As summer starts to wind down and your roses begin to fade, you’ll notice those gorgeous, bright red rose hips starting to ripen. That means harvest time is just around the corner!
When is the best time to harvest?
Rose hips generally reach full maturity between September and November. The cool thing is that they’ll actually hang onto the bush until February before they start to drop off. This gives you a nice, long window starting in September to get out there and pick them at your own pace.
The “perfect” time to harvest really depends on what you’re planning to make. If you’re dreaming of a cozy cup of rose hip tea, I’d suggest picking them in September. At this stage, they have more tannins, which gives the tea a much bolder, more intense flavor. If you’re looking to make jams or preserves, wait until October. And if you want to snack on them straight from the bush, wait until November—that’s when they get extra sweet!
Rose hip harvesting made easy
Whether you’re planning to dry your rose hips or use them fresh, the process is exactly the same. It doesn’t matter if you’re harvesting early or late in the season; you just pluck them right off the plant. You don’t even need any special tools! However, I highly recommend wearing a sturdy pair of gardening gloves. Most roses have thorns, and you definitely want to protect your hands while you work.
A quick heads-up: Watch out for “False” Rose Hips
It’s a common mistake for beginners to accidentally gather fruits from the Corymb Rose (Rosa corymbifera) instead of the Dog Rose or other tasty varieties. While these specific “hedge rose” hips aren’t poisonous, they’re pretty disappointing—they don’t taste good and they’re lacking in vitamins. Unless you’re just looking for seeds to plant new roses, you’ll probably want to skip these.
You can usually spot these “dud” rose hips by their color. Instead of that deep, vibrant red that gets richer as it ripens, these stay a bit pale and washed out. They also tend to be rounder in shape, whereas the tasty ones are usually more oblong or oval. They ripen at the same time as the good ones, so just keep a close eye on the shape and color before you toss them in your basket!
