Pasture rose grows best in zones 3-9. It be grown in the full sun or partial shade. Plant the seeds 4-6 feet apart, in well-drained soil with a pH level between 6-8.5 so that it can receive good air circulation. The pasture rose flowers best in the full sun. Try to water it in the mornings regularly and do not use overhead watering. Add mulch as needed so it maintains its moisture. Remove dead foliage throughout the year. Prune during late winter to early spring. It is prone to fungal problems so fungicide will need to be applied regularly. Pasture rose grows 4-6 feet high and 1-3 feet wide. It is in bloom from May to June, attracting various insects because of its pollen. Many moths feed on the leaves. Pasture rose is more resistant to diseases than other varieties of rose. 

Culinary and Medicinal uses
The fruit of the pasture rose (rose hip) can be eaten raw or cooked. It has a sour taste. The flowers can also be eaten and are often added to salads. Rose hip jelly is also popular. The fruit is high in Vitamins A, C and E, and also contains essential fatty acids. Because of it’s high nutritional content, rose hips were sometimes given to animals that lacked vitamin C in their diet. (2) 

Significance to Cultural Communities
Pasture rose is a native plant to Illinois and much of the Eastern US. Some Native Americans would eat the fruit to treat upset stomachs. Rose hips can be used to make Palinka, a traditional Hungarian alcoholic beverage, popular in Hungary, Romania, and other countries sharing Austro-Hungarian history. Rose hips are also the central ingredient of Cockta, the fruity-tasting national soft drink of Slovenia. Rosehips have also been used as a large source of Vitamin C in Scandinavia cultures. Children used to make "itching powder" from rose hips because of the fibers from the plant. The French refer to rosehips as gratte-cul ("scratch butt"), and Native Americans coined "itchy bottom disease" from digesting rosehips. (4)

From the Community Voice
"A few years ago, in his Chicago home, Guillermo’s mother maintained a small, but beautiful, garden in which she would plant basil, tomatoes, chilies, mint, and most abundantly—bush upon bush of red roses. He shared with me the religious meaning behind these roses: his mother was a firm believer in St. Juan Diego, who is characterized as having a cloak full of beautiful red roses. I believe that these roses serve as a symbol for the significance of cultural practice in environmental sustainability even in the urbanized city of Chicago." 
---------------Guillermo's planting story, collected by Zainab Shirazi

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1. Rosa Carolina. (n.d.). Retrieved October 6, 2013, from Missouri Botanical Garden website: http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=f370  
2. Rosa Carolina Pasture Rose. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2013, from Plants for a Future website: http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Rosa+carolina  
3. Rosa Carolina (Carolina rose). (2013, September 8). Retrieved October 3, 2013, from Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center website: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ROCA4 
4. Diehl, Kari. “All About Rosehips.” About.com: Scandinavian Food. http://scandinavianfood.about.com/od/scandinavianfoodglossary/g/All-About-Rosehips.htm