Family: Rosaceae (Rose)
Other names: There are a variety of common names for the many species, but not for roses in general.
Name meaning: The word rose comes either from the Latin word for rose or the Old High German word for rose, both of which are rosa. The Latin name may have derived from the Greek word for rose, rodon, which is related to the word for red.
Origin: There are species of rose native to nearly every part of the world, including many species native to North America. Non-native roses are also cultivated widely and some have escaped and become invasive wild plants.
Range: Roses are found on every continent except Antarctica, most commonly in temperate regions.
Habitat: The habitat also varies with species, but in general, roses are found in clearings, fields, and open woods. Many varieties are cultivated for their flowers.
Life cycle: Perennial
Description: A rose bush may grow large, into a tangled, thorny mass. All roses have thorns, but they vary greatly in their size and abundance, some having large, spaced thorns, and others having small, dense, prickly thorns. The five-petaled yellow-centered flowers can range from white to a pinkish-red, depending on the species, and are generally 2-3 inches wide. The leaves are alternate compound, made up of 3-11 opposite toothed leaflets, with stipules at the base of the leaf stalks. The fruit of the rose is a red, fleshy "hip", with multiple seeds inside and 5 leaf-like lobes growing from the top. The size of the hip varies greatly, and generally a smaller flower produces a smaller hip. While there are many native species such as pasture rose (R. carolina), in many places non-native species are more common. The most common non-native species in my area is multiflora rose (R. multiflora) which has small white flowers in clumps, which later become small hips, and has fringed stipules.
Similar plants: Rose can be confused with brambles, which also have five petals, compound leaves, and thorns, but roses can be distinguished by the stipules at the base of the leaves.

Uses

Edible: The flowerpetals, with the bitter base removed, are excellent as a trailside nibble, added to salads, made into tea, or candied, and the leaves can also be made into tea. The hips, however, are the most important food found on a rosebush. They have an incredible amount of vitamin C, which is a nutrient which the body can't store and must be eaten every day. In fact, rose hips contain even more vitamin C than oranges, pound for pound. The hips can be eaten raw, and have a pleasant apricot-like taste. They can also be dried and made into tea, and they make an excellent survival food because of their tendency to remain on the rose bush through the winter and their high vitamin C content.

Medicinal: Flowerpetals were soaked in water and used to bathe sore eyes and placed on the forehead for headaches. Ground petals were made into salves and used on mouth sores and eczema, and powdered petals were mixed in water and used for heartburn, and applied to blisters and fever sores. Petals that are more red than pink were made into tea and drunk to increase the stamina of the heart and petals were sometimes candied to soothe coughs. The petal tea was used for dysentary, mastitis, leukorrhea, stomachaches, rheumatism, and to help blood circulation, and was used as ear drops and a wash for fevers. A decoction was used for sore throats, and moistened petals were placed on small cuts to act as a bandage. The leaves were poulticed on foreheads for relaxation and are astringent, and the powdered stems were applied to wounds. The root tea was taken for coughs, fevers, and colds, and was considered mild enough for children to take. A decoction was taken for stomach and liver problems, the root was poulticed on wounds, cuts, scratches, and sores, and the inner bark of the root was applied to boils. Because of their high vitamin C content, the hips are taken to prevent and cure scurvy, usually made into tea. The tea was also used for tuberculosis and general health. The mashed hips were taken for irregular menstruation, lower intestine problems, and hemorrhoids, the syrup applied to itchy areas, and the skins eaten for nausea. A tea made from the hips and yarrow leaves was taken during cold season, for fevers, and to induce sweating. The hip and petal tea was used externally for infection and inflammations, and used internally as a sedative for headaches and for upset stomachs, and used as a mouthwash for oral problems. The seeds are rich in vitamin E and were simmered and used both externally and internally for muscle pain and arthritis. The whole plant was tinctured and taken for syphillis.

Utilitarian: The stems, with the thorns cut off, can be used as arrow shafts or basket weavers. The flowers are used to make dyes ranging from pale pink to deep red, depending on the color of the petals. The petals are also made into perfumes, though it takes thousands of petals to make even tiny amounts. The petals are also popular in potpourri, because they stay fragrant for such a long time. Rose bushes are often used as hedges, particularly to keep in livestock.

Magical: Roses have long had important symbolism in Western culture, particularly as a symbol of love. Roses are sometimes "color coded" for different meaning: traditionally, red roses mean love, pink roses mean romance, white roses mean purity, and yellow roses mean friendship (there are, of course, variations on this). Roses are also carried for protection. Roses are important symbolically in many religions. In Catholicism, for instance, the word "rosary" originated from a story about the Virgin Mary's rose garden, and at one time rosaries were made of strings of rose hips. Rose flowers, buds, and petals are used in all types of love spells, placed on the altar, added to herbal mixtures, or worn on the body. Roses are also used in divination, particularly in divining future love, and tea made from rose buds is said to cause prophetic dreams.

Warning: Watch out for the thorns as you're gathering from rosebushes, and also be aware that the hairs found on some rose hips might be irritating to some people.

Where to find rose

Roses are fairly common in the wild; look for edges of old fields and meadows. Make sure not to overharvest unless it's a non-native species. You can also buy rose buds many places such as natural food stores to make potpourri or tea out of, and rose hips, though less common, are also sometimes found there. Some tea companies, such as Alvita, sell rose hip tea. If you'd like to grow roses, pretty much all gardening stores sell them, and there is plenty of information out there on how to grow them.

Links

Wikipedia: Rose
Botanical.com: Roses
Wild Flowers of Minnesota's Iron Range: Rose, Wild
How to Make Rose Potpourri and Rosewater
Plants for a Future: Rosa rugosa
Plants for a Future: Rosa multiflora
Plants for a Future: Rosa arkansana
Wildflowers of the Southeastern US: Multiflora Rose
Wildflowers of the Southeastern US: Climbing Rose
King's American Dispensatory: Rosa gallica
Nature's Herbal: Wild Rose
Herbs 2000
An Illustrated Herbal: Rose (Damask)
Native Foods: Rose Hips
Herbs and Oils: P-R (scroll down to rose)
The Soul Element: Herbs (scroll down to rosebud and petals)
USDA Plant Profile: Rosa L.
PCA Alien Plant Working Group: Multiflora Rose