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Dog-rose · Rosa canina Photo: Roberta F. · CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
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ShrubsWild and cultivated

Rosa canina

Dog-rose

Arching stems carry pale pink summer flowers and red autumn hips, a familiar wild rose of Irish hedges.

See all four seasons Explore fruits, seeds & edibility ↓ Where to look & how to find it ↓

Some plants are poisonous. Do not identify by a photograph alone, and never taste them.

FIELDCRAFT · FIND WITH CARE

Finding guide

Season first

Choose the season, find the habitat, then watch patiently. Search guidance is not a measure of rarity or conservation status.

When to go
Usually flowers June–August; red hips in autumn.
Where to start
Irish country hedgerows. Observe prickles and compound leaves without cutting fruiting branches.
What to do when you arrive
In summer, view open five-petalled pale pink flowers from paths, then hips and compound leaves in autumn. Wild roses can be difficult; do not break branches to inspect prickles.

Habitat and behaviour reference: Wildflowers of Ireland ↗ · The practical steps are editorial advice based on the references, not live sightings.

ONE PLANT · FOUR SEASONS

One plant. Four seasons.

Look beyond the flowers: fresh leaves, fruits, bare stems and dormancy.

Meteorological seasons: spring March–May, summer June–August, autumn September–November and winter December–February. Irish weather, cultivar, pruning and plant age affect timing and appearance.

Photos illustrate the relevant feature, not the same plant photographed through a year in Ireland. Features shared across seasons, such as evergreen leaves, may use the same reference. Missing reliable photos are marked; dormancy is not death.

Seasonal references: Wildflowers of Ireland ↗ · Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

FRUIT · SEED · FOOD SAFETY

Fruits, seeds & edibility

Know the structure, then the part. Recognising a plant does not make it food.

02

Seeds & dispersal units

Verified close-up not yet available

Refer to the description below until a suitable photo is verified; flowers or other species are not substituted.

The so-called seeds are usually the hard internal achenes, surrounded by irritating hairs.

Food use of this part
Do not eat

Some seed references show intact one-seeded fruits or dispersal units, as identified in their captions. A whole-fruit photo is not a close-up of the enclosed seed. Cones and arils are not true fruits of flowering plants.

Sources & limitations

No field detoxification methods or safe doses are provided. Never taste a plant to identify it or eat treated or contaminated specimens. Seek professional help after suspected accidental ingestion. National Poisons Information Centre, Ireland ↗

Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

BOTANICAL NOTESPlant notes
01

How to identify it

Single five-petalled flowers, curved prickles and pinnate leaves often with five to seven leaflets. Wild roses hybridise readily; colour alone is unreliable.

02

Where it grows

Hedgerows, scrub, woodland edges and informal hedges.

03

Growth and ecology

A deciduous shrub whose flowers and hips support wildlife. This is an introduction, not a rose identification key.

04

Flowering and seasons

Usually flowers June–August; red hips in autumn.

05

Where to look

Irish country hedgerows. Observe prickles and compound leaves without cutting fruiting branches.

Seasons vary with weather and location. Suggested habitats are places to look, not guaranteed sightings. Photos show only some features; check leaves, flowers, fruits and specialist references together.

Further reading:Wildflowers of Ireland ↗

Photo license: Roberta F. · CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗ · License terms ↗
Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

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