The beauty of rose hips in autumn

The Beauty of Rose Hips in Autumn

I feel not enough credit or consideration is given to rose hips. Why do we dismiss a rose just because it flowers once, yet we wouldn't expect a lilac or Philadelphus to flower more than once?

• Even if a rose isn't repeat-flowering, you can get a second bonus of an amazing display of hips.
• In the Orchard we have an incredible rose called 'Wickwar', bred in the 1960s, with chalky flowers and blue-grey foliage. It's stunning when it flowers in late June-July and has a second moment now in autumn when it's alight with beautiful orange hips.
• Rose hips are really diverse, and only start to colour up when the day length shortens. They can be intense red, orange, or some Scotch roses have black hips.
• They last different amounts of time - 'Wickwar' lasts quite a long time and are just starting to shrivel now in late November, whereas others like Rosa nutkana 'Plena', a species rose from America, keep their intense red hips through the whole winter.

Think about hips and the effect they can give in your garden, and when you're looking to choose a rose, make it one consideration.

Further Resources

Troy's pick of the top roses for hips from Gardens Illustrated

More roses that are great for hips from the RHS

Plant Directory

Philadelphus species and cultivars

Mock oranges

Hardy deciduous shrubs

Hydrangeaceae

Rosa nutkana 'Plena'

Nootka rose 'Plena'

Hardy deciduous shrub

Rosaceae

Rosa spinosissima species and cultivars

Scotch roses

Hardy deciduous shrubs

Rosaceae

Rosa 'Wickwar'

Rambling rose 'Wickwar'

Hardy deciduous climber

Rosaceae

Syringa species and cultivars

Lilacs

Hardy deciduous shrubs

Oleaceae