Submitted for publication in the Contra Costa Times on December 1, 2005

Q. How can you tell which rose hips are good for tea?

A. All roses can produce hips ( the name for the seed pods), but if you are choosing a rose specifically for the hips, the Rugosa rose, which produces large colorful hips is reported to do well here. The species roses, shrub roses and ramblers are most likely to have hips large enough to be noticed, If you want the seedpods, be sure to leaves the blossoms on the plants. If you dead-head you will have no hips! Al the rose hips are edible as long as you are not allergic to roses.