Useful properties of black rosehip and contraindications

Black rosehip is a useful and beautiful plant with numerous medicinal properties. Under natural conditions, the culture is much less common than varieties with ordinary red fruits. But the value of the shrub from this only increases.

Is there a black rosehip

Most types of rose hips bear dark orange and red oval or elongated fruits. But in the wild and in ornamental cultivation, you can also find a shrub with black berries.

In composition and properties, the variety is very similar to the usual red. The plant makes similar demands on soil and light, and is used to treat the same ailments. However, there are nuances that make the berries of the bush more useful for a number of diseases.

What is the name of the wild rose with black fruits

The black rosehip in botany is called the prickly rosehip (Rosa spinosissima). You can also meet it under the names of a femoral or thin-legged rose.

What does black rosehip look like and where does it grow?

Black rosehip is widespread in Central Europe and in temperate climates in Asia. It has sprawling arcuate shoots, rises an average of 2 m above the ground. The branches of the most prickly wild rose, in accordance with the name, are abundantly covered with needles. The leaves of the shrub are pinnately shaped, on long petioles, they are dark green in summer, and turn purple in autumn.

The decorative period of black rose hips lasts an average of about two weeks.

In May and June, the black rosehip brings single flowers up to 6 cm in diameter. Their shade is most often white, although sometimes it is yellowish or creamy. By autumn, fruits ripen – spherical dark hypanthia with nut seeds inside. The pulp of the berries of the bush is fibrous, covered with hard hairs. After ripening, the fruits do not crumble for a long time and remain on the branches until winter.

What is the difference between black rosehip and red

From the point of view of science, there are no fundamental differences between black and red rose hips. Plants belong to the same genus and family, have a similar external structure.

But at the same time, black rose hips contain more vitamin C – about 80% of the daily requirement in 100 g. This is almost 10% more than in the same amount of red berries.

Types of black rosehip

Black rosehip in its natural habitat is represented by two types:

1. Rose prickly Alteyka (Rosa spinosissima Altaica). It has dark brown spiny shoots and light green serrated leaves. The flowers of a variety of a simple form, white with golden yellow stamens, the shade of the fruit varies from maroon to pure black. Blooms once a season, grows naturally in Siberia and China.
   
   

   The prickly wild rose of Alteyka withstands frosts down to -34 ° С

2. Rose prickly femoral (Rosa spinosissima var. spinosissima). The shrub has flexible shoots with long, straight spines, producing creamy white or slightly pinkish buds in spring. In good conditions, it can remain decorative until autumn. Differs in small openwork leaves, fruits are shiny, spherical, black. The shrub well withstands frosts down to -37 ° C, prefers sandy soils.
   
   

   The hip-leaved prickly rose hip is found wild in Southwest Asia and Europe.

In general, the two varieties of the plant are very similar to each other. The differences relate to the shade of the buds, the degree of hardiness and some vegetative features. In decorative breeding, the species are equally popular.

Chemical composition

Useful properties and photos of black rose hips are of interest due to the rich composition of the plant. In the fruits, green parts and wood of the culture there are:

• vitamins B1, B2 and B9;
• ascorbic acid;
• tannin components;
• iron, zinc and magnesium;
• vitamins PP and K;
• organic acids;
• natural sugars;
• potassium and manganese;
• tocopherol;
• pectins;
• phosphorus and copper.

Eating chokeberry is useful for the prevention of diseases and in the treatment of ailments. In this case, dosages should be moderate, since the concentration of active substances in the berries is very high.

What is useful and what helps black rosehip

The chokeberry has numerous medicinal properties. When used in small doses, the plant:

• protects against the development of beriberi and anemia;
• promotes rapid recovery from SARS;
• strengthens immune resistance;
• inhibits the growth of bacteria and fights inflammation;
• contributes to the prolongation of youth due to antioxidant properties;
• strengthens the walls of blood vessels and normalizes the work of the myocardium;
• accelerates the healing of wounds, abrasions and cuts;
• cleanses the liver and improves its functioning.

Black rosehip is used as a prophylaxis of oncology. The plant supports healthy cellular processes and inhibits the growth of malignant tumors.

Which rosehip is more useful – black or red

Both varieties of the shrub have valuable medicinal properties. Their fruits are used for the same diseases and are used in the same recipes.

At the same time, black rosehip contains much more vitamin C. With colds and inflammatory ailments, it is more useful and provides the fastest positive effect.

Black rosehip for immunity

With a weakened immune system, black rosehip tea helps well. You can cook it according to this recipe:

1. Ripe berries of the plant are washed and crushed by hand or with a blender.
2. Pour the mass in the amount of two large spoons into the teapot.
3. Pour 200 ml of fresh boiling water for ten minutes.

Ready tea is poured through a strainer into cups and taken twice a day, 250 ml each.

