Looks good, smells good, tastes . . . well . . .

Rosa woodsii, June 16, 2020

Rosa woodsii, June 16, 2020

Common & scientific name
Wood’s rose, Rosa woodsii

Family
Rose, Rosaceae

Location

Difficult Campground, 8,000’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact

There are few flowers that cry for attention like Wood’s rose, between its swoony smell and showy flowers ranging in color from light pink to deep magenta.  Its fruits (“rose hips”) are known for their nutritional value and high vitamin c content, but I’ve generally found them to have a mealy texture and bland taste. I am grateful to the Southwest Colorado Wildflowers website for suggesting they are best eaten after several frosts!