Wednesday’s Photos
The Miraculous Alberta Rose
On a recent walk down to the Arrow Lake and our local Heart Creek we encountered so many wild roses that I decided to devote an entire post to the Alberta rose, which is also native to much of the BC landscape. As an emblem, it represents our neighbouring province to the east. It is extremely hardy as far as roses go. It can easily take -40 degrees weather and raging blizzards, which are quite frequent in that corner of the world. It must feel like being in heaven here in our relatively mild Pacific climate. So here are five pictures of our recent evening walk. Enjoy.





What a beautiful flower. I’m wondering if it would grow in the Texas heat, too, and – of course – if our deer woul dlet it alone.
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Steve, our botanical specialist at WP, says they grow as far south as New Mexico.
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Thanks fir the info, Peter. So we could try them and just find out if the deer would leave them alone – which, to tell the truth, I doubt.
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No worry about the deer attacking the Alberta rose, Pit. It can take care of itself. It is one of the thorniest and prickliest roses on the planet.
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Vielleicht sollten wir es ja mal probieren, aber unsere Rehe fressen auch die Blaetter von unseren Bodarks, obwohl die Zweige ganz schon stachelig sind.
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Ja, du kannst es auf jeden mal versuchen,
Pit. Wir haben einen hohen Zaun um den Garten. Das ist absolut notwendig.
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in Zaun ums Grundstueck ist bei uns unmoeglich. Wuerden wir aber des Aussehens wegen auch nicht wollen.
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Such a fragile beauty! And so resistant anyway … I love it! In Denmark it would grow to be huge, I presume.
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Yes, if you donn’t watch out, they would take over your garden. They are also the prickliest of all the roses. They can create a dense imprenetable hedge. My neighbour calls them irreverently ‘ball catchers’. Haha!
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My kind of rose …
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Hooray for a native rose! I’ve had the experience while traveling, for example in Acadia National Park last year, of seeing roses and discovering later that they’re alien invasives there. Here’s what I found out about your native one:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_acicularis
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Oh, and I was surprised to see on the USDA map at
https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=roac
that this species grows as far south as central New Mexico.
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I never run out of surprises. I thought the Alberta rose would only grow in our northern climate.
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Such a beautiful flower Peter. Thanks for sharing
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Those are beautiful roses, Peter!
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Peter, your beautiful Alberta roses look very similar to our Alaska roses. They, however, bloomed for about a week in June and are now forming reships that provide high vitamin C in the fall. Thank you for sharing.
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We also collect the rosehips in the fall. My wife makes a tea rich in vitamin C. Thank for the kind comment!
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You’re welcome!
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A nice, simple rose with a beautiful color, how great to have it growing wild!
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… and in great abundance.
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What a beautiful flower! Although it looks delicate, I imagine that it would have to be pretty hardy to be able to survive in the wild without tending. What a lovely walk you have close to you!
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Hardiness and beauty make a good combination for this rose.
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Thank you for your beautiful images, Peter. I see this rose here in California quite a lot, but never knew it’s name, thank you for educating us. Have a splendid time.
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Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes
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Schön, diese Rose kennenzulernen.
Anhand des 2. Fotos sollte ich klären können, ob diese nicht auch bei uns zuhause ist.
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Just lovely! They remind me of the beach roses that grow all over Cape Cod.
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Beautiful pictures of a beautiful place. Quite refreshing!
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Thank you, Arv!
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You are welcome 😊
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I came across a prairie rose quite similar to this one in the midwestern prairies a couple of years ago. That one, Rosa arkansana, is native to central North America, and can be found between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains from Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan south to New Mexico, Texas and Indiana. I’ve never seen it in Texas; I suspect it’s too hot and humid in my area.
Like yours, the Arkansas rose is a beautiful pink, and simply formed. I confess to enjoying the native roses as much (or more) than the fancy ones favored by gardeners. There’s something about discovering one tucked into a prairie or gracing a waterway that’s just wonderful.
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Thank you for the additional info on the sister variety of the Alberta rose!
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Beautiful frames!
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