#30DaysOfBiking 2012: Prairie Wild Rose

Today is day #27 of the 2012 30 Days Of Biking challenge.

This is Prairie Wild Rose (also known as Arkansas Rose) along a gravel road. The colors of the flower can vary from almost white, as in this example, to a deep, rich pink.

Prairie Wild Rose grows throughout Kansas, and is native to much of central North America. It has been designated as the state flower of both Iowa and North Dakota.

The USGS says to “Look for prairie wild rose in prairies, sandy tame pastures, roadsides, and at the edges of woods. Roses are used as foods (preserves, candies, sauces), drinks (teas, wines), flavorings, and perfumes, and the essential oils have been used as medicines.”

KSWildflower.org says: “Rose hips contain high levels of vitamin C and can be eaten raw, stewed, candied, or made into jelly. Many Plains Indian tribes used the hips as an emergency food source. Prairie wild rose is resistant to drought due to roots that can go down more than 20 feet.”

Hope you don’t mind the frequent flower and plant photos from my 30 Days Of Biking; I love to stop and check them out when I’m riding in the country, and after the browns and grays of winter, the fresh colors of Spring are so very welcome!

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About The Author

By Randy Rasa, editor/webmaster at Kansas Cyclist, the web's premier Kansas cycling information site, featuring authoritative guides to Kansas cycling clubs, bike shops, organized bike rides, touring, trails, and much more. [learn more]

2 responses to “#30DaysOfBiking 2012: Prairie Wild Rose”

  1. Brian L. says:

    No problem on the flower pix! You’re a great photog & they’re beautiful! There was a guy named Victor Weinreber who blogged on crazyguyonabike.com about his around-the-world bike tour — he shared hundreds of flower pix that were just awesome — I saved a bunch of them and used them as Windows Desktop backgrounds.

  2. Randy Rasa says:

    Yes! I followed Victor’s journey through the US and Mexico, and actually posted something about that here: http://www.kansascyclist.com/news/2008/06/kansas-cycling-nirvana/

    I like to take the photos then look the flowers (or grasses or trees or animals) up when I get home. It helps to be able to put a name to things…