Rosa rubiginosa (Sweet briar or Eglantine Rose; syn. R. eglanteria) is a species of rose native to Europe and western Asia.

It is a dense deciduous shrub 2-3 m high and across, with the stems bearing numerous hooked prickles. The foliage has a strong apple-like fragrance. The leaves are pinnate, 5-9 cm long, with 5-9 rounded to oval leaflets with a serrated margin, and numerous glandular hairs. The flowers are 1.8-3 cm diameter, the five petals being pink with a white base, and the numerous stamens yellow; the flowers are produced in clusters of 2-7 together, from late spring to mid summer. The fruit is a globose to oblong red hip 1-2 cm diameter.

Etymology

The name 'eglantine' derives from Latin aculeatus (thorny), by way of old French aiglant. 'Sweet' refers to the apple fragrance of the foliage, while 'briar' (also sometimes 'brier') is an old Anglo-Saxon word for any thorny shrub (Vedel & Lange 1960).

Cultivation and uses

In addition to its pink flowers, it is valued for its scent, and the hips that form after the flowers and persist well into the winter. Graham Thomas recommends that it should be planted on the south or west side of the garden so that the fragrance will be brought into the garden on warm, moist winds.

In New Zealand it is an invasive species, classed as a Regional Plant Pest. In southeast Australia it is also invasive.^[1]

It is also listed as a Category 1 Declared Weed in South Africa. These plants may no longer be planted or propagated, and all trade in their seeds, cuttings or other propagative material is prohibited.

References

• Flora Europaea: ''Rosa rubiginosa''
• Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). Flora of Britain and Northern Europe. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-40170-2.
• Vedel, H. & Lange, J. (1960). Trees and bushes. Metheun, London.

1. ↑ Sweet Briar, weeds.org.au, consulted 2007-01-24