Rose Hips

[digiandchipper]

Maybe a stupid question....but I never needed to think about it before:
I would like to give my squirrels rose hips. We don't have any roses around my area that do not have pesticides on them and I can't grow roses (black thumb).

My question: are the rose hips sold in natural food stores comparable to 'real' rose hips, or are they something else...or are they ground up into unpalatable capsule form?

Sorry if this is obvious info for some...as I said, I just never thought about this before I was owned by squirrels.

[muffinsquirrel]

I have tried the dried rose hips before, but my squirrels weren't exactly crazy about them, to say the least. But they do love the fresh or frozen ones. Even without a 'green thumb', you may can grow some rose bushes. Go to your local nursery and tell them that you have really bad luck growing plants, and that you want a good, hardy, disease resistant rose. Tell them you don't particularly care what the bloom looks like, but want them for the rose hips. You might even keep them in a large pot instead of putting them in the ground. I have several roses named 'Break Out' that I have left in the pot because I can't decide where to plant them. You can get them in either a single or double - singles are cheaper, and have fewer petals on the bloom. They have a lot of blooms all summer. Mine have just now quit blooming this winter, and as soon as the warm weather gets here I expect them to start all over again. As long as you are not growing them to show, roses will thrive on benevolent neglect. Just don't keep them where their roots are wet all the time - roses hate wet feet.

muffinsquirrel

[Charles Chuckles]

I have a rose bush I planted and forgot it and every year it blooms, bless it's heart. Now I had no idea I could give the flowers to Charley, Is that the part you are talking about? I use to have an iguana that ate hibiscus flowers.

[Ardilla]

:thinking Yeah, what exactly are the "hips"?

[muffinsquirrel]

You can feed them the flowers, or you can wait until the petals have fallen off. There will be a green 'globe' left, that the petals were attached to. This is the rose hip. You can leave it on the bush as long as you wish, within reason, and it will continue to grow. Rose hips are loaded with vitamin C. My flyers in particular absolutely love them! And they freeze well - I just feed them frozen.

muffinsquirrel

[Mountain Mama]

Is this a rose hip?

[muffinsquirrel]

Yes, it is. Before they turn red, they are green. it is the 'seed' of the rose.

muffinsquirrel

[PBluejay2]

Does the same hold true for a Cherokee rose? (white flower with maybe five petals and stem covered with these cat-claw-like thorns that don't let go!). Mine always has hips, but I guess if the squirrels liked them they'd be gone already.

[muffinsquirrel]

Oh, I LOVE the Cherokee Rose. They always look like a slightly messy housewife just waking up, with her hair all tumbled and no makeup on yet, sitting on her porch having a cup of tea and listening to the birds sing! That's one of the roses I want to get someday. I prefer all the 'old' roses - they have their own personality, unlike hybrid Tea roses, which are just stuck-up rich ladies that have an empty life, with nothing to do but worry about how they look, and who's the prettiest!

OK - back to the subject at hand. Yes, the Cherokee Rose has rose hips, and they should be very good for the squirrels. My wild squirrels get a few of my rose hips off my bushes, but I personally think they are too lazy to pick and eat them! They are not usually growing under trees, so maybe they just don't notice them? My greys eat them and like them, but the flyers absolutely have a passion for them! Pick some and see how your squirrels like them. If they don't take to them, pick them anyway and sell them here on the board - I know I'd buy some!

muffinsquirrel

[whopoopwrasse]

:jump I never looked at roses in that light before! And you're right they are like that aren't they! I think I'll plant me one of those old bags with the curlers in the spring:crazy

[Mountain Mama]

Geez, I have lots of rose hips. Guess I'd better get out to the yard with some clippers.

[digiandchipper]

I'll send you my address! :jump
Oh, CC...squirrels can have hibiscus, too!

[lookmomchickens]

Can I send you my address, too? lol!

...living in an apartment doesn't leave me many options as far as vegetation. =) It's either pine trees... or... pine trees =)

[digiandchipper]

Can I send you my address, too? lol!

