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Rosa laevigata

Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling
ROH-sah ly-vih-GAY-tah
Description

Cherokee rose is a woody, deciduous, sprawling shrub in the rose family (Rosaceae) that is native to central and southern China to Vietnam and Taiwan. It was brought to the United States during colonial times and cultivated by the Cherokee. 

Plant it in full sun to partial shade and moist soil. Water deeply and regularly. A summer application of mulch helps retain moisture. Cherokee rose tolerates a wide range of soil types, even poor soil. The best flowering and disease resistance occurs in full sun. While it is typically grown as a climber, it can be pruned into a 6-foot shrub. Pruning should be accomplished in the late winter. Look here for a guide to pruning shrub roses. It is deer resistant.  

Cherokee rose grows rapidly with arching canes that contain numerous hooked prickles, glossy dark green leaves, and showy fragrant white flowers that attract butterflies. It will climb 15 to 60 feet high and spread 3 to 4 feet wide. A rock wall or other vertical space in a butterfly or pollinator garden is an ideal location for this climbing rose. Keep it a distance from high-traffic areas as it is very prickly.   

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Fuller rose beetles, Japanese beetles, rose chafer, rose thrips, southern red mites, and two spotted mites are pest problems for roses. Disease problems include botrytis, blights, powdery mildew, leaf spots, and anthracnose. Cherokee rose may spread aggressively in the southeastern United States.

VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.

Profile Video:
See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
'Anemone'
Tags:
#thorns#showy flowers#deciduous#fragrant flowers#white flowers#showy fruits#fast growing#aggressive#trellises#deer resistant#glossy leaves#red fruits#prickly#edible fruits#pollinator plant#orange fruits#poor soils tolerant#nectar plant spring#garden walls#butterfly friendly#bee friendly#weed#flowers spring#fence#wildlife friendly
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
'Anemone'
Tags:
#thorns#showy flowers#deciduous#fragrant flowers#white flowers#showy fruits#fast growing#aggressive#trellises#deer resistant#glossy leaves#red fruits#prickly#edible fruits#pollinator plant#orange fruits#poor soils tolerant#nectar plant spring#garden walls#butterfly friendly#bee friendly#weed#flowers spring#fence#wildlife friendly
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Rosa
    Species:
    laevigata
    Family:
    Rosaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Woody
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Central & Southern China to Vietnam and Taiwan
    Wildlife Value:
    Flowers are attractive to butterflies and bees.
    Edibility:
    Rose hips are edible
    Dimensions:
    Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Edible
    Rose
    Shrub
    Vine
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Habit/Form:
    Arching
    Climbing
    Spreading
    Growth Rate:
    Rapid
    Maintenance:
    High
    Texture:
    Medium
    Appendage:
    Prickles
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    Clay
    High Organic Matter
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Shallow Rocky
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Alkaline (>8.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Moist
    Available Space To Plant:
    6-feet-12 feet
    12-24 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Orange
    Red/Burgundy
    Fruit Value To Gardener:
    Edible
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Summer
    Fruit Description:
    Large orange-red edible rose hips.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Orange
    White
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Solitary
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Fragrant
    Showy
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Spring
    Flower Petals:
    4-5 petals/rays
    Flower Size:
    3-6 inches
    Flower Description:
    Large (3-4 inches), fragrant, single blooms in spring; does not repeat; 5 petals white petals with yellow stamens bloom for weeks in the spring.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Glossy
    Leaf Type:
    Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Leaf Margin:
    Dentate
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Description:
    Dark green, glossy trifoliate leaves with toothed margins
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Rock Wall
    Vertical Spaces
    Landscape Theme:
    Edible Garden
    Attracts:
    Bees
    Butterflies
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Poor Soil