Rose Hip - Rosa rugosa
Rose hips are the fruit produced by wild rose plants. They form beneath the flower grow larger after the petals fall to the ground. They are orange-reddish when ripe. The larger, the better for harvesting to ensure that you get a good percentage of flesh - the inside of each rose hip is flesh and bitter, hairy seeds (which are not eaten). Rose hips are healthy, high in vitamin C, and kind of taste like apricots when raw.
Habitat: Growing along a beach on Long Island Sound.
"Rosa rugosa" is a species of rose native to eastern Asia, in northeastern China, Japan, Korea and southeastern Siberia, where it grows on beach coasts, often on sand dunes. It should not be confused with "Rosa multiflora", which is also known as "Japanese rose". The Latin word "rugosa" means "wrinkled", referring to the wrinkled leaves.
