The genus Rosa belongs to the Rosaceae family. It includes nearly 300 wild species and hybrids, as well as thousands of cultivated varieties resulting from centuries of selection. Roses are widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere. These shrubby, climbing, or creeping plants are characterized by thorny stems, compound leaves, and single or clustered flowers. Wild species are white, pale pink, or deep pink, while cultivated varieties are often fragrant and come in a wide range of colors. Roses have achene fruits contained in an oval or round false fruit called a hip. The hip is clearly visible in autumn due to its bright red color.
Wild roses prefer well-drained soil and open, sunny environments. They rarely grow in forests.
Thanks to ideal climatic conditions, May is the peak flowering month for many rose species and cultivars. Wild roses, such as Rosa canina and Rosa gallica, and the "old" roses derived from them, bloom only once a year in the spring. Many "modern" roses, on the other hand, are "reblooming" and produce flowers in the summer and fall as well.
Rose flowers attract numerous pollinators, which contributes to plant reproduction and healthy ecosystems. Rose hips provide food for birds during the winter.
Roses have many uses in horticulture, gardening, perfumery, cooking, medicine, and dermatology. Rose hips are rich in vitamin C and are used to make jams, infusions, and herbal teas.
The May rose symbolizes rebirth, beauty, and harmony. Visiting a rose garden in full bloom is a multisensory experience, offering colorful and aromatic spectacles of rare intensity.
More information on Italian wild species can be found at:
Lattanzi, E., Tilia, A., 2001. Il genere Rosa L. nel Lazio: studio preliminare. Inform. Bot. Ital. 33(2): 524-528.
Lattanzi E., 2017. Rosa. In: Pignatti S., Guarino R., La Rosa M. (Eds.) Flora d’Italia 2ª ed., 2: 720-735 e 4: 614-617, New
Business Media, Milano.
In the photo:
Rosa pendulina L.
From the Herbarium Lattanzi (HLat)