On a trip to Maine about a decade ago, I collected some hips from a wild rose i later identified as the shining rose. When I finally got around to planting them a few years later, I had remarkable germination, but all but one seedling withered and died that summer. The survivor was so much healthier and more vigorous I initially assumed I had an errant seed from the Fendler’s woodsii I had collected on another trip and planted that same winter, and the nitida being more vigorous, I let all of my woodsii progeny go. (Oops…)
Anyhoo, after a year, the nitida acquired the characteristic sheen of its foliage, and straight, bristly prickles of a the species. It has survived a few really brutal summers here in the filtered light of my backyard, but I don’t know how excited i should be…
What is the mechanism that determines nitida’s blooming? I assume there is a reason its range is limited to colder climates, and wonder if there is any hope for a blossom.