Rose

Rose

 (Rosa spp)

A pink and white flower with yellow stamens surrounded by green leaves.

Plant Family

  • Rosaceae

Significant Species / Names

  • Rosa damascena – Damascus rose

  • Rosa gallica – French or Apothecary rose

  • Rosa canina – Wild, common or dog rose

Parts Used

  • Flos (Flowers)

  • Fructus (Fruit)

Typical Forms of Prescription

Flos (Flowers):

  • Tinctures

  • Infusions

  • Essential oil (for external use)

  • Aromatic water

Fructus (Fruit):

  • Syrups

  • Tablets

  • Tinctures

A white rose in full bloom with pinkish rosebuds around it, against a green leafy background under daylight.

Rose (Rosa spp.) – Clinical Snapshot

Primary Actions

Flowers:

  • Anxiolytic

  • Antidepressant

  • Aphrodisiac

  • Astringent

  • Vulnerary

Fruit:

  • Anti-inflammatory

  • Antiscorbutic

  • Nutritive

Primary Indications

Flowers:

  • Anxiety

  • Grief

  • Diarrhoea

  • Low libido

Fruit:

  • Osteoarthritis & rheumatoid arthritis

  • Kidney stones

  • Urinary tract infections (UTI)

  • Gastrointestinal issues

  • Hypertension

  • Respiratory conditions (bronchitis, coughs, colds)

  • Dry skin

⚠️Cautions / Safety⚠️

  • None known

A honey bee collecting nectar from white flowers with yellow centers on a green background.

Rosa × damascena

Phytochemistry and Pharmacology

Volatile Oils

Includes: Citronellol, geraniol, nerol, phenylethyl alcohol
Action: Antidepressant, antispasmodic, antimicrobial, uplifting
Use: These aromatic compounds give rose its classic fragrance and emotional effects. They help lift mood, ease nervous tension, and support use in grief, heartbreak, and emotional trauma. Volatile oils also provide antimicrobial and toning properties, especially useful in skincare for sensitive, inflamed, or ageing skin.

Tannins

Action: Astringent, toning, anti-inflammatory
Use: Tannins provide gentle astringency, helping to tighten tissue, reduce minor bleeding, and soothe excess secretions in diarrhoea, sore throats, and loose skin. Excellent in herbal eye washes, gargles, or skin tonics.

Anthocyanins & Pigments

Action: Antioxidant, cell-protective
Use: These colourful pigments offer free radical protection and support cell regeneration, reinforcing rose’s beauty as a restorative herb for the heart, skin, and spirit.

Phenolic Acids

Includes: Gallic acid, ellagic acid
Action: Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, mildly antimicrobial
Use: These compounds contribute to rose’s gentle cleansing and anti-inflammatory effects, particularly in urinary and digestive tract inflammation, or mild infections of mucous membranes.

Volatile Oils

Includes: Citronellol, geraniol, nerol, phenylethyl alcohol
Action: Antidepressant, antispasmodic, antimicrobial, uplifting
Use: These aromatic compounds give rose its classic fragrance and emotional effects. They help lift mood, ease nervous tension, and support use in grief, heartbreak, and emotional trauma. Volatile oils also provide antimicrobial and toning properties, especially useful in skincare for sensitive, inflamed, or ageing skin.

Vitamin C (in hips)

Action: Immune support, collagen-forming, antioxidant
Use: While mainly concentrated in the rose hips, this adds to rose’s tonic and skin-supportive properties, aiding wound healing, immune health, and tissue repair.

Red roses with green leaves on a bush, sunlight filtering through the foliage.

Traditional use

Roses have long been cherished for their beauty, fragrance, and healing properties. In traditional herbal medicine, rose petals were used to prepare astringent tonics, soothe digestive complaints, and strengthen the stomach. During wartime in Britain, rose hips were widely gathered and made into syrups to provide a vital source of vitamin C when citrus was unavailable. In folk traditions, rose was also associated with the heart and emotions, often used for grief, heartbreak, and comforting the spirit.

Clinical discussion

The petals of aromatic species, particularly Rosa × damascena and R. gallica, are rich in essential oils, making them valuable for nervous tension, grief, and menopausal emotional shifts. Rose's fragrance alone has a well-known uplifting and calming effect, and rose-infused oils and hydrosols are used in aromatherapy for emotional support.

