Rosa arkansasa

American Indian Names

                The Omaha name for the wild rose is Wazhide.  I did find the Dakota name which is onzhinzhintka and the Pawnee which is Pahatu.  There were no translations of these names.

                The common names of the wild rose are: Prairie wild rose and Arkansas rose.  The wild rose is the state flower of Iowa.

 

Description                   The wild rose contains five petals; five sepals which are green, long, and pointed.  The colors are pink or white to a deep rose.  The fruits are called hips.  The rose grows from .3 to 2.5 m(1-8 feet).  The leaves are alternate, odd pinnate compound, with 5-11 leaflets with serrate margins.

Location and Habitat

                Wild rose grows through- out Nebraska.  It can also be found in many of the lower Mid-Western states as well as the South.  It grows in rangeland, roadsides, bluffs, hills, and thickets.  On the reservation, it was found around the Senior Circle area.

Uses

                The wild rose is a good browse for deer.  The fruits or hips are the important winter food for small mammals, wild turkeys, and prairie chickens.  The American Indians used the young shoots as a pot herb.  The leaves were steeped for tea and the petals were eaten raw.  The inner bark was smoked like tobacco, and dried petals were stored for perfume.  The hips were eaten and were an important source of Vitamin C and A. The Omaha used a wash for inflammation of the eyes by steeping the hips.  A recorded story of the Omaha tells of a man feeding his family the rose hips because of the lack of food; but, when  a deer was killed the rose hips were quickly discarded.

Recipes

Rose Hip Soup

1 quart rose hip juice

2-4 tablespoons of honey

1-3 tablespoons lemon juice or cider vinegar

1 tablespoon potato starch or cornstarch

Heat the rose hip juice, honey, and lemon juice or vinegar.  Mix the starch in enough cold water to moisten it, and stir it in.  Cook till the soup thickens slightly and clears.  Can serve with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt on the top.  Yields 5-6 medium bowls.

Using Dried Rose Hips

Soak ˜ cup of dried rose hips in a quart of water for a few minutes, then cook till soft.  Mash with a fork and strain, reserving the liquid.  Add another cup of water to the pulp, heat to a boil, then strain.  Combine the juice from both strainings and use for the soup.

                                                                                                                                By Jasten Grant

This Page was last update: Tuesday, December 4, 2007 at 1:44:28 PM
This page was originally posted: 11/19/07; 11:25:21 AM.
Copyright 2008 Plants of the Omaha Indian Reservation

This site is using the Wood Grain 1.0 theme.