If you’ve ever taken a drive, be it down a highway or back road, or gone for a walk in your backyard or on your way out to a fishing hole, you will be familiar with the wild rose. Ever thorny, forever ripping and catching at your clothes, Rosa acicularis can be found growing just about anywhere throughout the province. Be it a dry or moist site, woody forest or disturbed clearing, wild roses are incredibly resilient and will grow in a variety of conditions.
Right now is the perfect time of year to start collecting rose petals. Each flower has five single petals that can be collected (but be sure to pick only a couple of petals from each flower) for a multitude of uses, including cosmetic, medicinal and culinary. Rose petal jelly and rose petal-infused honey are delightful treats to enjoy!
Before you head out, be sure to have a knowledgeable mentor with you or a good plant identification book. Pick areas free from pollution or pesticides to harvest from and only take what you need – keep the one-third rule in mind and never take more than one-third of the leaves/berries/etc. from a single plant or from a patch. Utilize care and caution before consuming any plant for the first time, particularly if you are pregnant or taking medication.
