Sweet Briar Rose Bare Root Plant (Rosa rubiginosa)

Name: Sweet Briar Rose Bare Root Plant (Rosa rubiginosa)
SKU: HHG-BR-SWEETBRIAR
Price: 8.95 GBP
Availability: InStock

£8.95

The rose you can smell before it flowers.

Also known as eglantine (Rosa eglanteria / Rosa rubiginosa), sweet briar is an upright, spiny shrub that bursts into showy deep pink flowers in summer. Its leaves release a crisp, apple-like scent, especially after rain, followed by bright red hips in autumn.

Flowers: June–July
Harvest: Petals in summer, hips in autumn
Wildlife: Bees, pollinators and birds
Supplied as: a single field-grown bare root plant

Seasonal shipping notice
Bare root plants are despatched only in the dormant season, November to February, so they arrive asleep and establish strongly in spring.

Sweet briar is also part of our Native Heal Foragers Hedge – Living Hedgerow Collection.

Botanical name: Rosa rubiginosa (syn. Rosa eglanteria)

Common name: Sweet Briar, Eglantine Rose

Life cycle: Deciduous native shrub rose

Height: 2–2.5m

Spread: Up to 2m

Flowers: Deep pink, single, June–July

Position: Full sun or light shade

Soil: Most well-drained soils, including chalk

Hardiness: Fully hardy

Suitable for containers: Possible in a large pot, but best in the ground

Suitable for beginners: Yes

Pollinator value: High – open flowers for bees, hips for birds

Planting

Location: Sun or light shade. Plant where you will brush past it, as the leaves are scented.

Planting time: November to March while the plant is dormant, whenever the ground is not frozen or waterlogged. Soak the roots in a bucket of water for an hour before planting.

Spacing: About 60–90cm apart in a hedge.

Care

Watering: Water well after planting and in dry spells during the first summer.

Feeding: Little feeding needed. Mulch in spring to keep roots cool and moist.

Pruning: Leave unpruned in the first year. After that, trim lightly in late winter, leaving some stems unpruned so hips can form.

Harvesting & Storage

Harvesting: Gather petals in summer once dew has dried. Pick hips in October and November when deep red.

Storage: Dry petals flat in the shade. Hips can be used fresh or frozen.

UK Growing Conditions

Very hardy and drought-tolerant once established, and happy on chalky and coastal soils.

Culinary Uses

Petals can be used for rose syrups and sugars, and the hips for syrups and jellies once the irritant seeds and hairs are removed.

Traditional Herbal Uses

Sweet briar hips, like other wild rose hips, have long been made into traditional autumn and winter syrups.

Please note: Traditional uses are included for cultural and educational interest and are not medical advice. This product is sold as a garden plant. Seek professional advice before using any plant medicinally.

Wildlife & Garden Benefits

The simple open flowers are easy for bees to reach, the thorny stems give cover, and the hips feed birds into winter.

Bare root plants: Bare root plants are lifted from the field while dormant and despatched only between November and February. Orders placed now are reserved and sent at the right planting moment, with an email beforehand giving your delivery window.

On arrival: Plant as soon as possible. If you cannot plant straight away, keep the roots moist and wrapped, or heel the plants into a trench of soil until conditions allow.

Other items in your order: Seeds and garden supplies are normally despatched within 2–4 working days.