Cicely Mary Barker's Rosehip Flower Fairy

Cool dewy morning,
Blue sky at noon,
White mist at evening,
And large yellow moon;

Blackberries juicy
For staining of lips;
And scarlet, O scarlet
The Wild Rose Hips!

Gay as a gipsy
All Autumn long,
Here on the hedge-top
This is my song.

Rosehips have been eaten and used for thousands of years during times when fruit was scarce or for medicinal purposes.  The rose hips of the dog rose contain the highest amounts of vitamin C of all the varieties of rose - the further north the plants grow, the higher the content of vitamin C.  Rosehips are also known for their high level of calcium, phosphorus and iron increasing the body's resistance of infectious diseases such as colds, flu and dysentery.  The are often used for coughs, sore throats and bronchial problems.  Rosehips should be gathered after the first frost when they are bright red and slightly soft to the touch.  Gently handling will prevent loss of Vitamin C.

Dog Rose is easy to grow in the garden and quickly makes a decorative hedge.  It has a long root and arching stems that will grow up to a height of 10 feet.  Dog Rose is native to Europe, North Africa and southwest Asia and has been naturalized in Northern American.  It is commonly found growing wild in hedgerows and woods.