Decorative rosehip: types, how to propagate by cuttings, pruning, can it be brewed, eat fruits, benefits, how to distinguish from medicinal ones

Decorative rosehip unites several varieties of plants under the general name. Its medical value is not very great, but in the garden such a shrub looks very attractive.

What does decorative rose hips look like and description?

The appearance of decorative rose hips depends on the specific variety of plant. But there are also common features. Shrubs of this type have vertical or creeping stems 5-10 m long, the shoots are covered with thorns - crescent-shaped or straight, located mainly in the lower part.

The leaves of the decorative rose hips are petiolate, imparipinnate, with 5-9 leaflets or more.The structure of the plates is smooth, sometimes with slight pubescence, and their shape is usually elliptical or obovate.

Flowering of decorative rose hips occurs from the beginning of June until the end of summer

The buds of decorative rose hips can be collected in umbellate, paniculate or cluster-shaped inflorescences; the shade of the petals varies from white to pink and rich red. There are also yellow varieties.

Attention! The shape of the flowers can be simple or double; in the latter case, the shrub is very similar to a garden rose.

Closer to autumn, the ornamental plant bears multi-nutted fruits with yellow or brown seeds surrounded by fleshy hypanthium with hairs. When broken, rosehip berries are usually red or orange and have a sweet and sour taste.

How to distinguish medicinal rose hips from decorative ones

Both medicinal and decorative rose hips are represented by numerous species and varieties. At the same time, outwardly the shrubs are very similar to each other in outline, structure, vegetative characteristics and fruit shape.

You can distinguish medicinal rose hips from decorative ones by their sepals. In vitamin medicinal varieties they are directed forward, while in ordinary varieties they are bent back and “lie” on the fruit.

Types and varieties of decorative rose hips

It is customary to distinguish several main varieties of decorative rose hips. The differences between them are in size, shade of buds and flowering time.

French

French rosehip, or Gallic rosehip, is a shrub widespread in Southern Europe, Crimea and western Russia. It has a developed root system, capable of producing shoots on the sides of the main plant. Abundantly covered with large and small curved spines and straight needles.

The inflorescences of the French rosehip are large, located at the ends of the shoots, the shade can be pink, bright red or burgundy. The species is characterized by large, rich green leaves with hairs on the underside and large sepals with lateral feathers.

French decorative rose hips usually do not exceed 1 m in height and have weak branches.

May

May, or cinnamon, rosehip is a widespread shrub in central Russia. It is highly unpretentious and winter-hardy, has good immunity to pests and fungi.

The height of the shrub can rise up to 3 m. The inflorescences of the species are soft pink, medium in size, the shoots are covered with curved thorns, and next to the buds there are thin straight needles. The fruits are spherical or slightly elongated, appear on the branches in August and do not fall off for a long time.

True to its name, May rosehip blooms in late spring, but only in warm regions

Parkovy

The park rose, which is often called the park rose, is distinguished by its dense crown and bright flowering. The plant's buds can be white, yellow, orange, red and even purple, depending on the specific variety. As a rule, the shrub produces double flowers with 100-150 petals. It usually rises above the ground by 1.5 m.

Park rosehip blooms at the end of May and remains decorative for about a month

The benefits of large decorative rose hips

The difference between decorative rose hips and medicinal rose hips is, among other things, the reduced benefits of fruits, flowers and leaves. Despite this, vitamins are still present in parts of the plant and have a beneficial effect on the body, albeit less pronounced.

When used according to proven recipes, the plant:

helps strengthen the immune system and helps get rid of colds faster;
accelerates digestion and improves appetite;
has a positive effect on the condition of blood vessels and normalizes heart rhythm;
equalizes blood pressure;
helps cleanse the liver of toxins and waste;
normalizes the functioning of the nervous system and fights stress;
improves sleep;
relieves inflammation and promotes healing of mucous membranes;
has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the kidneys and urinary system.

Due to its high iron content, the plant is used in folk medicine to prevent and treat anemia.

Planting and caring for decorative rose hips

The photo and description of the decorative rose hips present it as a plant that is undemanding to growing conditions. When planting and in the process of further care, it is enough to follow the basic rules.

