Rosa L.

Rose, dwarf rose

Some wild roses

	Rosa carolina	Rosa multiflora	Rosa palustris
Common Name	pasture rose	multiflora rose	swamp rose
Plant	Pasture rose is a low shrub, 1–3′ (30–91 cm) high that prefers drier ground. It may be erect or sprawl over other plants. Stems have straight, needlelike, relatively slender thorns, vs. the stronger curved thorns on many roses.	9½–16′ (3–5 m), disheveled and sprawling. It has strong, thorny stems, with thorns that are curved backward.	Shrubs are 6–8′ (1.8–2.4 m) tall, with multiple, thorny stems. Thorns are widely spaced, single or sometimes paired, and hooked, curving backward
Leaves	In clusters of five or seven, with a single leaf at the end of each branch. They are ovate (oval, with pointed ends), and serrated. Leaf undersides are bluish and hairless, or with only a few hairs.	Roughly oval in shape, with sharply toothed edges, 1¾–4″ (5–10 cm) long, in groups of 5-11 (usually 9).	Dark green, 1¼–2½″ (3.2–6.3 cm) long, roughly oval with pointed tips, with finely serrated edges. They occur in odd pinnate groups, most commonly with 7 leaflets, sometimes with 5, rarely with 9.
Flowers	Flowers are almost always solitary. They are pink (rarely white) with yellow centers, with five petals, and about ¾–1½″ (1.9–3.8 cm) in diameter. They have the fragrance of roses.	Abundant white or pinkish flowers, about ½–1½″ (1.5–4 cm) in diameter, with five petals and yellow centers, in large corymbs (flower clusters).	1½–2″ (3.8–5.8 cm) in diameter, solitary (or in small clusters), light to dark pink, with five petals and strong rose fragrance. They appear from June to July.
Fruit	Fruits, called “rose hips,” are smooth, red, shiny globes, sometimes somewhat flattened, about ¼–⅜″ (8–12 mm) around.	Orange-red to purplish, ⅛–¼″ (6–8 mm) in diameter.	Red rose hips, with glandular hairs, are less than ½″ (1.3 cm) around.
Range/ Zones	USDA Zones: 4-9		USDA Zones: 4-9
Habitats	Wide-ranging: in dry soils, at the border of prairies, woodlands, and savannas, in thickets, in upland forested areas, and dunes; as well as wet soils along stream beds, swamps and low grassy areas.	Any open area with medium moisture: roadsides, abandoned pastures, open woodlands, thickets	Wet habitats: stream banks, swamps, marshes.

	Rosa rubiginosa	Rosa rugosa	Rosa virginiana
Common Name	sweetbriar	rugosa rose	Virginia rose
Plant	6½–9½′ (2–3 m) high. Stems have many stout curved thorns. The foliage smells like apples.	Rugosa rose is easy to identify. It is a shrub 3–6′ (1–1.8 m) high, with stems that have zillions of variably sized thorns. The thorns are straight or nearly so, varying from ⅛–⅜″ (3–10 mm) in length.	4–6′ (1.2–1.8 m) tall, with erect, upright stems and stout, hooked thorns that are flattened at the base.
Leaves	Odd pinnate—occuring in clusters of 5 or 7 evenly sized opposite leaves with the odd leaf at the end of the branch. Individual leaves are about ½″ (1.3 cm) long, oval, with double serrations.	Odd pinnate clusters of 5-9 leaflets, usually 7. Clusters are 3–6″ (8–15 cm) long, and the individual leaflets are 1–1½″ (3–4 cm) long. Leaves are shiny, dark green, and deeply veined (technically, rugose, hence the species name). Leaf undersides are light green from dense feltlike hairs.	Odd pinnate—in clusters of 7 to 9 leaflets, with the odd leaflet at the end of the branch. Each leaflet is 1–1¼″ (2.5–3.2 cm) long, dark green, with serrations that point forward and are coarser than those of swamp rose.
Flowers	In loose clusters of one to eight, each 1–1½″ (2.5–3.8 cm) around, pink or bright pink, with 5 petals.	White or pink, 2½–3½″ (6.3–8.9 cm) around, with five petals. They may be solitary on in clusters, and appear from June to August.	Flowers are pink, solitary, 2–2½″ (5–6.3 cm) around, with a yellow center.
Fruit	Up to ⅞″ (2.5 cm) in diameter, bright red-orange, sometimes elongated into ovals.	Glossy "rose hips" up to 1″ (2.5 cm) around, ball-shaped but somewhat flattened, orange to deep red.	Bright red, ¼–½″ (6.3–12 mm) in diameter
Range/ Zones	USDA Zones: 4-9		USDA Zones: 4-7
Habitats	Dry, open or disturbed sites, with a preference for limestone (calcium-bearing) soils	Seacoasts, sandy roadsides, beaches, dunes	Moist to dry meadows, cleared areas, thickets, roadsides, freshwater (but not seawater) shores

Rosa description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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