The Herb Farm Newsletter
Roadside Rosehips ,by Lynn Kirkland
Herb of the Week August 22nd 2008
Herb
of the Week for 22nd August
By Lynn Kirkland
Roadside Rosehips
Last week I was travelling in Southland visiting retail outlets to introduce
them to the herb farm products.
It was beautiful weather, stunning scenery and very exciting to see the
hills tinged with red from the laden branches of the wild roses.
The dog rose or Rosa canina is the variety that produces the rosehips which are high in Vitamin C when used for teas. It is also the variety that is used for pressing into rosehip oil which is excellent for the skin.
The hills were covered with laden bushes and it seems a shame that wild
crafting, which is the method of picking from the wild rather than cultivation,
is not feasible here in New Zealand as there was certainly an abundant amount
to pick.
I am sure too that because they are growing in tough conditions and in strong
summer sunlight they would be very high in nutrients and constituents for
healing.
Many people will remember picking rosehips in the war years to make a Vitamin
C rich syrup to give to babies.
I wasn't around in the war years but I can remember picking lupin seed when
I was at primary school here in the Manawatu and being paid by the kilo
for it. I thought it was great to get some extra pocket money.
Maybe nowadays there is not the same drive to earn some cash by getting
into nature and wild crafting and companies find it easier to import from
countries where labour is cheap.
However we are all trying to lower our carbon footprint so perhaps we need
to make an offer to Otago schoolchildren so we can get a New Zealand supply
of rosehip oil.
Our rosehips at the herb farm are all gone thanks to the birds who ate those that we didn't pick. I wonder if there is not the same bird population down around Queenstown as I did not see any evidence of rosehip munching birds.