Requirements for place and soil

Decorative rosehip grows well in sunny and semi-shaded areas. But it is best to plant it at higher elevations in the sun. This will ensure abundant and spectacular flowering. The plant's soil requirements are low - the crop prefers slightly acidic or loamy soils.

Groundwater should not pass near the rosehip

Shortly before planting the shrub, the soil on the site can be improved. The selected place is dug up and added 1 m² soil 25 g of potassium salt, 50 g of superphosphate and 5-7 kg of compost. Acidic soil should be treated with slaked lime.

How to plant correctly

Planting of decorative rose hips is carried out in the spring before buds open or in the fall, in October and early November. The seedlings are placed 1.5 m from each other; when forming a hedge, 50-80 cm are left between the bushes.

The landing algorithm looks like this:

A hole about 50 cm deep and wide is dug in the area in advance. The hole is filled halfway with a mixture of garden soil, humus and mineral fertilizers.
The decorative rosehip seedling is lightly trimmed to 25 cm in total length, while the roots should be about 10 cm in size.
The underground part is briefly immersed in a mash of clay or peat and manure.
Decorative rose hips are placed in a dug hole and the roots are straightened.
The plant is covered with the remaining soil mixture, the soil is carefully compacted and watered.

Immediately after planting, it is recommended to mulch the shrub with peat, sawdust or other material. This will slow down the evaporation of moisture.

Advice! Since decorative rose hips produce abundant growth, already during planting the area with the plant can be fenced with slate, digging it into the ground about 30 cm.

Decorative rose hips are often planted next to facades and fences to limit growth

When and what to fertilize

When growing decorative rose hips, special attention should be paid to fertilizing. Typically, plants begin to be fertilized from the second year of life. Before and after flowering, complex mixtures with a high nitrogen content are added to the soil. In August, decorative rose hips can be fed with potassium and phosphorus. Minerals will help the plant to better prepare for winter and will also ensure the abundant appearance of fruits on the branches.

Once a year, the bush can be fertilized with compost or humus. It is recommended to add organic matter in the fall, scattering it in a thick layer in the tree trunk circle. In this case, fertilizing will not only deliver valuable substances to the roots, but will also insulate the plant before the arrival of winter.

How to trim decorative rose hips

Decorative rosehip grows quickly and requires regular pruning. The hedge or artistic grouping is trimmed as necessary in accordance with the chosen shape. A single-growing shrub is pruned in early spring for sanitary purposes - all weak, damaged branches are removed and strong shoots are shortened by 20 cm.

To keep the plant in shape longer, it can be pinched at a height of about 70 cm. This additionally stimulates the development of lateral shoots and flower buds.

Once every few years, it is recommended to rejuvenate the decorative rose hips. All branches older than five years are removed from the bush and only young shoots that are actively involved in flowering and fruiting are left.

Diseases and pests

Like any crop, ornamental rose hips can suffer from diseases and pests. His immunity is quite high, but some fungi still pose a danger. Among them:

rust - with this disease, a dense orange coating appears on the stems, and round red spots appear on the leaves;
Rust worsens the decorative properties of the plant and interferes with flowering
black spot - a fungal disease can be recognized by dark spots on the leaves, which quickly turn into necrotic areas and through holes;
Flower branches dry out under the influence of black spot
Powdery mildew - one of the most common ailments, forms a whitish coating on the leaves of the plant and leads to their drying out.
With powdery mildew, the buds dry out before they can open

Bordeaux mixture and copper sulfate, as well as the drugs Fundazol and Skor, are good for most fungal ailments.Spraying should be carried out in accordance with the instructions several times from spring to autumn. It is important to begin treatment when the first symptoms appear and immediately remove all affected parts of the plant.

Ornamental rose hips in the garden may suffer from pest invasion. Particularly dangerous for him are:

aphid - a parasite that feeds on plant sap and multiplies very quickly in huge colonies;
Aphids are carriers of viral and fungal infections for plants.
leaf roller - an insect lays larvae on a plant, and the hatched caterpillars eat leaves and flower buds;
A clear sign of the leaf roller is deformation of the leaves and cobwebs on them.
Leaf weevil - an insect that feeds on young leaves, causing the plant to dry out and slowly fade away.
The leaf beetle appears on decorative rose hips in April and May

Pest control is carried out using soap and ash solutions in case of moderate damage. If there are a lot of insects, then it is better to use chemical preparations - Inta-Vir, Actellik, Fufanon and others.

