You know what was great about the female movie stars of the ’50s? They had hips! You know one of the great things about roses? They’ve got hips, too!
Yes, when most people think about roses, they tend to jump to the blooms. But as those who are big into rose gardening know, many of these shrubs are actually grown for their terrific hips, too. Here are a few plants that are especially “hip to the groove:” One of the very best hip producers is rugose rose (Rosa rugosa). The hips on this plant are so big and round, that one common name for it is “sea tomato.” What are some other great features of this rose? It’s highly disease-resistant, has wrinkled leaves, and it blooms in white or pink flowers throughout summer. Best of all, the hips begin to appear while the plant’s still flowering, so you get two beauties for the price of one! The cultivar ‘Scabrosa’ has hips of different colors, ranging from green to tomato red. These shrubs grow from 4-5 feet tall and are hardy to Zone 5.  Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: Lane Greer | | In early summer, the hips of blue-leaved roses are just beginning to color. By fall they’ll turn reddish-black. |
Another rose with nice round hips is the hybrid R. ‘Pumpkin’, which has – you guessed it – huge, orange hips. This rose, too, reaches 4-5 feet tall and is hardy to Zone 5.
If you’re looking for a rose with neat foliage, as well as nice hips, try the red- or blue-leaved roses, R. rubrifolia or R. glauca. (This is actually the same plant, but it goes by two different names, depending on whom you ask.) They’ve got reddish-purple foliage, pink flowers and clusters of dark red hips. The plants are disease-resistant, grow 6-7 feet tall and are hardy in zones 2-8.
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