Free Inquiry Topic #5: Learning about ḴELḴ IȽĆ, Nootka Rose

Fruit/hips: ḴELḴ (SENĆOŦEN)
Bush: ḴELḴ IȽĆ (SENĆOŦEN)

ḴELḴ IȽĆ (*), otherwise known as the Nootka Rose, is Indigenous to the Pacific Northwest and is named after the Nootka Sound, a waterway on the west coast of Vancouver Island. It is a resilient flowering shrub that can be found in many ecosystems such as shorelines, floodplains, stream banks, meadows, and forests.

ḴELḴ IȽĆ is characterized by its pink flowers and bright red hips. Unfortunately for me, the plant flowers from May through July, so I missed my photo opportunity! However, the red ḴELḴ (rose hips) though, remain on the plant throughout the winter. The plant can grow up to nine feet tall, has prickly stems and oval shaped, serrated leaves. A couple of weeks ago, I was on a hike with my sister and she randomly picked a rose hip and started nibbling the outside. She told me that the hips are an amazing source of vitamin C and that I should quit buying vitamins and eat them instead. I’ve done my research and it turns out she was right! The ḴELḴ are rich in vitamin C and and can be eaten raw, dried, be made into jams, jellies, and syrups. Their outer flesh tastes like a cross between apple, plum, and rose. They are known to taste better after a frost! ḴELḴ are sought after by birds, squirrels, rabbits, deer and bears.

Almost every part of the plant is edible! The stem, shoots, seed, fruit, flowers can all be used nutritionally/medicinally. The seed is a good source of vitamin E; it can be ground and mixed with flour or added to other foods as a supplement. Be careful not to eat the layer of hairs around the seeds just beneath the flesh of the fruit though, as it can cause irritation to the mouth and stomach if ingested. The leaves and petals can be boiled and used for tea or poultices, and the branches and roots have medicinal uses for sore throats and coughs. The bark can be brewed into teas to alleviate labor pains.

I downloaded a plant identifier app (recommended to me by an environmental science student); It’s called Seek and its seems awesome! It’s a free download and it identifies plants, animals, & fungi. I highly encourage anyone to try it out!

My Sources:

(*) ḴELḴ IȽĆ is SENĆOŦEN, a dialect spoken by the Coast Salish peoples.