Cluster Rose
Rosa pisocarpa Gray
A deciduous shrub growing to 2.5m. It is hardy to zone 6. It
is in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The
flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated
by Bees. We rate it 2 out of 5 for usefulness. Prefers light (sandy),
medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow
in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.
Succeeds in most soils, preferring a circumneutral soil and a sunny position.
Grows well in heavy clay soils. Dislikes water-logged soils. Found in
western states to include Idaho. Grows in shaded slopes and woodlands.
Food Uses
The fruit may be used raw or cooked.. It is used
to make jams and jellies, it is also used to make a pleasant tasting
fruity-flavored tea. The fruit is about 13mm in diameter, but there is only a
thin layer of flesh surrounding the many seeds. Some care should to be taken
when eating this fruit, see the notes above on known hazards. The
seed is a good source of vitamin E, it can be ground into a powder and mixed
with flour or added to other foods as a supplement. Be sure to remove the seed
hairs The shoots can be used to make tea-like beverages. The tender young shoot
may be peeled and eaten in the spring.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel, July in a shaded
frame. Overwinter the plants in the frame and plant out in late spring. High
percentage. Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth. Select pencil
thick shoots in early autumn that are about 20 - 25cm long and plant them in a
sheltered position outdoors or in a cold frame. The cuttings can take 12 months
to establish but a high percentage of them normally succeed.
Medical Uses
It has been used as a astringent, for use with cancer, foot care, VD, and
women's complaints. A decoction of the roots has been
used in the treatment of sore throats and syphilis. An infusion of the bark has
been taken by a mother just after childbirth. A decoction of the
branches,combined with chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) and red willow (Salix
bonplandiana) it has been used in the treatment of various
women's complaints, diarrhea and vomiting. The leaves
have been placed in the shoes as a protection from athletes foot. The fruit of
many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals,
especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bioactive compounds. It
is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is fairly unusual
for a fruit. It is being investigated as a food that is capable of reducing the
incidence of cancer and also as a means of halting or reversing the growth of
cancers.
(Source)
Seed. Rose seed often takes two years to germinate. This is because it may need
a warm spell of weather after a cold spell in order to mature the embryo and
reduce the seedcoat[80]. One possible way to reduce this time is to scarify the
seed and then place it for 2 - 3 weeks in damp peat at a temperature of 27 - 32°c
(by which time the seed should have imbibed). It is then kept at 3°c for the
next 4 months by which time it should be starting to germinate[80].
Alternatively, it is possible that seed harvested 'green' (when it is fully
developed but before it has dried on the plant) and sown immediately will
germinate in the late winter. This method has not as yet(1988) been fully
tested[80]. Seed sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame sometimes germinates
in spring though it may take 18 months. Stored seed can be sown as early in the
year as possible and stratified for 6 weeks at 5°c[200]. It may take 2 years to
germinate[200]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large
enough to handle. Plant out in the summer if the plants are more than 25cm tall,
otherwise grow on in a cold frame for the winter and plant out in late spring.
Division of suckers in the dormant season. Plant them out direct into their
permanent positions.