Shrub Profile: Rosa Abyssinica

The Flower of Rosa Abyssinica

Rosa abyssinica (also known as the Abyssinian rose) is indigenous to Ethiopia but can be found in Arabia, Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudean as well.  Rosa abyssinica produces large, fragrant flowers and small fruits, which can be eaten.  This beautiful shrub grows well between 1,700 and 3,300 meters and can thrive in areas with little or great amounts of rain fall.

Rosa Abyssinica in Addis Ababa

Beyond their beauty and edible fruits, Rosa abyssinica offers itself as firewood, medicine (flowers, roots, and fruit), and live fencing (when grown close together along a boundary).

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References

Useful Trees and Shrubs of Ethiopia: Identification, Propagation and Management for 17 Agroclimatic Zones - Azene Bekele-Tesemma