Wild Rose Hips for Holiday Wreath

Wild rose hips are great for bouquets. They are abundant in fields all the way into late fall. Snip them fresh and enjoy them indoors on a wreath, in mason jars, or fresh flower arrangement. Be sure to wear gloves to avoid the thorns! And leave plenty for the birds.

That said, the multiflora rose berries are invasive. They were imported from Eastern Asia in the 1700s for erosion control. The plant is listed as a noxious weed in Pennsylvania because of its invasive tendencies. The fruit hips are eaten and dispersed by birds, and even by humans who grind the fruit and add them to teas or use the blossoms for syrup. However, multiflora rose crowds native plants and can exclude them which can harm native birds seeking to nest. So be aware of the tendency of this plant to spread and discard any part of this plant properly if you use it. Personally, I burn spent fruit outdoors that I use for basket displays, and I remove all berries from grapevine wreaths so I can reuse the wreaths for another project. When the hips are brought inside for use in an indoor fall arrangement they last up until Christmas without any water.