Herbs - Rose - Ailments / Situations Where Used

The hips from the rose are a wonderful source of vitamin C. They also contain vitamins B, E, K, and beta carotene. As an astringent, they are useful for diarrhea and dysentery and are also used to relieve colic. Rose hips are often used to flavour other medicines and are commonly employed against a cold or flu, due to their high vitamin C content.

Rose hips help maintain healthy collagen. When applied externally in a hot compress, they are very soothing to the eyes and have been used to treat cataracts. The leaves and roots were traditionally used as a spring tonic to cleanse and nourish the blood. The root is slightly analgesic and was used by the Native American tribes for rheumatism, headaches, and other painful inflammatory conditions. The blossoms are also astringent and thus used to treat diarrhea, dysentery, and as a gargle in throat or mouth ulcers.

The whole plant has been used to dress cuts and wounds and is a wonderful remedy for burns when applied topically.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the flowers are used to regulate vital Qi (energy) and as a blood tonic to relieve liver stagnation. They are also used for digestive problems. The hips are used in chronic diarrhea and stomach weakness.