Rosa rugosa

This introduced wildflower is a branching woody shrub about 2-6' tall. Older branches are woody, brown, and glabrous, while young shoots are light green and densely hairy. Both branches and shoots are covered with straight prickles of varying lengths. Alternate compound leaves occur along young shoots; they are widely spreading and odd-pinnate with 5-9 leaflets. The leaflets are about 1-2½" long and about one-half as much across; they are oblong-ovate or oblong-obcordate, crenate-serrate along their margins, and rather thick-textured. The upper surfaces of the leaflets are dark green, hairless, shiny, and conspicuously wrinkled along their veins, while their lower surfaces are more whitish green from dense pubescence. The central stalk (rachis) of each compound leaf is light green and pubescent; its underside has small prickles. The petiole of each compound leaf is rather stout, light green, and pubescent; at its base there is a pair of large lanceolate stipules about 1" long and one-third as much across. Each stipule tapers to a flared point. Upper shoots occasionally produce either individual or small cymes of 2-5 flowers on short branching peduncles. Individual flowers are 2-3½" across, consisting of 5 petals, 5 sepals, a ring of numerous stamens, a flat-topped cluster of pistils, and a light green base. The broad rounded petals are widely spreading and often wrinkled; they are white, pink, or magenta (more often the latter). The sepals are light green to reddish green, linear-lanceolate, and glandular-pubescent. The blooming period occurs during the summer for about 3 months. The flowers have a strong fragrance that is typical of roses. The flowers are replaced by subgloboid fruits (rose hips) about ¾-1¼" across that have persistent sepals. These fruits are initially light green, but they eventually become bright orange-red or red. Each fruit has a dry pulp containing several bony seeds. The root system is woody and branching, producing vegetative offsets from underground runners.

This erect, many branched, introduced, leafy shrub will grow to a height of four or five feet. The deciduous compound leaves are dark green and lustrous. The stout stems are densely covered with fine thorns and develop colonies from underground stems after a few years. The two to three inch diameter flowers will range from white to purple. Single blooms emerge all summer long. The flowers give rise to tomato-like red hips which range in size from ½ inch to 1½ inch in diameter. Heavy fruiting usually begins the second year after establishment.

While it is often cultivated, Rugosa Rose rarely naturalizes in Illinois. However, it may have some potential to become invasive in sandy habitats, particularly near Lake Michigan. It may also adapt to sandy roadsides where road salt is applied. Rugosa Rose is already well-established in sandy areas along the Atlantic coast of New England. In addition to its use as an ornamental plant, Rugosa Rose has been used for erosion control along beaches and to help stabilize sand dunes.

Native in E Jilin (Hunchun Xian), Liaoning, NE Shandong (Yantai Shi); widely cultivated elsewhere in China [Japan, Korea, Russia (Far East)].

Rugosa rose is a native of China, but has a wide range of adaptability. Its best performance is on sandy, light textured soils, but it will do well on medium textured soils. This rose will not tolerate poorly drained sites. It is well adapted to coastal environments.

Rugosa rose is distributed primarily throughout the Northeast. For a current distribution map, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Website.

Shrubs erect, to 2 m tall. Stems fasciculate, robust; branchlets tomentose; prickles dense, yellowish, terete, straight, greatly variable in size and intermixed, to 5 mm, fine, evenly tapering to base, lower parts tomentose, intermixed with glandular bristles. Leaves including petiole 5–13 cm, thick; stipules mostly adnate to petiole, free parts ovate, abaxially tomentose, margin glandular-pubescent, apex acute; rachis and petiole tomentose, sometimes with a few, short prickles; leaflets 5–7(–9), elliptic or elliptic-obovate, 1.5–4.5 × 1–2.5 cm, abaxially tomentose, reticulate, adaxially glabrous, shiny, rugose due to concave veins, base rounded or broadly cuneate, margin acutely serrate, apex acute or rounded-obtuse. Flower solitary, or several and fasciculate, axillary, 4–5.5 cm in diam.; pedicel 5–25 mm, tomentose and glandular-pubescent; bracts ovate, abaxially tomentose, margin glandular-pubescent, apex acuminate. Hypanthium subglobose, glabrous. Sepals 5, ovate-lanceolate, often leaflike, abaxially pubescent and stipitate glandular, adaxially sparsely pubescent, pinnately lobed, apex caudate-acuminate. Petals 5, double or semi-double, purple-red, dark pink, or white, obovate, base cuneate, apex emarginate. Styles free, slightly exserted, much shorter than stamens. Hip dark red, depressed-globose, 2–2.5 cm in diam., smooth, with persistent, erect sepals. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Aug–Sep. 2n = 14*.

