Do Roses Have Seeds? Yes, Find, Harvest, and Plant Them

Typically, all plants have a seed that allows them to mature. However, Rose seeds are rarely seen on the bushes or stem themselves. The question arises, Do roses have seeds? Or do they reproduce in other ways?

So do roses have seeds? And if so then where are these rose seeds?

Rose seeds are contained within the rose hip. The rose hip is the typically red bulb structure that forms below the flower. Not all rose flowers will have a rose hip, but those that do will grow once the flower dies. Often they are pruned before they have a chance to fully form and distribute.

So that’s the quick answer. But having identified where the rose hip is and what it looks like, what do you do then? What options are available to you regarding these seeds?

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Do roses have seeds – In-depth

When rose bushes produce seeds, they can be harvested and planted in your garden.

They’ll grow into new bushes if you take care of them, and you’ll be able to harvest more seeds after the next flowering season …and so on.

Isn’t nature great!

But how do you collect rose seeds, and what type of care do these seeds require to thrive? Here, we’ll go over the specifics of rose seed care so you can get the most out of your rose plants.

When you look at a rose bush, it’s difficult to imagine where you’d be able to collect seeds. 

Rose hips – or growths – that emerge after a rose’s blossoms have died off, contain these seeds.

Allow your rose bush to naturally die down before harvesting the seeds. You’ll prevent the rose hips from growing if you cut your rose bush when the petals begin to fade.

However, if you want to get your rose shrub ready for rose hips, a little pre-bloom pruning won’t hurt.

You may keep future rose hips from overpowering your bush by trimming away some of the pre-growth on your rose shrub.

Instead of battling with hips that have had to compete for resources, you’ll be able to harvest the hips that bear the most seeds.

Most of the time I tend to remove rose hips on the bush but do leave a few. The rose has done its thing for the year, the rose hips are a natural sign to the rose to start the winter process. But also, rose hips are really helpful food for wildlife like birds so consider leaving some.

But, if you want to harvest rose hips, then let’s get into more on that subject…

How to harvest rose seeds

Depending on when your rose blooms, you’ll find rose hips growing in late summer or early fall. 

The color of these hips is usually red, orange, or yellow. Your rose hips should be harvested when they are orange or red in shade. This way, you’ll have a variety of viable seeds to sow sometime later.

If you see brown rose hips on your shrub, trim them off. Since they have been left for too long, these darker hips are not the best to use. You ideally need to get to them sooner.

It’s time to correctly collect the seeds once you’ve picked your red or orange rose hips from the shrub.

Once you have snipped the hips from the rose plant. From any angle, you may cut into the hip. You can scoop the seeds out of the hips with a spoon or your fingers once you’ve opened them. Clean these seeds with clean, cool water before storing them in a dry place until planting time.

But don’t leave your seeds to sit for too long! Time is of the essence. You should plant them three days or less after you’ve harvested them.

You can, however, store your rose seeds in the refrigerator for up to ten weeks and plant them when the weather improves.

This is known as “stratification,” and it often leads to more prolific development. However, keep in mind that you should keep your seeds in the refrigerator rather than the freezer, as freezing your seeds can destroy them.

You can actually eat rose hips too. Here’s my post on preparing and eating rose hips, in various ways. You can also check out more about eating rose petals.

Is it possible to plant rose seeds In the ground?

Roses can be grown immediately from seed. However, doing so requires a great deal of patience and practice.

You’ll probably have better luck growing your rose bush from a bare root rose instead – if you’re new to gardening.

However, if you’re up for a challenge, you can plant your freshly collected rose seed directly in the ground. You’ll need to study a little about rose hybridization to do so.

Planting your Harvested rose seeds

Since they have both stems and ovaries, roses are considered bisexual, a plant that can easily self-pollinate. Allowing your roses to self-pollinate and spontaneously shed their seeds is the simplest way to grow more roses.

1. Self-harvested seeds, on the other hand, require a little more attention. You can get crafty and try cross-breeding roses on your own time if you want to see what different rose species combinations look like. 
2. Harvest your seeds as mentioned above, regardless of how you let them pollinate. After that, tidy them up and wait for the last of the frosts to pass. Following that, you’ll need to do the following:
3. Plant your seeds in a sunny location.
4. Get a rose container or choose a section of your yard to dedicate to your roses.
5. Plant your seeds Underneath a half-inch of potting soil and vermiculite
6. After sowing the seeds, dust them with fertilizer or plant nutrients and water them right away.
7. Keep the soil moist for the following six weeks, but don’t overwater the seeds or they’ll rot.
8. Wait for the seedlings to sprout and bloom to their full size.
9. If required, transplant them, but otherwise cherish your new roses in their new home.

If you’ve tried cross-pollination, make sure to mark your roses according to their parent plants. 

This will give you a better sense of which parents produce various color combinations and growth variations.

How long does a rosebush take to grow from a seed?

Rose bushes do everything they can to put a gardener’s patience to the test.

While seedlings will emerge within the first six weeks of planting, it will be a long time before you see a fully developed rose bush. That’s if any develop at all.

If one or two do develop, then it can take up to five years for some rose plants to reach their full potential. However, most of the time, you can expect the plant to be fully grown in 3 years. And they will bloom before then.

It’s ideal to start your rose bush with a two-year-old growth if you want to see results quickly. 

Although Growing a rose bush from seed has its own benefits. Not only will you be able to play around with the colors of your roses but you’ll also be able to look back on your rose bush in a few years and be proud of your achievement as a fairly technically-accomplished gardener.

Rose seeds: How much do they cost?

There’s always the option to buy your seeds if you don’t want to collect your own rose seeds or don’t have a rose shrub to work with.

Rose seeds are a little more costly than other varieties of seeds. From most stores you can expect to pay anywhere from $5 to $25, depending on the type of rose you wish to get. 

In terms of where you can get them. They’re most commonly found at local nurseries, but they’ll also be available in the Spring at stores like Walmart. Amazon has rose seeds accessible all year long.

Do roses have seeds ~ More roses help! 🌹

It’s a pretty technical subject, and I must confess one that I’ve experimented little with up till now. But, I hope this has helped you in understanding more about rose seeds …answering the question: Do roses have seeds, understanding where they are, and how to harvest and grow them.

Be sure to check out my recommended tools and resources page. Plus my other rose articles. Such as my articles on bare root roses.