This week I have chosen to look at a Nootka Rose, or a wild rose. I was thinking about how some people drink wild rose tea and I wanted to know if it was used for anything else.

The word Nootka was named after the indigenous Nuu-Chah-Nulth tribe that inhabits parts of the area of coastal BC. The Nootka rose prefers to grow in moist habitats such as shorelines, thickets, forest edges and meadows. I have noticed that this plant is present all throughout Victoria, especially when you go to places such as along Dallas Road. The flower of this plant is a light pink bubblegum colour and it blooms from May-July. There are approximately five heart shaped leaves per flower and they also produce hibiscus berries in the early fall that persist through winter.

Some indigenous tribes ate the hibiscus raw, dried or they were boiled to make tea. Apparently the fruit tastes better after a frost. However, care should be taken when eating this plant because there are little hairs around the seed that can cause irritation to the mouth and digestive tract. The roots were used to treat sore throats or as an eyewash. The bark was used to make a tea to help with labor pains. When you are near this plant, you should be careful, because there are spikes!