Rosa ferox Lawrence; R. pubescens Baker.

While it is often cultivated, Rugosa Rose rarely naturalizes in Illinois. However, it may have some potential to become invasive in sandy habitats, particularly near Lake Michigan. It may also adapt to sandy roadsides where road salt is applied. Rugosa Rose is already well-established in sandy areas along the Atlantic coast of New England. In addition to its use as an ornamental plant, Rugosa Rose has been used for erosion control along beaches and to help stabilize sand dunes.

Coastal hillsides, sandy soils on sea shores, offshore islands; below 100 m.

For successful establishment on roadbanks and sand dunes, vegetative establishment techniques are required. One year old bare-root seedlings or rooted cuttings are typically adequate for planting most sites; but where establishment is critical, container-grown 1 year old plants are recommended. All potentially competing vegetation should be removed or controlled prior to planting, unless it is critical to site stability.

For optimum nursery production, standard raised bed propagation techniques can be utilized. After soil temperatures reach the 40s in fall, but before dropping into the 30s, apply a maximum of 3 grams pure live seed (PLS) per square foot area of bed to attain adequate production of quality seedlings. For the over-winter period, these beds should be mulched. Time released fertilizers, applied in late spring, have yielded the best growth results under nursery environments. Hardwood cuttings harvested during the dormant season, placed in a heated bench, work well to start rooted cuttings.

Foodplant / sap sucker
Macrosiphum rosae sucks sap of live Rosa rugosa

Foodplant / parasite
telium of Phragmidium tuberculatum parasitises live Rosa rugosa
Remarks: season: autumn

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Fungus / parasite
Podosphaera pannosa parasitises Rosa rugosa

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 4
Specimens with Barcodes: 10
Species With Barcodes: 1

Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status (e.g. threatened or endangered species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

These species are introduced in Switzerland.

Please contact your local agricultural extension specialist or county weed specialist to learn what works best in your area and how to use it safely. Always read label and safety instructions for each control method. Trade names and control measures appear in this document only to provide specific information. USDA, NRCS does not guarantee or warranty the products and control methods named, and other products may be equally effective.

Many improved horticultural varieties are grown for beautification purposes. Only one cultivar has been selected and released specifically for use on sand dune stabilization. That cultivar is ‘Sandy’ (DE, MD, MA, NJ) which was released in 1992 by the Cape May PMC. ‘Sandy’ is a polycross of twelve separate collections. Foundation seed and seed orchard stock can be obtained by commercial nurseries from the Cape May PMC. This released conservation variety and others are available from various commercial nurseries for use by the public.

There is some concern that this rose is becoming naturalized at the expense of native species. Where native roses occur in local stands, rugosa rose should be used with discretion.

Periodic removal of older stems can improve the appearance of rugosa rose stands.

The preference is full to partial sun, moist to dry-mesic conditions, and sandy soil. This shrub also adapts to fertile loam and other kinds of soil. It is more tolerant of salt than most plants.

Traditionally used for its beautification qualities, rugosa rose’s value as an erosion control type plant has recently expanded to include sand dune stabilization. Its ability to withstand salt spray makes it a good choice to plant on sand dunes and roadsides. With its thorny stems, this shrub can be strategically established at locations to direct pedestrians between the sand dunes. The ripe fruits (hips) this plant produces are high in vitamin C, and can be made into teas, jams and jellies. To a lesser degree, this species offers some food and cover to deer, and small birds and mammals.

This plant is considered noxious in some states. This plant may be invasive in some regions or habitats and may displace desirable vegetation if not properly managed. Please consult with your local NRCS Field Office, Cooperative Extension Service office, or state natural resource or agriculture department regarding its status and use. Invasive information is also available from the PLANTS Web site at plants.usda.gov.