Infusion of black rose hips for colds

Fresh black rose hips quickly relieve fever during colds and improve the general condition. Infusion on berries is done like this:

1. The fruits are kneaded with a pestle so that they release the juice abundantly.
2. Pour raw materials with boiling water in a ratio of 1:6.
3. In a glass container, put in a water bath for ten minutes.
4. Remove from the stove, cover with a lid and wrap with towels for three hours.

Strained remedy can be used with honey three times a day.

Black rosehip for colds eliminates nasal congestion and tearing from the eyes

Black rosehip for gum disease

The antibacterial and healing properties of the plant help well with periodontal disease and mechanical injuries of the gums. For treatment, they make such a remedy:

1. About 40 dry black berries are placed in a thermos.
2. Pour 1 liter of fresh boiling water.
3. Leave covered overnight.
4. In the morning, pass through cheesecloth for filtration.

You need to drink the drug in 150-200 ml at a time twice a day.

Black rosehip from edema

Black rosehip has diuretic properties and helps to remove excess fluids from the body. To improve kidney function and eliminate edema, a decoction of plant roots is prepared:

1. Grind two large spoons of dry raw materials.
2. Pour 500 ml of boiling water.
3. Slowly simmer for about a quarter of an hour.
4. Cool and filter.

You need to use a decoction of 70 ml on an empty stomach three times a day. Do not add sweeteners to the medicine.

Infusion of black rose hips for conjunctivitis

In case of inflammation of the eyes, it is recommended to prepare an infusion for external use from the white flowers of the plant. The recipe is the following:

1. Dried petals in a volume of 1/4 cup fall asleep in a thermos.
2. Add 200 ml of boiling water and cover with a lid.
3. Leave for 15 minutes and then strain.

Cotton pads are moistened in a warm preparation and applied to the eyelids with compresses for 10-15 minutes.

Black rosehip for flu

With flu and high fever, black rose hips are especially beneficial in combination with raspberries. The drug is made according to this recipe:

1. Berries of both types are mixed in equal amounts of 15 g.
2. Pour the fruits with a glass of boiling water and place on a slow fire.
3. Warm up for ten minutes.
4. Remove from the stove and leave for a day to infuse.

Ready infusion should be filtered from the remnants of berries and drink half a glass on an empty stomach in the morning and evening.

Rosehip infusion with the addition of raspberries for flu is consumed on average up to a week

Contraindications to the use of black rosehip

The benefits of black rose hips are not the same for everyone. Berries have contraindications, which include:

• idiosyncrasy;
• severe diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• gastric ulcer and hyperacid gastritis in acute form;
• chronic inflammatory diseases of the kidneys;
• large stones in the urinary tract and gallbladder.

During pregnancy, black rose hips are used in consultation with the doctor. The berries of the plant help well with colds and strengthen the immune system, but at the same time increase uterine tone and can provoke a miscarriage. During breastfeeding, it is better to refuse the fruits in order to avoid an allergic reaction in the newborn.

When and how to collect black rose hips

Black rosehip berries must be harvested after full ripening – at the end of August or in September. During this period, they acquire a particularly dark color and accumulate the maximum amount of useful substances.

For collection choose a dry and warm day without precipitation. The work is carried out by hand, while the skin must be protected with long-sleeved clothing and thick, high gloves, since the bush is very prickly. So that the integrity of the berries is not violated, they are torn off along with the remnants of the cups and stalks, and the excess parts are removed after drying.

Terms and conditions of storage

Fresh black rosehip is not subject to long-term storage. Even in the refrigerator, it will begin to rot in just 3-4 days. Therefore, for the winter, berries are harvested using special processing.

Drying

After harvesting, black fruits, along with twigs and sepals, are laid out on a baking sheet or tray and left in a warm and well-ventilated place. In autumn, drying is usually carried out at room conditions, since rainy and cold weather sets in outside.

You can speed up the processing of fruits by placing the raw materials in a dehydrator or oven at a temperature of about 50 ° C.

Dried berries are poured into a glass jar or paper bag and cleaned in a dark place with a temperature of about 0 ° C. The sun’s rays should not fall on the workpiece during storage.

Dried black rose hips can be used for up to two years

Freezing

Fresh berries of the shrub are washed from dust and dirt, and then laid out on a towel to dry from moisture residue. When the water droplets evaporate, the fruits will need to be laid out in a thin layer on a tray and put in the freezer. The berries should not touch each other.

After 3-4 hours, black fruits will need to be removed and poured into a plastic bag or plastic container, and then quickly put back in the refrigerator. Well-frozen berries no longer stick together in a large lump. As needed, they can be removed from the packaging and used for making teas and decoctions.

Frozen black rosehip keeps up to a year

Conclusion

Black rosehip is a popular variety of shrub in landscape design and medically useful. The berries contain a record amount of vitamin C, due to which the plant is of particular value in the treatment of colds and inflammatory diseases.