Nootka rose
Rosa nutkana
Big hips, high in vitamin C, for tea and jam.
Hardiness: zones 3 to 8
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 6 ft tall, 5 ft wide
Harvest: September to October
From: W. North America
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food, pollinators, wildlife.
Native to: Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Rockies & Great Basin, California, Western Canada. Hardy in zones 3 to 8.
The story
Nootka rose hips were a winter food and vitamin C source for Coast Salish, Haida and other Northwest peoples, and the petals and leaves were eaten, steeped and used for the skin. It is the big-flowered wild rose of the Pacific coast.
Planting
Full sun or part shade, moist to dry soil; it tolerates salt and wet ground. Plant in spring; thorny canes spread into a 6-foot thicket.
Growing
Water the first year, then little. Cut old canes to the ground every few years. It is a fine hedge.
Harvest and use
Hips ripen red-orange in autumn and soften after frost; remove the hairy seeds and use the flesh for tea, syrup or jelly. Petals in early summer for syrup and salads.
What to watch for
Its spread; aphids on new growth.
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More native and wild plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home