California Wild Rose (Rosa Californica) is native across the state and grows right here in Saint Helena! This one is highly adaptable but needs room to spread out. This easy to grow shrub is 3-6 feet tall and up to 10 feet wide, it makes a great hedge or screen in a wild setting or as a border on the edge of roadway or bank. It will take pruning but looks at it its best when allowed to ramble. It is semi-evergreen in winter. It can get by with watering once a week in summer once established, but will also enjoy a moist situation with more frequent water. It will flourish in full sun to full shade but blooms better with some sun and has a long bloom period from Spring through Fall. This rose is easy to grow and it can vary from white to deep pink flowers usually in clusters with 1-2″ blossoms. It is host to the Grey Hairstreak butterfly and has a lovely fragrance. The petals can be eaten raw in salads. The deep red rose hips in fall are very decorative and can be eaten raw, or dried to make a tea which is high in vitamin C. Indigenous Californians used the stems in basketry. Can be found at Annie’s Annuals and Perennials in Richmond and Calfora Nursery in Fulton.
