Virginia rose

Virginia rose: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright, dense shrub 1–1.5 m tall and wide, forming a clump by suckering.

Foliage

Pinnate with 7–9 leaflets of 3–5 cm, glossy green with toothed edges. In autumn yellow to orange-red.

Flower

Single, bright pink, 5–6 cm across, with yellow stamens. Flowers in June–July.

Fruit

Small, round hips of about 1 cm, bright red, which may hang on until spring.

Stems

Young twigs red-brown, with few slender prickles. Spreads by suckers from the roots.

Flowering: June–July · Harvest and fruit: June and September–November · Plants: March–April and October–November · Pruning: February–March

Why grow it?

• Single pink flowers in June–July, rich in nectar and pollen for bees and bumblebees.
• Glossy foliage with lovely autumn colour from yellow to orange-red.
• Red hips that hang on all winter and feed birds.
• Red twigs add colour to the winter garden.
• Tough and disease-resistant, even on poor soil and in wind.

Virginia rose: where does it grow best?

• Sun to partial shade; it flowers and fruits best in sun.
• Ordinary, well-drained garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Moist to dry; it tolerates drought and temporarily damp soil, but not permanently wet feet.
• Very hardy and wind-tolerant, even near the coast.
• Allow 1.5 m per plant. For an informal hedge, plant 1 m apart.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

1.5 m tall, 1.5 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -35 °C)

Goes well with

• Coneflower: Pink flowers on sturdy stems in the same sun, for a natural prairie look.
• Rudbeckia: Yellow flowers that take over in late summer when the rose has finished.
• Michaelmas daisy: Purple flowers in October that match the rose’s autumn colours.
• Guelder rose: Together in a mixed hedge with berries and flowers for birds.
• Blackthorn: A flowering natural hedge plant that attracts bees and birds.

Virginia rose: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–November.

1. Plant in October–November or March–April, on a frost-free day. Bare-root plants can also be planted in winter.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the roots and loosen the bottom.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in its pot or nursery and refill with the garden soil.
4. Leave 1–1.5 m between plants; avoid planting right next to a lawn or a border of delicate plants if you want to limit the suckers.
5. Water in generously straight away and firm the soil well.
6. Spread a layer of compost or bark mulch around the base.

Care

Water

In the first year, water generously once a week in dry weather. After that it almost always copes on its own.

Feeding

Little needed. A spade of compost in spring is enough.

Mulching

A layer of compost or bark in March keeps the soil moist and weed-free.

Suckers

Dig out unwanted suckers in spring or autumn, with a piece of root, or mow them off.

Spent flowers

Leave them: they become hips that colour the garden all winter.

Tip: Plant it where it can spread, for example as an informal hedge at the back of a border. A yearly round with the spade keeps the suckers under control.

Virginia rose: when to prune it?

Pruning months: February–March.

When: In February–March, before it leafs out. One light prune a year is enough.

How:

• Remove dead, damaged and crossing branches completely.
• Every 2–3 years, take out a third of the oldest stems at the base to renew the shrub.
• An old, congested shrub can be cut back to 30–40 cm above the ground; it will then shoot again with young growth.
• Dig out or cut off suckers where the shrub must not spread.

Caution: If you cut all branches very short every year, you will lose a lot of flowers and hips.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Suckers

In October or March, separate a rooted sucker from the parent plant and replant it straight away elsewhere. This is the easiest method.

Seed

Collect seed in autumn and sow it fresh outdoors in October–November. The seed needs cold and germinates slowly, sometimes only after two winters.

Hardwood cuttings

In October–November, take 20–25 cm cuttings of ripened wood and insert them half their length into the soil. Success rates vary.

Virginia rose: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −35 °C.

• Very hardy, down to about −35 °C: no protection is needed in Belgian winters.
• Leave the hips on the shrub, as they are winter food for birds.
• The red twigs and hips decorate the winter garden, especially in a bright, open spot.

Diseases and pests

• Powdery mildew: White powder on leaves and shoots, especially in dry, still spells. Keep the shrub airy and water in dry weather.
• Black spot: Black spots with fringed edges on the leaves. It is little affected; clear fallen leaves in autumn.
• Aphids: Colonies on young shoots in May–June. Wash them off with water or let ladybirds and hoverflies do the work.
• Too many suckers: It spreads easily. Dig out suckers every year or plant it where it can roam freely.

Through the year

• February: Prune: dead wood and a third of the old stems.
• March: Plant. Mulch. Finish pruning.
• April: Plant. Dig out suckers. Apply compost.
• May: Watch for aphids. Water in dry weather.
• June: First flowers. Bees and bumblebees in the garden.
• July: Flowering. Keep an eye on the suckers.
• September: Hips turn red. Foliage starts to colour.
• October: Plant. Autumn colour. Sow seed.
• November: Plant. Clear fallen leaves.
• December: Rest. Red hips and twigs decorate the garden.

Edible and useful

Flowers (June)

In June, on a dry morning, pick some of the pale pink petals; leave plenty of flowers for hips and insects. They are edible and give a light rose scent to syrup, sugar or a salad.

Fruit (September–November)

Harvest rose hips from late September, when they are bright red and still firm, or after the first frost, when they are softer and sweeter. They are rich in vitamin C and make tea, syrup, purée and jam. The seeds and their itchy hairs must always be removed.

Storing

Dry halved, deseeded hips on a rack or in the oven at 40–50 °C until hard, and keep them in a closed jar. Whole hips can be frozen, which also softens them. Dry petals spread out on paper in the shade.

Fermenting

Rose hip wine is an old country recipe: the hips are fermented with sugar, water and yeast.

Caution: The seeds sit in a layer of fine hairs that irritate the mouth, throat and gut (children once used them as itching powder): remove them carefully and strain teas and syrups through a fine cloth or coffee filter. Only pick hips from wild or unsprayed roses, away from busy roads. Do not confuse the red hips with the poisonous berries of spindle, yew or honeysuckle, for example.

Eating and using is at your own risk: see the terms of use.

Recipes

• Rose hip tea (Tea · 1 teapot (± 4 cups) · 5 min + 10 min simmering)
• Rose hip syrup (Syrup · ± 750 ml · 1 hour + 2 rounds of draining)
• Rose petal sugar (Other · ± 250 ml · 20 min + 1–2 days drying)
• Rose hip soup (Dish · 4 servings · 1 hr)

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Birds

Berries, seeds or insects as food, or a place to nest.

Did you know?

• The hips of this rose often stay on until spring, which is unusually long for a rose.
• In its homeland it also grows on sandy coasts and tolerates salty wind well.
• In the wild it grows across much of eastern North America, from Newfoundland far into the south.