Dog rose

About

Dog rose is a bush 1.5–3 m tall with long arching shoots. The thorns are strong, curved downwards. The leaf consists of five to seven oval serrated leaflets. In June, the bush is covered with pale pink or nearly white flowers 4–6 cm in diameter with five petals and a light fragrance.

The fruits are smooth oval "berries" 1.5–2.5 cm long, orange-red, ripening from August to October. The sepals bend downwards and fall off before ripening. Inside the fleshy shell are hard nuts among stiff hairs that irritate the skin and mucous membranes — hence the folk name "itchy bush."

In the Carpathian region, dog rose is common in forest edges, pastures, dry slopes, along roads, and borders in the foothills and lower mountain belt. Several dozen species of dog rose grow here, and distinguishing them is difficult even for botanists: fruits, sepals, and thorns are needed. Higher in the mountains, in forests and krivolissia, alpine dog rose grows — almost thornless, with dark pink flowers and elongated drooping fruits.

The fruits of dog rose are rich in vitamin C. They are collected when ripe but still firm, before strong frosts, and dried.

Dense thorny bushes provide good shelter for birds: the shrike nests here, and in winter, thrushes feed on the fruits.

Where in the Carpathians

Teal — roughly where the species can occur, by elevation and habitat; orange — where naturalists recorded it (GBIF, CC0/CC BY).

Range: elevation belt and the countries where it is known — our model (AWS Terrain Tiles)

Countries

Ukraine · Slovakia · Czechia · Hungary · Poland · Romania · Austria · Serbia

Mountain ranges

nearly all Carpathian ranges, within its elevation belt

Altitude belts

Foothills (below 600 m) · Beech forests (600–1200 m)

When to see it

From naturalists’ observations in the Carpathians (iNaturalist, research grade): the darker the cell, the more often the species is seen that month.

Safety

Hairs inside the fruits irritate the skin and mucous membranes: for tea, the fruits are taken whole or the infusion is strained. In protected areas, collecting fruits is not allowed.

In folk tradition

Dried fruits are traditionally brewed as a vitamin tea, and the pulp is used to make jam and syrup.

Protection and rules

Not listed in the Red Book of Ukraine. For personal use, fruits can be collected outside protected areas.

FAQ