Rosa multiflora
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- RO-zuh mull-tee-FLO-rah
- This plant is an invasive species in North Carolina
- Description
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Multiflora rose is a woody perennial, deciduous, multi-stemmed shrub in the rose family (Rosaceae). It was brought to the United States from Asia as a rootstock for many roses and its planting was encouraged as a shrub that would help with erosion and be a "living fence" to contain livestock. The species name means many flowered.
It prefers full sun to partial shade but can also survive in a shady forest. It rapidly grows 10 to 15 feet tall and 14 to 15 feet wide. The branches are covered in sturdy curved prickles and it forms dense thickets in meadows, fields or forest edges.
Multiflora rose can be distinguished from other rose species by the fringed stipules at the base of each leaf. The flowers are small and white, compared to many wild Rosa species' pink flowers. It can be mistaken for various species of brambles (Rubus sp.) due to similar growth habits and prickles. However, Rubus species have red or purple stems while multiflora rose is consistently green. One multiflora rose plant can produce 500,000 seeds annually and the seedbank is viable for 10 to 20 years.
This plant has no predators in North Carolina; that, coupled with its prolific seed production, its ability to colonize by rooting stem, and to leaf out earlier than native plants in the spring, make it an invasive and fierce competitor. It is very difficult to control. Please consider a native alternative instead. See the lefthand sidebar for suggestions.
Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Listed as invasive by the NC Invasive Plant Council.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Glandiflora'
Richly tinged young leaves that become deep green; few reddish prickles; trailing stems; orange-red hips that last into winter
- 'Glandiflora'
- 'Glandiflora'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Glandiflora'
Richly tinged young leaves that become deep green; few reddish prickles; trailing stems; orange-red hips that last into winter
- 'Glandiflora'
- 'Glandiflora'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Rosa
- Species:
- multiflora
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eastern China, Korea, Japan
- Wildlife Value:
- Birds and small mammals eat the rose hips as a fall and winter food source and disperse the seeds.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 14 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Rose
- Shrub
- Habit/Form:
- Arching
- Clumping
- Dense
- Multi-stemmed
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- High
- Appendage:
- Prickles
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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)
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Achene
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- 1/4" red hips appear in clusters late summer and persist into fall. High seed production (achenes; the hip itself is an accessory fruit).
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Corymb
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Small showy fragrant white to light pink 5 petaled flowers (1/2 to 1 in wide) clustered in a corymb from late spring to early summer (April to June). Flowers have both male and female parts (perfect).
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Oblong
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Alternate odd-pinnate compound leaves with 5-11 leaflets with serrate margins. Leaflets are ovate 1/2"-2" long with acute (pointed) tips. Petioles have fringed stipules which distinguishes them from other roses.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Light Brown
- Light Gray
- Bark Description:
- Dark brown, streaks of light brown or gray
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Round
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Green to red arching canes with prickles
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Landscape:
- Problems:
- Invasive Species
- Spines/Thorns
- Weedy
