# Baldhip Rose (*Rosa gymnocarpa*) The Baldhip Rose is a lovely little shrub with bright pink flowers. It grows in forests and has small, tasty fruits that animals love to eat! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Baldhip Rose](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Rosa_gymnocarpa_15142.JPG&width=800) Photo: Walter Siegmund, CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rosa_gymnocarpa_15142.JPG) ## Appearance The Baldhip Rose is a small, upright shrub with slender stems often covered in sharp prickles. It has small, simple pink flowers with five petals. Its distinctive feature is its smooth, hairless, bright red hips, which gives it its 'baldhip' name. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Rosaceae - **Genus:** Rosa ## Interesting facts - It's a pioneer plant, often one of the first to grow in disturbed forest areas! - Its 'hips' are like tiny fruit snacks, packed with more Vitamin C than oranges! - The name 'Baldhip' comes from its fruit, which is super smooth, not hairy! - This rose is native to western North America, growing wild in its amazing forests. ## Special abilities - **Thorn Armor:** Baldhip Rose has sharp prickles that help it defend against hungry browsers like deer, keeping its tasty leaves safe. - **Hip Harvester:** Baldhip Rose produces bright red, vitamin-rich hips that attract birds, helping the plant spread its seeds far and wide. - **Rhizome Runner:** Baldhip Rose can spread underground using root-like stems, helping it colonize new patches of forest quickly. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 50-250 cm - **Spread:** 50-250 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-3 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring_summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — Hips provide vital winter food for birds. - **Pollinates:** [Yellow-faced Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-faced-bumble-bee) (*Bombus vosnesenskii*) — Bees are drawn to its nectar-rich, open flowers. - **Eats:** [Mule Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — Deer browse its leaves and young stems. ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Don't eat any plants without asking an adult first! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Baldhip Rose? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Baldhip Rose? 50-250 cm ### How wide does Baldhip Rose spread? 50-250 cm ### How big are the flowers on Baldhip Rose? 2-3 cm ### When does Baldhip Rose bloom? Spring_summer ### Is Baldhip Rose edible? Yes ### Is Baldhip Rose toxic? None ### What is Baldhip Rose's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cougar-mountain-regional-wildland-park) — Washington, US · Park - [Elwha Dam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/elwha-dam) — Washington, US · Historic Site - [Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/smith-and-bybee-wetlands-natural-area) — Oregon, US · Nature Reserve - [Wind River Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/wind-river-arboretum) — Washington, US · Botanical Garden - [Burgoyne Bay Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/burgoyne-bay-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Mount Maxwell Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mount-maxwell-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park [View all places to see Baldhip Rose](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/baldhip-rose) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Baldhip Rose: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/baldhip-rose)