Rosa Canina - Names and Etymology

Names and Etymology

The botanic name is derived from the common names 'dog rose' or similar in several European languages.

It is sometimes considered that the word 'dog' has a disparaging meaning in this context, indicating 'worthless' (by comparison with cultivated garden roses) (Vedel & Lange 1960). However it also known that it was used in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to treat the bite of rabid dogs, hence the name "dog rose" may result from this.

Other old folk names include dogberry and witches' briar.

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