out roses are a favorite choice. ‘Carefree Delight’ and ‘Bonica’ also yield abundant hips.
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Sweet Hips Rose: This hybrid rose was specifically bred for its large, flavorful hips. It lives up to its name as one of the best edible hip producers.
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Heirloom/Antique Roses: Old-fashioned roses like gallicas, centifolias, and albas often give a nice hip display. ‘Ispahan’ and ‘Apothecary’s Rose’ are particularly noted for their hips.
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Wild Roses: Look to wild rose species like R. virginiana and R. carolina for profuse naturalistic hips. Avoid invasive exotic species.
For the most hips, opt for varieties rated as “good” or “excellent” hip producers in rose catalogs and reviews. Prioritize hardy, disease-resistant plants that bloom well in your climate.
Where to Buy Rose Hip Plants
You can find rose hip plants at local nurseries and online sources. Here are some top retailers to check for rose hip bush availability:
Mail Order Nurseries
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Spring Hill Nursery: Offers the Sweet Hips Rose along with other shrub roses and heirlooms good for hips. Provides detailed plant info and care.
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Grow Organic: Sells certified organic rose bushes, including rugosa and heirloom varieties ideal for rose hips.
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High Country Roses: Specializes in hardy, own-root shrub roses. Many selections produce rose hips.
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Antique Rose Emporium: Stocks a wide array of old garden roses that yield rose hips. Helpful growing guides.
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Select Seeds: Rose hip seeds available to grow your own plants from seed. Heirloom and wild species selections.
Local Nurseries
Check independent garden centers and family-owned nurseries for potted rose hip plants from their catalog selection. Local stores can recommend the top-performing varieties for your growing zone.
Online Marketplaces
Sites like Amazon and eBay allow third-party sellers to list live rose plants for sale. Look for vendors with positive ratings and reviews of hip-producing roses shipped bare root or in pots.
What to Look for When Buying
When sourcing rose hip bushes, keep the following tips in mind:
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Type: Focus on rugosa, shrub, or heirloom roses over hybrid tea and floribunda types.
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Age: Established 1-2 year old potted plants will fruit sooner than smaller starters. But you can still find great deals on rose hip bare root plants and banded bundles.
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Hardiness: Choose varieties rated for your USDA zone to withstand local conditions. Rugosas and shrub roses tend to be the hardiest.
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Health: Inspect plants for disease and pests before purchase. Give preference to organic and virus-free nursery stock.
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Credible Seller: For online buying, verify vendors are reputable and safe sources of healthy plants.
How to Grow Rose Hip Plants
Once you’ve brought home your rose hip plant, give it proper care for happy growth and abundant fruit production:
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Plant in full sun in well-draining soil. Amend with compost as needed.
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Water 1-2 times per week for the first season to establish an extensive root system.
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Apply a balanced fertilizer or compost tea monthly during the growing season.
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Prune lightly after flowering to shape and maintain vigorous growth.
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Protect plants from harsh winter weather in cold climates.
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Pick rose hips as they ripen for peak flavor and nutritional value.
With the right growing conditions and variety selection, you can enjoy trays of ruby-red rose hips from mid-summer into fall. They’ll deliver visual impact in the garden and provide a bountiful harvest for kitchen and craft creations.
Uses for Fresh Rose Hips
Once your rose hip shrubs start producing, you’ll find endless ways to put the ripe fruits to use:
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Infuse rose hips into tea, jam, syrup, wine, baked goods, and more. They offer a tart, floral flavor.
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Garnish desserts and drinks with fresh rose hips for a pop of color and nutrition.
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Craft wreaths, flower arrangements, potpourri, candle rings, and other DIY projects with hips.
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Leave hips on plants over winter for visual interest and bird food. The fruits persist after the leaves drop.
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Use rose hips and the open seed cavity to make beads, mini vase fillers, drawer sachets, or kid’s craft supplies.
With their versatility, rose hips give you an edible and crafty way to preserve your rose’s beauty beyond the blooming season.
Enjoy an Abundant Rose Hip Harvest
The right rose hip plant can provide you with armloads of brightly-hued ripe fruits perfect for eating and crafting. Keep productivity high by choosing proven hip-producing varieties suited for your growing conditions. Plant from quality nursery stock and give your rose bushes proper care. With the right selection and gardening approach, you’ll soon have rose hip plants loaded with beautiful bounty ready for harvest.
Growing Roses from Seed: Collect Hips, Clean and Save Seeds
FAQ
Which rose has the best rose hips?
What is the best month to plant a rose bush?
When to plant rose hips?
Where can I find rose hips?
How many hips does a rose plant have?
Depending on the rose species, they can grow in clusters (as in Rosa glauca), in small groups of three to four hips (as with the indispensable Rosa rugosa) or as a large, single display (as in Rosa ‘Cupid’ or Rosa ‘Meg’). When rosehips first appear, they are hard and green.
What do rose hips look like?
Rose hips are the round or oval bright orange, red, or sometimes purple, fruits that form on pollinated roses in late summer and fall. Depending on the species, they can grow in clusters (like holly or elderberry), in small groups of 3 to 4 hips, or as a large, single display. Most hips are round, but some may be elongated or even bottle-shaped.
What are rose hips used for?
Abundant rose hip displays usually come from plants with single or semi-double blooms. Almost all roses have the ability to set hips, but some types, like hybrid teas, have so many petals that bees and other pollinating insects cannot reach the center. Rich in vitamin C, rose hips are used to make herbal tea, jams, jelly, syrups, or soup.
Do roses have hips?
Most people grow roses for their flowers, but few spare a thought for the shiny, plump hips. All roses produce rosehips, but we don’t see them as often as we do the flowers because as gardeners we tend to deadhead the spent blooms. The ‘hip’ in rosehip is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word hiope.
What can you do with rose hips?
Rich in vitamin C, rose hips are used to make herbal tea, jams, jelly, syrups, or soup. Only consume rose hips grown organically—never those sprayed with chemicals, particularly systemics. Select roses with single, semi-double, or otherwise cupped-bloom form.