...living in an apartment doesn't leave me many options as far as vegetation. =) It's either pine trees... or... pine trees =)


at least you've got a tree! some of these subdivisions have NOTHING:sanp3

[Charles Chuckles]

So I get it the part the petals are attached to the 'HIP' like a leg..well I am always learning here. Yes I am lucky to have a lot of trees, I live in the woods kinda

[digiandchipper]

Yes I am lucky to have a lot of trees, I live in the woods kinda


Me, too....that is why I've been whining all weekend about housesitting for my friend - they live in a very TIGHTLY PACKED subdivision - no trees, no squirrels, for miles.........poor people, they think it's nice...well, to each his own!

[digiandchipper]

I think I just jacked my own thread :rotfl :rotfl :sanp3 I guess it is a bad habit!:dono

[Ardilla]

My hibiscus bushes are in bloom right now--I should go snag a treat for Penny. :)

[skye]

:D Yes they can eat some flowers Roses, Rose hips, carnations. Here is a link that is good about Edible flowers
http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/blflowers.htm

[Ardilla]

:D Yes they can eat some flowers Roses, Rose hips, carnations. Here is a link that is good about Edible flowers
http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/blflowers.htm

:thankyou for that link! Aside from the hibiscus in the back, I have society garlic in the front. Anyone know if that's ok for squirrels? I think I read garlic and onion are no-nos.

[lookmomchickens]

:thankyou for that link! Aside from the hibiscus in the back, I have society garlic in the front. Anyone know if that's ok for squirrels? I think I read garlic and onion are no-nos.


^ Good question!!

Also: Are ALL types of roses OK for squirrels?

My mom has a Knock-Out Rose in her back yard that's blooming and I was just making sure I could go thieve them :D

[PBluejay2]

I'm not a gardener, but I assume roses can be grown from the hips? If so, this giant beast of a Cherokee rose has hips all over it if anybody wants one or two to plant. I don't see them much here so don't know if they're hard to find or what. But be forewarned, when these things are grown and sprawling out, they'll grab you and suck you in! I can't tell you how many times I've nonchalantly passed this thing while mowing the yard and it reached out and grabbed me with one of its fishook-covered tentacles.

[digiandchipper]

I believe all roses are safe as long as they are pesticide free.

And PBJ, I'll be PMing you my address for a couple of those hips - would love to try to get past my black thumb reputation and grow such a wonderful sounding, personality-laden rose!

[muffinsquirrel]

I don't know whether or not you can grow roses from seed, but I think it might be difficult - I've never seen any for sale. Guess that would be something to Google. I do know that roses can be grown from cuttings (can be by other people.....not, apparently ME!) The easiest way to get new plants from an existing one is to 'layer' them. (I think that's what it's called.) You cut part way through the end of a branch, lay the cut part in the ground, put a brick or something on it to hold it down, and leave it until it takes root. You'll be able to tell, because it will put out new growth. Then you can cut it from the 'mother' branch and plant it wherever you wish. I know that azaleas are really easy to do this way, as are crepe myrtle.

muffin

[digiandchipper]

I don't know whether or not you can grow roses from seed, but I think it might be difficult - I've never seen any for sale. Guess that would be something to Google. I do know that roses can be grown from cuttings (can be by other people.....not, apparently ME!) The easiest way to get new plants from an existing one is to 'layer' them. (I think that's what it's called.) You cut part way through the end of a branch, lay the cut part in the ground, put a brick or something on it to hold it down, and leave it until it takes root. You'll be able to tell, because it will put out new growth. Then you can cut it from the 'mother' branch and plant it wherever you wish. I know that azaleas are really easy to do this way, as are crepe myrtle.

muffin

That all sounds great, muffin....I have a hard time, though, even with the kind you take out of a pot and put in a hole in the ground! :rotfl

(I thought I'd toss a couple of hips in a hole and ignore them and maybe a miracle would happen? :D )