Rugosa Rose Hedge - food or problem?

Where I used to live I planted rugosa roses as a hedge and I loved the fragrant blooms and hips but we had to rip them out when they started sending runners out 6 feet from the hedge into our neighbor's lawn. I'm wondering if anyone here has successfully used them as a fenced off forage hedge for goats or if they would just escape into the pasture and get out of control? I'm not ready to plant the hedge this year but if I'll do it in a year or three, I could buy one plant now and take cuttings for the hedge when the time comes. I like that the hips are so high in vitamin C and they're so easy to grow/hardy, but I guess other berries could fill in instead.

I love rosa rugosa also and wanted an area full of them. I got plants from a friend who had a beautiful hedge. Mine did OK for a few years, sent out a few runners but never thrived. Last summer the last one died. I would love to have a problem with them suckering everywhere! Our soil is acidic and very rocky. I suspect they hit clay and had wet feet over the winter and spring here rather than the summer drought killing them. Couldn't you just transplant unwanted suckers or give them away...I don't think they spread too quickly.

Renate, I know your interest is rosa rugosa, but if they do prove too invasive for your area I wondered if you have thought about trying any of the old garden rose varieties? We have several areas with a Gallica "Charles de Mills" rose that was at an old homestead on our land. When I ID'ed it the information said that it thrives on neglect and that really seems to be the case. We dry the petals every year and use for tea and eyewash and the occasional wedding. I have read that the apothacry rose is in the Gallica family. The deer nibble the new growth a bit but this only makes for more blooms. No hips survive the birds and they are very small anyway compared to rugosa.

I would love to have a hedge that was that out of control for our goats. What zone do you live in, Renate?

I'm in 6 B.

My reading indicates that rugosa has the biggest, best-tasting hips.

I have seen some strains available that have been bred specifically for bigger, better hips (there's a joke in here somewhere). Can't remember offhand where those were on offer but if I find them again I'll post back.