Dog Rose Hedging Plant (Rosa Canina)

Dog Rose (Rosa canina) is a deciduous, native hedging plant valued for its scrambling habit, fragrant flowers and colourful autumn hips. Reaching a height of 1 to 3 metres, though occasionally climbing higher into the crowns of larger shrubs and trees, Dog Rose uses small, sharp, hooked prickles to scramble through surrounding growth. Sweetly scented flowers, usually pale pink but sometimes white or deep pink, bloom in summer, and the leaves release a pleasant scent when bruised. Growing at a rate of around 40 to 60cm a year, Dog Rose suits chalk, clay and normal soils and thrives on exposed, inland and coastal sites alike.

As a hedge plant, Dog Rose adds seasonal colour and scent to mixed native hedgerows, blending well with hawthorn, blackthorn and other UK hedging species.

The bright red hips that follow the flowers are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, making Dog Rose a valuable hedging plant for wildlife and traditional foraging alike.