At first blush, it seemed to be just a flower.
The flower and many others of the same ilk grow on a common shrub, Virginia rose, which is native to eastern North America. This plant’s associations expand beyond its roots.
Virginia rose is the OG (original gangster), meaning it lays claim to the first of its kind amongst the other Virginia roses whose stories will be told. Rose the plant provides beauty, medicine and food for wildlife and people. Also called wild rose, prairie rose, shining-leaved rose and American wild rose, this flower gets great accolades.
Bridget and Charles Quest-Ritson, Britain’s leading experts on roses, lived their lives among these flowers, at one time having over 1,000 roses in their garden. They raised, wrote about and won prizes for their blossoms. These rosarians described Rosa Virginiana as “the best all-rounder among the wild roses.”
Beyond its beauty, Virginia rose provides nectar for pollinators, rose hips for food and shrubby cover for wildlife. People also can consume those hips for their flavor, and they are rich in vitamin C. Eat handfuls raw, or in jams, jellies or other creative concoctions to sidestep scurvy. Those pink petals add beauty to salads and desserts, and can be infused into vinegars, syrups and liquors.
Even the rose’s roots serve to heal, with historical uses of treating worms in children, a wash for sore eyes and a flush for bleeding cuts on one’s feet. Don’t count out the seeds of this plant, which can be ground into powder and mixed with flour to make flower flour, providing a potent punch of vitamin E.
Make your floral delicacies even more rosy by serving these dishes on Virginia Rose plates, cups, or platters. American china company Homer Laughlin created a line of dinnerware in 1932 to honor the granddaughter, also named Virginia Rose (a namesake or not?), of William Edwin Wells. That Virginia Rose reportedly grew up to be the bookkeeper in the family business.
William Wells was the secretary, treasurer and general manager of the Homer Laughlin China Company for more than 30 years in the early 20th century. The Virginia Rose ceramic line was one of the most popular sets and was produced from the early 1930s through the late 1960s.
What made this china unique was its scalloped shape, which was rimmed with rose medallion embossing. Many different patterns, called decal treatments, depicted flowers, fruits, people, landscapes, objects and geometric designs, and were found on those specially-shaped plates. The line grew to include plates, platters, tea service, salt and pepper shakers, and so much more. People loved them and strove to “collect the whole set,” as the modern phrase goes.
This pottery can still be found on many websites offering classic china. However, Virginia Rose was so popular and so many pieces were made and still exist, these pieces are not considered rare or valuable to collectors. But you can easily get any that might be missing from your collection.
In my heart, all of the Virginia Roses are worthy and worthwhile — the china, useful and beautiful; the plant even more so; and the woman as inspiring as both.
Suzan Bellincampi is director of the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown, and author of Martha’s Vineyard: A Field Guide to Island Nature and The Nature of Martha’s Vineyard.
This article appears in July 10, 2026.
I love the Virginia Rose. I planted it in one of my native gardens and love to watch the pollinators flock to it. Besides it’s tricky thorns and aggressive urge to spread, it provides year-round interest to insects and people alike.