North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

Title: Re: [NAFEX] Rose hip exploring

I agree that Queen Elizabeth produces a lot of hips, but the quality of them is pretty low for eating purposes.  The best rose for overall production AND quality I have found is Rosa dumalis (see http://linnaeus.nrm.se/flora/di/rosa/rosa/rosadum.html )  which has as many as 11 hips to a cluster and very good flavor.  The character and quality in the few I have are as variable as apples - early, late, tart, sweet, high flavor, etc.
-Lon Rombough
>

> Mark,
>
> At some point, probably while perusing the Arnold Arboretum library I copied a
> short list someone
> had compiled of what they considered superior fruting roses.  Some of these
> appear to be tea rose
> varieties:
>
> Roses w/best production of hips:Old Blush, Queen Elizabeth,Paradise,Roger
> Lambelin,Rosa eglanteria
> (Eglantine).