Nootka Rose is a beautiful native shrub with fragrant pink flowers and bright red hips that ripen in late summer and persist into winter. Adaptable to a wide variety of growing conditions, this tough perennial is both ornamental and functional—perfect for hedges, pollinator gardens, and naturalized landscaping. The petals are edible and delicately fragrant, while the nutrient-rich rose hips can be dried for tea, made into syrup, or eaten by wildlife. Though slow to flower from seed, the plant develops strong roots and begins to flower in its second or third year.

NB: Nootka Rose can be an aggressive spreader under many conditions. It is best used in gardens with poor or rocky soil, such as for erosion control or for creating a natural coastal garden.

Where can you grow Nootka Rose?
Suitable for zones 3 through 9, Nootka Rose grows in full sun or partial shade and tolerates dry to moist soils. Ideal for coastal areas, forest edges, and garden borders where its expansive root system can be beneficial. To limit its spread, grow in a large buried container.

History and historic uses
Native to the west coast of North America, Rosa nutkana has long held an important place in Indigenous botanical knowledge. Used for food, medicine, and crafts, its fruits were eaten for their vitamin content, its flowers used in teas and remedies, and its strong stems used to make tools and arrows. Today, this rose still plays a role in habitat restoration and native plant gardening.

Canadian Zone Information
Zones 8–9: Direct sow in fall or early spring; flowers as early as the second year.
Zones 5–7: Sow outdoors in fall or stratify seeds for spring planting.
Zones 3–4: Cold hardy with mulching; sow in spring after indoor seed stratification.

How to Grow and Harvest Nootka Rose

Planting: Sow seeds 6 mm (¼ in) deep in fall, or after 8–12 weeks of cold, moist stratification.
Watering: Keep young plants moist until established; drought tolerant once mature.
Harvesting: Pick rose hips when fully red and soft in late summer; petals can be harvested when fully open.
Maintenance: Allow space for suckers; prune in early spring for shaping.

Seed Saving Tips for Future Supply

Harvesting ripe fruit: Pick rose hips when red and soft; remove seeds.
Cleaning and stratification: Rinse and cold stratify seeds in moist sand for 8–12 weeks.
Drying and storing: Store stratified seeds in cool storage until sowing.
Longevity: Properly stored seeds remain viable for up to 2 years.

Certified Organic by
Islands Organics Producers Association (Cert#1962)