Rosehip Products
This traditional wild berry that has been eaten and used for medicine on three continents for thousands of years. Europe, Asia and North America all have traditions that incorporate Rosehips because of its many antioxidant properties. At Indigo Herbs we have procured some top quality Rosehip ingredients in the form of Rosehip Powder, Rosehip Tincture and Rosehip Tea. These three products are packed with all the essential phytochemicals which have seen Rosehips become more popular in recent years. You can also browse our guest brands for other high quality Rosehip products.
The Dog Rose, another name for Rosa canina, was revered by the Egyptians, Native North American Indians, ancient Asians and European herbalists. There is evidence to suggest that the Vikings used Rosehips as a food source during the winter and that they brought this knowledge with them to Britain. Rosehips were a favourite of the 1652 British herbalist Nicholas Culpeper who would prescribe them for problems related to the kidneys. This winter berry stayed in the British Pharmacopeia up until the end of World War II when Rosehips were used as a source of Vitamin C because of the lack of imported citrus fruits. After the war Rosehips fell out of favour as a food; their popularity is now being restored as new studies reveal their beneficial phytochemical properties. In the medical systems of both Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine the Rosehip is used as a binding medicine that cools the body and the intestines.
The Dog Rose has fascinated European and Asian minds for centuries. In Europe it is a symbol of silence which stretches all the way back to Greek mythology. It is also the only rose that can live for more than a few hundred years. A good example is the ‘Thousand-year Rose’ that grows on Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany; this Dog Rose has said to have grown in the same place since 815 AD. Wild Roses usually grow to a height of around 1-5 meters although if the plant has a wall or tree to climb it can grow much taller. Like all Roses, the Dog Rose has thorns along its stems all the way to the tips of its pink, whitish flowers. When the flowers have been pollenated they produce the famous red Rosehip and are said to be sweetest if picked after the first frost in autumn.