Medicinally:

  • The astringent tannins in all rose petals (scented or unscented) make them helpful for sore throats, diarrhoea, and inflamed digestive tissue when prepared as a tea or gargle.

  • Rose hips are high in vitamin C, flavonoids, and pectin, making them a nutritive tonic for the immune system, skin, and connective tissues.

  • Powdered hips and seeds (with irritating hairs removed) are used for arthritic conditions, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

  • Rose preparations are also used topically to help tone dry, cracked, or inflamed skin.

Cultivation/harvesting

Roses are hardy perennials that prefer sunny positions, well-drained but moisture-retentive soil, and good airflow. Cuttings, layering, or division of suckers can propagate most species.

  • Harvest petals on dry mornings, just as they begin to fall and are at their most fragrant.

  • Dry gently in the shade to preserve aroma and colour.

  • Rose hips should be harvested in autumn, once ripe but firm. For syrup, strain well to remove seeds and hairs; for internal use, remove hairs before powdering.

Close-up of ripe tamarillo fruit with orange and red skin, some cut open to reveal yellow seeds inside, and green leaves among the fruits.

Key Botanical Features of Damask Rose / Damascene Rose (Rosa × damascena)

Rosa × damascena, commonly known as the Damask rose, is a deciduous shrub in the Rosaceae family. It is a hybrid rose, believed to be a cross between Rosa gallica and Rosa moschata. It is especially prized for its fragrant pink flowers, which are used in rose oil (attar), perfumes, cosmetics, and herbal medicine.

Growth Habit

  • Type: Deciduous, woody shrub.

  • Size: Typically grows 1.2–2 meters (4–6.5 feet) tall.

  • Form: Upright, bushy structure with arching stems.

  • Thorns: Stems are usually armed with prickles (thorns).

Leaves

  • Type: Pinnately compound with 5–7 leaflets.

  • Leaflets: Oval, serrated margins, and slightly hairy on the underside.

  • Colour: Medium to dark green on top, paler beneath.

Flowers

  • Type: Large, highly fragrant, and double-petaled.

  • Colour: Typically pale to deep pink, sometimes almost white.

  • Size: In diameter, the flowers are 6–8 cm (2.5–3 inches).

  • Petals: Numerous (20–40+), soft and overlapping.

  • Blooming Period: Late spring to early summer (May–June); often once annually.

  • Fragrance: Intensely sweet and floral, key in rose oil production.

Fruits (Hips)

  • Type: Oval, fleshy hips develop after flowering if not harvested.

  • Colour: Red to orange when mature.

  • Contents: Contain seeds and fine hairs inside.

  • Use: Rose hips are rich in vitamin C and are used in teas and herbal remedies.

Roots

  • Type: Fibrous root system, sometimes grafted onto hardier rootstocks in cultivation.

  • Function: Anchors the shrub and supports regrowth after pruning.

Habitat & Growth Conditions

  • Climate: Prefers temperate climates with cool nights to preserve fragrance.

  • Soil: Thrives in well-drained, fertile soils, ideally loamy.

  • Sunlight: Requires full sun for best flowering.

  • Water Requirements: Moderate; prefers consistent moisture during the growing season.

  • Distribution: Widely cultivated in Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Morocco, and India for its aromatic flowers.

Sustainability/conservation:

Pink wild roses in the foreground with a lake, dense forest, and snow-capped mountains in the background.
Close-up of a pink and white flower with dark stamens, against a black background
Pink flowers with dark brown stamens and green leaves on a dark background
A close-up of a flowering vine with small pink flowers and green leaves, set against a dark, blurred background.
Pink wild rose flowers with green leaves on a bush.
Pink flowers blooming on dark green foliage with a dark blurred background.

Sources

Bartram, T. (1998). Bartram’s Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine. Constable.

Fisher, C. (2009). Materia Medica of Western Herbs, (2018 edition). Finchley Road, London. Aeon Books.

Hedley, C & Shaw, N. (2020). A herbal book of making and taking. Finchley Road, London. Aeon Books.

Hoffmann, D. (2003). Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Healing Arts Press.

McIntyre, A. (2019). The complete herbal tutor, revised and expanded edition. Finchley Road, London. Aeon Books.

Plants of the World Online | Kew Science. (n.d.). Plants of the World Online. https://powo.science.kew.org/

Disclaimer: This page is for educational purposes only. Consult a qualified medical herbalist before using herbs, especially during pregnancy, when trying to conceive, while breastfeeding, for medical conditions, or with children.
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