Rosa virginiana Mill.
Virginia rose, common wild rose, prairie rose
Virginia rose is native to eastern North America.
Plants: 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—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: Pink, solitary, 2–2½″ (5–6.3 cm) around, with a yellow center.
Fruits: Bright red, and ¼–½″ (6.3–12 mm) in diameter
Habitats: Moist to dry meadows, cleared areas, thickets, roadsides, freshwater (but not seawater) shores.
See our wild rose comparison guide for further information.
Online References:
9/20/2009 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (52 × 34 cm) 
9/28/2013 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm) 
9/22/2020 · Giants’ Stairs, Bailey Island, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 6 × 4″ (14 × 10 cm) 
9/22/2020 · Giants’ Stairs, Bailey Island, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 4 × 6″ (11 × 16 cm) 
9/22/2020 · Giants’ Stairs, Bailey Island, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9.2 cm) 
9/28/2013 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine · ≈ 8 × 6″ (20 × 14 cm) 
9/28/2013 · Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm) 
4/9/2011 · Sandy Point State Park, Annapolis, Maryland · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm) 
ID is uncertain 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Rosidae | Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more |
| Order | Rosales | Rose family and eight others |
| Family | Rosaceae | Includes apples, apricots, plums, cherries, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, almonds, roses, meadowsweets, photinias, firethorns, rowans, and hawthorns; many others |
| Genus | Rosa | From a Latin name so old its meaning is no longer known |
| Species | virginiana | “From Virginia” |
Rosa virginiana description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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