Advice! Since pests attack plants in the garden in waves from spring to summer, at least three sprays are carried out during the season.

Preparing for winter

Decorative rose hips are highly frost-resistant and usually do not require careful covering for the winter. Before the onset of cold weather, it is only recommended to mulch the tree trunk circle with compost, rotted manure or peat, and throw straw or spruce branches on top.

Young bushes are more sensitive to frost. For the winter, they can be additionally wrapped in burlap or other insulating material. But with the onset of a thaw, it will need to be removed, otherwise the shoots will begin to rot.

Why does the decorative rose hip not bloom?

Decorative rose hips in the garden may not bloom for several reasons:

Abundance of root growth. The plant spends all its energy on developing vegetative shoots, and there are simply no resources left for setting buds.
Lack of moisture. Rose hips withstand drought well and do not require frequent watering. But if the spring has been completely rainless, then it is necessary to add a couple of buckets of water under the bush once a week, otherwise the plant will not bloom.
Lack or excess of fertilizers. Ornamental rose hips may not bloom on too poor soil in the absence of fertilizing. Excess fertilizer also has a bad effect on it - nitrogen, which is responsible for the growth of green mass, must be added to the soil especially carefully.

Lack of flowering may also be due to fungal or pest damage. If the crop does not produce buds, you need to carefully examine the leaves and stems for insects or suspicious spots.

Ornamental rosehip blooms poorly or does not produce buds at all when there is insufficient sunlight

Attention! Decorative rose hips, when planted as seedlings, bloom only in the second year, and in the first year they build up the root system and take root in a new place.

How to propagate decorative rose hips

Decorative rose hips are propagated on the site in several ways:

Seeds - material is collected from fruits in August and sown immediately in open ground for natural winter stratification.
Layering - a healthy lower branch of a plant can be easily bent to the ground and fixed until roots appear on the buried part of the shoot.
By division - this method is used for rejuvenation and thinning of old specimens; in the process, the bush is dug up and simply cut into 2-3 parts along the rhizome.

Vegetative methods are considered more convenient. They allow you to grow decorative rose hips faster and wait for flowering in the second year.

Propagation of decorative rose hips by cuttings

One of the best ways to propagate a plant on site is through green cuttings. The algorithm is as follows:

At the end of May or beginning of June, young apical shoots about 10 cm long are cut from the bush and the lower leaf plates are removed.
The sprouts are placed in water and left in a lighted place at room temperature until roots appear.
Strong cuttings are transplanted into peat pots with nutritious soil or immediately taken out to a temporary bed.

Until autumn, decorative rose hips are regularly watered and then insulated for the winter. With the onset of spring, the sprouts can be transplanted to a permanent place.

For quick rooting, growth stimulants are added to the water for cuttings.

What plants does it go with?

Ornamental rose hips can be planted in the garden with almost any shrubs and perennials that have similar requirements for soil and light. Bluebells, asters, phlox, geranium and lavender become good neighbors for the culture.

It should be borne in mind that rose hips suppress other plants. When creating an artistic group, you should trim the bush more often and remove root shoots.

Is it possible to brew or eat ornamental rose hips?

Ornamental rosehip berries contain fewer vitamins and minerals than the fruits of medicinal varieties. But they are nevertheless suitable for food consumption and brewing drinks.Based on the fruits, you can prepare decoctions, infusions and teas with a pleasant aroma and strengthening properties.

Eating fresh ornamental rose hips is also not prohibited. But it is worth considering that their flesh is dry and hairy, and the taste has a pronounced sourness. Such fruits do not have dessert qualities.

Conclusion

Ornamental rose hips are actively grown as a garden plant. The shrub is distinguished by beautiful flowering and unpretentiousness. The fruits of the crop have medicinal value, although they do not bring the same health benefits as medicinal rose hips.