VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Rosa woodsii | Wood's Rose 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Wood's rose is browsed by livestock and big game from spring through
fall.  Moderate use by mule deer and elk has been reported [24].  Game
and livestock strongly prefer this shrub in the spring when the leaves
appear [37].  Porcupines and beavers also browse the leaves [21].

Wood's rose hips persist on the plant through much of the winter.  Many
birds and mammals are sustained by these dry fruits when the ground is
covered with snow [37,50].  In Cache Valley, Utah, Wood's rose hips
provide a high-energy food for wintering mule deer [47].  Rose hips are
a favorite food of squirrels [21].  Wood's rose hips are sometimes eaten
by coyotes and bears [21,31].


PALATABILITY : 
Livestock and big game find Wood's rose leaves palatable from spring
through fall [50].  The palatability of Wood's rose to livestock and
wildlife species in several western states has been rated as follows
[11]:

                         CO      MT      ND      UT      WY
Cattle                  Fair    Fair    Fair    Poor    Fair
Sheep                   Good    Fair    Fair    Fair    Fair
Horses                  Poor    Poor    Poor    Poor    Fair
Pronghorn               ----    ----    ----    Fair    Good
Elk                     ----    Poor    ----    Good    Good
Mule deer               ----    Fair    ----    Good    Good
White-tailed deer       Good    Good    ----    ----    Fair
Small mammals           ----    Good    ----    Good    Good
Small nongame birds     ----    Good    ----    Good    Good
Upland game birds       ----    Good    Good    Good    Good
Waterfowl               ----    ----    Poor    ----    Poor


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Wood's rose leaves are considered fair to good livestock forage,
particularly for sheep [23].  In North Dakota, the protein content of
leaves and twigs combined were found to be sufficent to meet the
maintenance requirements of sheep and cattle during the growing season.
Calcium percentages met the requirements for sheep and cattle for the
entire year [12].  In the Black Hills of South Dakota, Wood's rose
leaves contained good phosphorus percentages in the spring and retained
adequate levels into the fall.  However, the stems of rose were below
the 0.16 percent phosphorous level recommended as minimal for pregnant
ewes.  Stems were slightly deficient in phosphorous requirement during
the winter [10].  Of the species studied, Wood's rose produced the
greatest amount of dry matter, but because of lower digestibility and
crude protein content, it will probably not support as many deer per
unit area as other browse species on the site [10].

Wood's rose hips are a high source of digestible energy.  Digestible
energy levels in the diet of deer might be increased by planting rose
stock that produces heavy crops of hips [47].  Rose hips are moderately
high in crude protein during winter [17].


COVER VALUE : 
The dense thickets formed by Wood's rose along field borders and stream
courses are used for nesting and escape cover by many birds and small
mammals [20,21,24].  The degree to which Wood's rose provides
environmental protection during one or more seasons for wildlife species
has been rated as follows [11]:

                         CO      MT      ND      UT      WY
Pronghorn               ----    ----    ----    Fair    Poor
Elk                     ----    ----    ----    Fair    Poor
Mule deer               ----    ----    ----    Fair    Fair
White-tailed deer       Fair    Good    ----    ----    ----
Small mammals           Good    Fair    ----    ----    ----
Small nongame birds     Good    Fair    ----    Good    Good
Upland game birds       ----    Fair    Good    Good    Good
Waterfowl               ----    Good    Poor    ----    Poor


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Wood's rose extensive rhizomes, and good survivability and revegetation
characteristics even on harsh sites makes this species an effective tool
in erosion control [7,24,27].  It has also been suggested as a useful
species for revegetation on high pH and lime soils [24].  Wood's rose is
used to revegetate disturbed sites along streambanks and seeps, and
shows promise for road cut revegetation in western Montana and northern
Idaho [7,27].

Following planting on a road cut, Wood's rose increased by sprouting
from the roots to the extent that it became difficult to distinguish
individual plants.  The proliferation of flowers and fruits observed on
Wood's rose indicate that establishment of new plants from seed may also
occur [27].  Of the species studied, Wood's rose demonstrated the best
survivability and regeneration characteristics [27].  Wood's rose also
appears to be a good species to plant with seeded grasses on untreated
acid mine spoils in California.  The survival and growth of Wood's rose
was not reduced by grass competition [15].

Good results have been obtained with hardwood cuttings, direct seeding
and transplanting trials.  Native seed is available [17,24].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Native americans made extensive use of Wood's rose roots, stems, leaves,
flowers, and hips for foods and therapeutic materials.  The hips are a
source of vitamin C and are dried for use in flavoring teas, jellies,
fruitcakes, and puddings [24,35,50].  The flowers provide a source of
pollen for honey bees [50].  Wood's rose is used as an ornamental near
homes to attract birds and other wildlife [50].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Wood's rose has a fairly high tolerance to browsing.  It is susceptible
to various leaf spots, as well as to leaf rusts, gray mold, powdery
mildew, common gall, and stem cankers [21,24].  The principal forest
insect pests of Rosa spp. are California tent caterpillar (Malacasoma
californicum), rose leaf hopper (Edwardsiana rosae), and a subspecies of
western tussock moth (Orgyia vetusta spp. gulosa) [21].

Related categories for Species: Rosa woodsii | Wood's Rose