Nootka Rose - c’k’apaʔac - (Rosa nutkana)
The nootka rose is one of the region's most striking floral shrubs, characterized by its grand leaflets and vibrant pink lightly scented flowers, blooming from May to July, at the ends of its prickly branches. Nootka rose shrubs can attain a height of 8 feet with an equal width. It propagates from the mother plant, by way of underground runners. Once the blooming season ends, the flowers create a round bright red fruit called hips. Native Americans have long used the hips as food or steeped into teas and are commonly known to be sweeter after a frost (use caution to not consume the hairs around the seeds, as they may cause throat irritation). A wide variety of wildlife interact with the nootka rose, as it is a food source for deer, elk, bears, coyotes, and rodents, additionally the thickets of the nootka rose are used by birds for nesting and cover.
*Prefers full to partial sun
*Equal preference for wet or dry soil
*Typically grows from 6 to 8 feet in both height and width
*Can thrive in both wetlands and non-wetlands, such as shorelines, floodplains, and meadows
*Sold Bare Root.
*Sold in bundles of 5.
c’k’apaʔac *Lushootseed provided by the Puyallup Tribal Language Program and audio by Chris Briden, Puyallup Tribal member.