Rose Japanese (Hamanasu)

Hamanasu is the Japanese name for Rosa rugosa, the rugosa or beach rose. The species is native to northeastern China, Japan, Korea and southeastern Siberia, where it grows on beach coasts, often on sand dunes. It is extremely tolerant of seaside salt spray and storms, commonly being the first shrub in from the coast. The flowers are pleasantly scented and range in color from dark pink to white. The edible hips are large, 2-3 cm in diameter. Compared with Rosa canina plants, fresh Rosa rugosa hips display a higher ascorbic acid concentration. Many garden cultivars exist; 'Rubra Plena' is a semi-double form whose dark pink petals are strongly scented of clove.

The petals of Rosa rugosa are a source of rose essential oil. Citronellol, geraniol, nerol and their acetate esters are the major headspace compounds of Chinese traditional rose essential oil, and together they make up 50% to 70% of its total mass fraction. The main floral components identified in 23 Chinese Rosa rugosa germplasms were ethanol, n-hexane, 2-phenylethanol and β-citronellol. In Bulgaria, France, Turkey, Morocco and other European countries rose essential oil is mainly extracted from Rosa damascena, whose floral headspace compounds differ from those of the traditional Chinese rose.

The flowers are used to make pot-pourri in Japan and China. The species is valued by rose breeders for its considerable resistance to the diseases rose rust and rose black spot. Rosa rugosa has been labeled as an endangered species in its native China.

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Related: 2 Phenoxyethanol · Alba Rose · Benzophenone · Beta Damascenone · China Rose · Citronellyl Formate · Desert Rose · Dried Rose