wild rose

Alberta has been in the news a lot over the last two weeks (and the fires are still burning, though they have moved away from Fort McMurray. Thanks to the firefighters and first responders, the damage to Fort Mac is less than feared, though still formidable.)

Anyway, in honour, here is the Alberta provincial flower from a 1966 stamp. It was engraved by Allan Carswell and designed by Harvey Prosser as part of the floral emblem series from 1964-66.

The wild rose is the most abundant rose growing in the boreal forests of northern Canada. When faced with our climate, wild roses are typically more hardy, pest-resistant and beneficial to wildlife than the classic cultivated roses. The shoots, fruit, flowers and leaves are all eaten by humans and animals. The roots can be made into an ointment for the eyes, and arrows have been made from the wood When the Wild Rose is in bloom, its fragrance attracts bees and other insects to gather and distribute the pollen. As the flower begins to wither, it turns into a small oval shaped hard seed container called a "rose hip" which is also considered the fruit of the plant. The pink flowers bloom from late May to July.

In 1930 it was voted to be the provincial flower. The Alberta licence plates proclaim it to be "Wild Rose Country" and the provincial conservatives are the Wild Rose party (the one in opposition, whose leader also lost his home in Fort Mac.)

see more flowers at Sunday Stamps II