Alaska Rose Society
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Alaska Rose Society
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Wild Roses in AlaskaThree species of roses are native to Alaska. The most widespread, Rosa acicularis, is found throughout most of Alaska except the far North Slope, the Aleutians and Southeastern Alaska. Rosa nutkana grows on the Kenai Peninsula, Kodiak Island, and throughout Southeastern Alaska. A small population of Rosa woodsii can be found in the eastern interior near the Alaska-Canada border. Hybrid forms frequently occur where population areas overlap. Alaska’s wild roses are important food and shelter for many animals. Birds and small mammals eat the rose hips that hang on the bush throughout the winter. Moose and fur-bearing mammals such as bears, rabbits, and beaver eat hips, stems, and foliage of roses. The rose hips are high in vitamin A and are a winter source of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Rose hips are highly digestible and moderately high in crude protein. Thickets of wild roses provide excellent nesting sites and protective cover for birds, as well as shelter for small mammals. The wild rose flowers are a major source of nectar and pollen for bees. Wild roses are also a valuable resource for humans. Juice can be extracted from the hips by boiling and used to make jellies and syrups. Pulp from the hips, after seeds and skins are removed, can be used to make jams, marmalades, and catsup. Other juice or fruit is sometimes added for flavoring. Rose hips may be preserved by drying and then ground into a powder that may be added to baked goods. Green hips can be peeled and cooked, and young rose shoots have been eaten as a potherb. Leaves, flowers, and buds can be used to make tea; Native Americans used the tea as a remedy for diarrhea and stomach maladies. Flower petals are also sometimes eaten raw and may be used for perfume. Distribution of Wild Roses in Alaska[ top of page ]Rosa acicularisCommon name: Prickly Rose Rosa acicularis is circumpolar in the boreal forest region. It grows from Alaska to Quebec and New England. On the West Coast, its range extends as far south as British Columbia. It is found in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and northern New Mexico in the Rocky Mountains, and in North and South Dakota in the northern Great Plains. It grows in the lake states of Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin, and extends as far south as Iowa and northwestern Illinois. Rosa acicularis is an important food source for grouse, snowshoe hares, and small rodents. In Alaska, snowshoe hares browse on it all year, but particularly heavily in summer. Black bear and grizzly bear eat Rosa acicularis rose hips in the fall. Rosa acicularis is excellent summer browse for big game and livestock, but its protein content decreases once leaves are shed in the fall. [ top of page ]Rosa nutkanaCommon name: Nootka Rose Rosa nutkana grows wild from Alaska south to California and east to western Montana and New Mexico. Rosa nutkana is important wildlife browse. Mule deer, white-tailed deer, moose, caribou, bears, and various rodents eat the fruits. Squirrels, mice, beavers, and porcupines eat the twigs and leaves [ top of page ]Rosa woodsiiCommon name: Wood's Rose Rosa woodsii occurs from Minnesota west and northwest to Alaska and British Columbia, south to Arizona, northern Mexico and western Texas and north to western Kansas and North Dakota. Rosa woodsii is browsed by livestock and big game from spring through fall. Game and livestock strongly prefer this shrub in the spring when the leaves appear. Porcupines and beavers also browse the leaves. Rosa woodsii hips persist on the plant through much of the winter. Many birds and mammals are sustained by these dry fruits when the ground is covered with snow. The hips are also a favorite food of squirrels. [ top of page ] |
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